Prompt: Tornado Season - A tornado is forming, and your character is in the absolute worst place they can be at the moment. Where are they? How do they handle the situation?
I set the basket down on the side of the garden and stepped into the rows. The earth was moist and loamy, good for growing vegetables. I began cleaning away the weeds and making sure the new growth was free and in its own ground. Things looked good.
I had tried growing a garden last year but it didn't take too well. I didn't know much about this but Margaret, from a farm over, gave me some tips for this year and I thought I'd give them a try. One of the tips was to find good earth, moist and easy to break into small clumps. I had found a space a distance from the house, and everything looked like it was on track. We might have beans and potatoes yet!
I was caught up in thinking about what we needed to be prepared for the coming winter, what could we have used last year. I was so caught up in my thinking that I didn't see the clouds start to form in the west. It wasn't until a low rumble caught my attention. I stood up and looked behind me. The sky was dark and ominous.
As I watched, mesmerized, the clouds began to swirl and take on a very angry look. A bit of a cool wind began to pick up, pinching my skirt and whipping it around my ankles. I couldn't believe how quickly the weather changed. The sun was gone and I felt the first raindrop on my cheek. Maybe I should head back?
I made my way back to where I set my basket but it was no where to be seen. I looked around. Nothing. I started to head along the side of the garden, but realized I was going away from the house and that might not be a good idea. Maybe I should forget it and head back?
I looked up into the sky. It wasn't angry anymore. It was starting to form a circle. Was that what I thought it was? I had never seen a tornado before, but it didn't look like a walk in the park. There was an almost eerie hue developing. The black of the clouds was still there, but the wind had picked up, the rain was coming down in strong sheets, and a green glow had begun. I was drenched in an instant and knew this was not the time to look for a lost basket. I started to make my way quickly to the house in the distance.
My skirts were not made for running. I reached over and grabbed the cloth and held it close to my waist. A bit better. I broke into a run.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw it. A slicing needle funneled down from the cloud to my left. It grew on the top and angled towards the earth. I stopped. I had never seen anything like this before. The rain poured down on me but I could still make out the tornado beside me.
Suddenly, I realized that if I could see it, that meant it wasn't far away. I now saw the debris starting to be thrown up around the base. No doubt it was coming my way. I broke my awe of Mother Nature and turned and ran with all my might towards the house.
And, in an instant, I missed seeing the gopher hole in front of me, and I was down - in the wet mud, hands outstretched and covered with the rain-soaked earth. I grunted as I slid forward. Now, not only was I soaked and wet beyond belief, I was also a mess with mud and dirt and all sorts of things. I tried to get up and realized something was wrong with my ankle. Oh no. I looked back - the tornado was definitely heading my way.
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