Alone In A Storm “Hurry, Abby,” cried Josh as he raced down the row of corn. “The storm is getting worse.” The wind whipped up the dirt from the rows of corn.  Abby covered her mouth and nose with a handkerchief to keep from breathing the dust. “Josh, wait!” yelled Abbey.  “My leg hurts. I have to stop and rest.”  But Josh didn’t slow down.  His sister’s cry for help was lost in the wind. Abby squinted her eyes to help keep the dirt from blowing in them.  Where is he? She thought, trying to spot her brother.  But all she could see was dirty air and the corn bending wildly one way and then the other.  Abby dropped her handkerchief and covered up her ears.  The sound of the howling wind brought back memories of last summer. When a storm hits Kansas, it can turn deadly fast.  She was just seven then and was playing down by the river when the sky began to get dark and the wind started blowing hard.  Abby dropped the pebbles she planned to use to make a pathway leading to the doll house she had just built out of twigs.  She ran as fast as her small legs could move, knowing the only safe place to be in a storm was with her mom, dad and brother in the storm cellar. Before she could get away from the grove of trees, a gust of wind broke a limb off an old elm tree.  It landed on her, pinning her to the ground. When her dad found her, he said it was a miracle she only had a broken leg.  She shivered at the memory. That leg was cramping now, and no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t run another minute with the wind pushing against her. Abby squeezed between the stalks of corn and eased herself down on the soft dirt. She felt safer with the tall corn hiding her from the howling wind and dark storm clouds. “Josh, come back for me,” she cried out even though she was sure her brother wasn’t close enough to hear her.  Hugging her legs to her chest, she pressed her face against her knees.  “Dear Jesus, help me,” she said.  “I’m so scared of being out in another storm alone.” Tears stung her eyes, but she knew it was important for her to not give up. Josh ran until he saw the big red barn.  His dad was waving his arms and his mouth was moving, but the wind was so loud that Josh couldn’t hear what his father was saying. Glancing back over his shoulder to urge Abby to hurry, he stopped.  “Where is she?” he yelled. Josh shielded his eyes against the dirt blowing against his face and scanned the rows of swaying corn.  “Oh, no!  Abby is out in that field, alone,” Josh muttered. “Dad will be furious with me.” His dad ran up and grabbed his arm. “Are you O.K.?  Where’s Abby?” he yelled as loud as he could.  “The funnel cloud is crossing the lower field.” Even though his dad was only inches from him, Josh could barely hear him because of the deafening roar of the wind.  “I thought she was following me.  I must have run too fast and she couldn’t keep up.  Maybe she fell down,” screamed Josh. His dad nodded and told him to run to the storm cellar where his mother was waiting.  “I’ll go find Abby!” he said.  Abby saw the funnel cloud too.  She panicked and jumped up.  The wind slammed against her small body and she fell.  The pain in her leg increased, but the fear of the storm was more intense than the pain.  She grabbed a stalk of corn and pulled herself up. “Jesus, help me!” she thought. “I have to get home.”  Just then, strong arms scooped her up.  Abby looked up to see her father’s blue eyes full of tears.  “Thank God I found you, honey,” he said. Abby’s father held her tight as he raced toward the big red barn.  It seemed to Abby that they flew over the fields.  As the funnel cloud reached the upper pasture, her father opened the door of the storm shelter, and they leaped through to the safety of the dugout and to the hugs of Josh and her mom. ©Barbara Lighthizer 2007