Short Stories

Lightning and Thunder

I'm sorry.. this is all my fault.. Please don't- DONT LEAVE ME!

She shot up in bed as a bolt of thunder shook her room. She looked around. She was alone. It wasn't anything new, of course, she'd been alone for a long time now. No pictures on the wall, on the mantel, no posters up, clothes and shoes strung about the room. She managed too keep the living room and kitchen together- the only place people ever really saw. She knew how to put herself together when she went out.

Her hands flew over her head as another bolt of thunder hit. She screamed. She scrambled for her remote to drown it out. Rain hit her window like an assault of bullets out to get her as thunder rolled about in the distance. A bright flash of lightening lit up her room just as the power went out. She shot back against the wall as tears rolled down her face.

"No no no no no.." she whispered. "Please stop- please.." The thunder that followed the flash made the whole house shake.

The storm slowly subsided and she listened to the angry storm as it moved away. She jumped at every sharp shout of the sky as she read through messages, pictures, anything she could find. Tears streamed down her face. With one bolt of lightening, she leapt back and threw her phone. Her body shook and her chest felt like it'd been hit by a train. She collapsed against the wall by her bed and cried.

***
Her alarm went off at the same time every morning. Like every morning, she gathered the willpower to get up and cover the bags under her eyes from another sleepless night. She got dressed and didn't bother to fix breakfast before she fed the animals and headed outside to tend the garden. She picked up the phone around noon and smiled while the girl in the screen went on about her latest boy.

"Girl you alright? You look exhausted."

"Oh I'm fine just slept in late."

"Finally done with school and catching up on sleep? I've never known you to sleep in till you moved outta campus."

"Yeah," she laughed and scratched the back of her neck. "Uhm- anyway- Moms on her way I'm sorry hon I'll call you back."

"Awe okay. See ya love you sis."

"Love you too." She hung up and took a deep breath, wincing as she did. She curled up in bed and covered her face with her pillow. She felt her cat jump up and curl up at her feet. She turned on her radio and listened as old pop songs played in the background. By the time she moved the now tear stained pillow, it'd gotten dark.