In yesterday's post, I told you about my irresponsible behavior on the porch, leaving off just as the storm was intensifying. Here is what happened next, as best I can remember:
I moved through the house, closing the doors. I realized as I crossed the very wet and slippery kitchen floor that a lot of rainwater was coming in, so I started closing windows, too. By then, the hail was hitting so hard that I began to worry about it breaking the windows, so I started pulling curtains to help contain any possible broken glass.
The car alarm went off. As I rushed through the living room, I scooped up the car keys and turned the alarm off. I didn't really stop to wonder what had triggered it, because by now there was a horrible sound overhead--it was just like a freight train moving in circles up over the roof. That made me think that I had better get to some part of the house that didn't have trees above it. I think by then that I was twirling, and trying to think what to do. There were so many trees!
And then I heard a horrible loud hissing sound. I always think snakes! but that wasn't right. With the freight train overhead, I really couldn't figure out where the hissing was coming from, because it seemed to be coming from all directions at once. Arriving in the guest room to look for the source of the hissing and to close the window there, I glanced out and several very frightening thoughts hit my brain in a scary, scary way, all at the same time: I could hear the car alarm going off yet again, but I could no longer see the car; a huge tree maybe 8 feet out from the window had just fallen away from the house and toward the car (I never heard it fall because of the freight train); the falling tree had torn the gas meter off the gas pipe; AND THE LOUD HISSING WAS THE SOUND OF THE GAS ESCAPING, JUST LOOKING FOR A REASON TO EXPLODE!
Now this is the part where I was beyond scared. My poor brain was sending me frantic and conflicting messages, faster and faster: We're going to blow up! We're going to die! Call 911! Don't use the phone when there is a gas leak! Get the (4) dogs out! Get the (4) cats out! Don't let them get run over! Getoutgetoutgetout!!!
Terror setting in; I forgot to focus on objects beyond the screen--but I like the photo and the fact that I was still shooting, at least at that point. Note: Those plant pots were soon to blow away
*****
12 comments:
Holy moly, Clair...now you're scaring me. I'm on the edge of my seat here.
oh, geez, clair, your mind works like mine! we, too, had the storm thursday night, but it didn't get here til after 10 p.m, right as i was going to go to bed. needless to say, it was a sleepless night & i was wondering if i should take shelter in the tub! ( i had heard of the tornado in clovis in 2007.)
You've got me terrified - I'm very glad I know how this ended.
Beth, I'm on the edge of my seat, writing about it! This is a cathartic exercise, as I still have a lot of leftover pent up fear.
Linda, too bad I've given away the ending by my presence here, LOL.
Becky, the whole time we lived in Clovis, the dogs and I had tornado drills (and read The Wizard of Oz incessantly). We had a nice interior windowless closet all set up as an emergency shelter. As a matter of fact, I spent as much time thinking and writing about tornadoes in Clovis as I spend on snakes here in LC. See Tales of the Big Winds, an older blog post, for starters.
Holy cow! Glad to know you are OK. Keep writing, I'm biting my nails! Scary!
WOW this is really frightening and if you are like me, you will always be scared after this. I went through a flash flood 15 years ago and I am still scared to death of one. I can't wait to read the "rest of the story".
WHAT? All this is happening and you are taking pictures? devoted? demented? duh? Boy, I hope there is a happy and not too "blown up" ending to this story!
I had to come back to re-read this. You Blogger, you! You were still snapping?! Well, snapping and being concerned about composition and form! Eagerly awaiting the next installment; kind of like the old magazine serials!
Are you really leaving us hanging like this?
ps lov ethe screen view photo
And all I have to complain about is the cool Summer we're having. Well, you are still writing, so we know you're okay, thank goodness. I hope your cats didn't freak out and run away. Weather is interesting at its worst, I guess.
The screen picture is fantastic!
And folks think that tornadoes don't happen in New Mexico. You know they do. Poor you!
And you couldn't even get in your car to drive fast and far away. gah!
I would have been just as terrified!
~Lisa
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