Orphans of the Storm 1
Clouds were getting darker. Rain was beating the earth as it fell. The wind was ripping through, creating a path of destruction. Horses were running wind. A local farm house was on its last legs.
"Mommy!" 8 year old Amethyst ran through the old farm house looking for her parents. "Daddy!" She was already scared of the dark and the lightening, thunder, and wind from the escalating storm, where only making things worse. She finally landed in the kitchen, "Mommy!" She ran over to a motionless body that lay in the middle the kitchen floor, "Mommy?" She asked through a stream of tears. A tree branch had come through the window and knocked her mother, Julie Hollis, out cold.
"Amethyst!" A middle aged farmer, her dad Tom, came running in, panicked. He looked down, "Jules!" He noticed his wife laying on the ground and ran to her side as well.
"Daddy?" Amethyst tightened her grip around her teddy's neck and stood back, "Is she... okay, daddy?" The wind was howling outside, loud noise echoed throughout the house, candles were impossible to keep lit, and everyone's mind was in a blur.
The door flung open, "Dad!" A surprisingly calm 14 year old, Jess, came through the back door, "I turned the horses loose. Lightening struck, the barn's on fire, and it's coming... " Before he could finish, another tree came crashing through the roof next to the.
Everyone jumped back. "Jess, get your sister and get to the cellar!" Tom demanded.
"But dad..." Jess tried to reason. "What about..."
"No buts, son!" He pointed to the back door, "Go!" He turned back to Julie, "I'll get your mother."
"Yessir." Jess grabbed Amethyst by the arm and pulled her out the door. Wind was whirling, dust was flying everywhere; blinding them. Another tree cracked at the sight of lightening feet from them and landed on the cellar door. Jess turned away. Looking back, he unfortunately witnessed the house collapse, "No!" He cried, "Dad! Mom!"
Amethyst turned her face away from the dust and saw the fire engulfing their farm, "Jessie! What do we do?" She was scared. They both were too occupied to realize they had both just become orphans. Their first thought was to find shelter... and quick!
The tornado was close. Jess tried to think what his dad would do. There was a cave on the other side of the horse corral, "Come on!" He tighten his grip and pulled Amethyst through the blinding wind, inside the cave opening.
Back in Dodge, building signs were swinging, doors were flapping, and businesses were closing left and right. It was dark as soot and loud as if a freight train was coming right through Main Street.
"Sam, you better stay here for the night." Kitty suggested as she and Sam pulled the doors closed and locked the windows.
"I may take ya up on that, Miss Kitty." Sam agreed as they struggled with the glass doors. He smiled, "Winds pretty bad and the rain is coming down in buckets." He headed back to the bar, "I'll finish up and find an unoccupied room upstairs."
"It's okay, Sam. We can finish up everything in the morning. Go get some rest." Sam grinned and nodded. Kitty turned to Doc, who was sitting at a back table checking his pocket watch, "Doc, you should stay too..." She walked toward him and slightly threw her head in the direction of the doors, "... at least until this dies down."
"I'm fine, honey." Doc smiled and patted her arm as she took her seat back next to him, "I'm just next door."
"I know that." Kitty let out a sigh and looked back at the locked doors, "I'll just feel better knowing you're safe."
Doc smiled knowingly, "I'll stay... at least until I know your safe for the night." Doc checked his watch again, "Which, speaking of that, Matt and Festus should be close."
Kitty turned back with a worried look and asked, "You think Matt and Festus are okay out there?" Looking for reassurance.
Again he patted her arm, "They're fine, honey." She closed her eyes and nodded. He sat back, "Take more than Mother Nature." He took a swig of beer, "Besides, what would she do with Festus? I promise, she'd spit the good for nothin' coot back out." He winked. Kitty chuckled and shook her head.
"Festus!" Matt yelled over his shoulder. He pointed to the hills in front of them. Festus nodded. They both spurred the horses to pick up their pace. To their right they bother could see the outline of a dying fire, through the beating rain. To their left was an abandoned old mine, an empty cave.
They both quickly climbed off and took shelter in the darken, dry cave... pulling Buck and Ruth in behind them. They walk as far back as they could before their height became an issue. They both removed their hats and vests. Matt sat on a bolder next to Buck and ran his fingers through his hair. Festus sat across from him on a slightly smaller rock, "That was sure close, Matthew." He shook his head, "You reckon it's a sand storm or one of them tornados?"
Matt looked up at Festus, "I'm pretty sure it's a tornado, Festus." He let a sigh, "It'll pass here soon. We're only about ten minutes away from town, and I'd prefer to sleep there... not in this cave." Matt looked around.
"Sure thing, Matthew." Festus agreed. They had just dropped of a prisoner, and it had been raining for the last two days... They were both ready to get back home. "You reckon we should build a fire? I saw some old wood up by the entrance."
Matt nodded, "That would be good idea, Festus." Matt stood, "I'll look for some smaller rocks." Matt walked further back in the cave, hoping it would be a little dryer. He rounded a counter, and thought he heard something, out of reflex he placed his hand on his gun... after a few moments he decided it was just the storm and picked up a few rocks. Then he heard it again as he walked back toward Festus, "Who's there?"
"Shhhh!" Jess scrambled to grab Amethyst "Amethyst! No!" He whispered. Amethyst stepped out of the shadows. Matt swung around and pulled his gun. Jess jumped out in front of her and shielded her, "Don't even think about it, Mister!"
Matt holstered his gun and knelt down, "Quick reflexes there, son." Matt smiled.
"What's it to ya?" Matt chuckled at his toughness, knowing he had to be frightened. Jess was scared more than anything. Still keeping his sister behind him, he looked up at Matt, "You gonna hurt us, Mister?"
Matt shook his head, "I was gonna ask you the same question." Matt smiled, "No, sir. Are you here alone?"
"Yessir." Jess eased down a bit, "Fire took our farm." He looked back at Amethyst and hung his head, "I think our mom and dad dead, sir."
Matt knew the farm he and Festus passed belonged to The Hollis'. He vaguely remembered the outline of a fire and suddenly felt empathy for the kids, "You kids belong to Tom Hollis?"
They both nodded their heads. "That's my daddy." Amethyst smiled and looked up to Jess, "and this is my brother, Jessie..."
"And who might you be, young lady?" Matt sweetly asked.
She straightened up, "My name is Amethyst Renee Hollis." She held her teddy up for Matt to see it, "And this is my best friend, Henry."
Matt offered his hand to each of them, even Henry, "I'm Marshal Matt Dillion." Matt stood up.
Jess's eyes got really wide as he the tower form in front of him, "You're Marshal Dillon?" Matt nodded. Jess looked over at his sister then back at Matt, "My dad says you are the best thing to ever come to Dodge. Says you're a Godsend."
Matt chuckled, "Well, I don't know about all that..."
Jess jumped in, "Oh no, sir. If my dad says it's true, by God you better believe it."
Matt agreed, "Your dad's a good man. Good farmer too." He turned to head back toward Festus, "My deputy is up front building a fire... would you two like to join us? We can eat a little of something then after the storm passes, we can go check everything out." Both kids nodded enthusiastically in front of Matt. He ran his fingers through his hair once more, letting out a sigh. He had a feeling about the outcome of the storm... and it wasn't a good one.
TBC