Devastation

[sidhe_faerie]

 Devastation
WC: 1272

The cold wind whipped through the valley taking with it the new green leaves and the branches of broken trees. The storm was yet to hit but its effects were already devastating the valley.

The people living in the valley had fled to the caves for protection. The group numbered twenty five. Some left their homes with just the clothes on their backs not knowing if they would have anything to go back to.

Suddenly, the storm hit with a vengeance. Rain came down in sheets. The wind grew even stronger. The sky went dark. The sound outside the caves was deafening.

Salem, a nurse, moved around the group checking for injuries. She didn't find any life threatening injuries just bumps and bruises and a few scrapes. Satisfied she sat down to wait with the others for the storm to pass.

Jim went as close to the entrance as he dared and looked out. There was nothing but blackness as far as he could see. He returned to the group, sitting next to Salem.

"What did you see?" Salem asked in a whisper.

"Nothing but black." Jim whispered back.  "I think it's a tornado. I don't think we will have homes to go back to."

Salem looked around. "What will we do?"

"I don't know." Jim rubbed his face. "If we hadn't rounded up everyone and taken shelter in this cave we would all be dead right now."

"We still might die with no food or water." Salem leaned her head against his shoulder. "We may be in here for a day or two."

"There are mres in sealed barrels and a pallet of bottled water in the cavern on the left and buckets for toilets in the cavern on the right." Jim nudged her. "Joke about my prepping tendencies now, why don't you?"

"Damn!" Salem looked up at him. "I'm never teasing you again. You may have saved us all."

Jim grinned. "The rock in the walls of the caves is thicker than can be made with concrete for an underground bunker. I was just thinking  ahead. There's also a natural spring for washing. "

"So this is your bunker, Mr. Prepper?" Salem poked him in the side.

"One of them." Jim looked down at her. "My basement is reinforced concrete with a hepa filter ventilation system. It's more of a bomb shelter really."

"Jim, why didn't you just go to your basement? Why come here?" Salem asked. "You didn't have to do any of this."

"I wanted to get us all to safety. Not just myself." Jim shrugged. "I kinda like my neighbors. Some more than others."

"Good because we may be here a while." Salem looked around. "It might take the Red Cross a day or so to get to us. Fema will take even longer."

Jim shook his head. "We can't rely on them. We have to deal with this ourselves."

"I don't know if that's possible." Salem nodded towards two elderly couples. "The Griffiths and the Todds are elderly. This may be hard on them."

"Don't count them out so fast." Jim grinned. "Walter and Jack were in construction and Mabel taught home economics and she knows how to preserve food.  Joyce can sew anything. They may be old but they are resources we will need to survive."

Salem laughed. "You thought about this haven't you?"

"Yes." Jim pointed to the  younger couples gathered together. "They are our labor force. Along with me of course.  You are our medic. The children can gather firewood and fetch and carry things."

"Damn! You are a prepper." Salem shook her head and laughed. "What about building supplies?"

"Not a problem." Jim nodded. "We salvage what we can and use the felled trees to make cabins.  We can bed down here for now."

Okay so you have a plan. Salem squinted at him. How are you going to talk them into all of this? It won't be easy. They may have other ideas, you know."

"I don't think so. We have a community here. We have been looking out for each other since the Griffiths and the Todds settled here decades ago."

Salem nodded. "I suppose we have. I just never thought about it."

"Have you ever noticed that they all come to you when theyre sick or hurt before they go to a doctor?" Jim asked.

"Yeah, they do." Salem laughed.

"They trust you and they didn't hesitate when I told them to come with me to somewhere safe.  Trust is earned. Do you think they will trust the Red Cross or Fema like they do us?"

"No. I guess not." Salem agreed. "Jim, it's quiet."

"I know but we may just be in the eye. We shouldn't go out yet." Jim stood up. "I'll go take a peek. I won't be but a minute."

"Be careful." Salem told him.

Walter and Jack got up too.

"We're coming too." Walter said. "We need to know what happened."

"It might be just the eye of the storm." Jim pulled his phone out of his pocket. "I'll take photos.  You stay here where it's safe."

Walter and Jack exchanged looks. "They nodded at each other."

"We'll stay because you need to be quick before it starts up again." Jack said.

Jim nodded and ran out the door.

Everyone waited expectantly for Jim to come back. It was only minutes but it seemed like hours.

Jim came back soaking wet with a grim look on his face.

"It's bad. Every house has some damage, even the church. It's not over though. I was right about it being just the eye of the storm. We should stay here tonight and look things over in the morning."

"We need to feed these children." Mabel stood up. "We need food and water."

Jim pointed to the cavern on the left. "Food and water is in there." Then he pointed to the right cavern. "Toilet buckets are in there."

"Blankets?" Mabel asked.

"Emergency blankets are with the food. They're mres but it's something."

Jack grinned. "Just like you to be prepared for something like this. We all owe you our lives."

"Then I hope you will all hear my plan to get us back to normal." Jim looked around.

Jim laid out his plan to get the community back on its feet then he took questions. Some of the younger families needed more convincing but they agreed in the end.

The next morning everyone came out of the cave and got to work. They decided to start on the homes with the least amount of damage and rebuild the church last. Jack and Walter split everyone into two teams to move things along a little faster.

The Red Cross showed up the next day and brought food and more water. They offered hotel rooms but no one wanted one.

Fema came two weeks later. Three of the houses were repaired and two more were nearly done. Fema left without helping with anything.

The night they finished the repairs on the church they had a potluck. Every house brought something. It was a night of fun and gratitude for their neighbors.

Everyone agreed to resupply the cave in case it was needed again as an emergency shelter. Mabel had already made up a list of food stores and basic needs. Jack and Walter planned to make bunk beds and tables with benches. Jim and Salem explored further back into the cave and found a larger space for sleeping quarters.

They may never need shelter again but it was something they could all agree on and work together to accomplish.