Thanks for all the great reviews! I'm really glad you guys like the chapters! I'm slowly working towards making each chapter longer. And I'm really sorry to those who do live in Tornado Alley. The threat must be awful. And thanks for the comment about the rarity of tornados in California. I figured since they would be so rare, no one would have expected it and it would have been a huge twist for everyone.
Please read and review!
A moan escaped Lizzie's lips as she rolled onto her back and stared at the ceiling. Her body ached with each movement and her head throbbed, but everything seemed to be at least working. Slowly, she opened her eyes. Blackness filled her view but the outlines of things were slowly coming into view. She'd been in the kitchen when it's sounded like a train had torn through the walls.
Flat on her back, Lizzie looked around her. Something dark was leaning precariously over her head. The only thing that kept her from becoming Lizzie-pancake was the fact that it was propped up on the small kitchen island her parent had decided would be a nice addition. Lizzie pushed herself up and found a small opening to worm her way out of.
The house, or what had used to be the house, lay in ruins around her. Her blue eyes darted over the jagged edges of walls, the pointed ends of beams looking for something. "Miranda?" she called. Her heart thumped inside her chest. She'd made it out okay, hadn't she? That would mean that Miranda would have too.
Lizzie edged her way out of the rubble. She looked over head, the black blanket of the sky stared back at her. For he briefest moment, Lizzie wondered where her bedroom and the entire upstairs of the house was, but then she realized she was even more grateful that she hadn't found it onto her.
"Miranda!" She bellowed.
Her ears picked up the faintest sound. Lizzie jerked her head in that direction. She strained for the slightest sound. The muffled cry came again.
Hope soaring through her heart, Lizzie picked her way over everything scattered over the ground, she stumbled forward. "Miranda, where are you?!"
Then she saw her.
Or at least part of her.
Lizzie's heart dropped. Pinned beneath a rather large looking section of what had once been a wall, was a thin, tanned arm. "Oh God, Miranda!"
Lizzie lurched herself forward.
A muffled reply came from under the wall.
Lizzie felt as though a weight had been lifted from her heart. Miranda was alive.
"I'm going to try to move this, just hold on!" Lizzie encouraged. She looked frantically at the wall. She gripped the edges in her hand and gave a tug. Her arms pulled as she staggered back. The wall wasn't immovable, but she couldn't do it alone.
She realized the sound she'd been hearing in the distance was sirens. She looked frantically around the neighborhood for the first time. Her house wasn't the only that remained in ruins. Where there had once been a cheerful happy neighborhood was now destruction. A house was not left standing. And she couldn't see any signs of her neighbors either.
Refusing to give up, she called words of encouragement to Miranda and picked her way over the skeleton of the house. She finally found a beam that had broken off and was small enough for her to pick up. She stared at the wall that trapped Miranda, and finally had an inspiration. There was just enough room to make a lever, she could prop it up, but Miranda would have to move herself out.
"Miranda, can you move?" Lizzie called, leaning closest to the hole she could find.
"Lizzie, it hurts," Miranda moaned.
Her heart wrenched but she nodded. "I know, but I have to hold it up, so you can get out. Can you move?"
"I'll try," Miranda answered weakly.
Her heart thumping, Lizzie shoved the board into place, trying desperately not to think what would happen to Miranda if the wall gave and crashed back onto her.
"Ready?" Lizzie called, hoping against hope that she would have enough strength to move it.
"Ready," came the weakened reply.
With all the energy Lizzie could muster, she flung herself onto the board and was amazed to see the wall move. "Hurry, Miranda! Move now!" Then to Lizzie's horror, she hard a sickening crack.
Please read and review!
A moan escaped Lizzie's lips as she rolled onto her back and stared at the ceiling. Her body ached with each movement and her head throbbed, but everything seemed to be at least working. Slowly, she opened her eyes. Blackness filled her view but the outlines of things were slowly coming into view. She'd been in the kitchen when it's sounded like a train had torn through the walls.
Flat on her back, Lizzie looked around her. Something dark was leaning precariously over her head. The only thing that kept her from becoming Lizzie-pancake was the fact that it was propped up on the small kitchen island her parent had decided would be a nice addition. Lizzie pushed herself up and found a small opening to worm her way out of.
The house, or what had used to be the house, lay in ruins around her. Her blue eyes darted over the jagged edges of walls, the pointed ends of beams looking for something. "Miranda?" she called. Her heart thumped inside her chest. She'd made it out okay, hadn't she? That would mean that Miranda would have too.
Lizzie edged her way out of the rubble. She looked over head, the black blanket of the sky stared back at her. For he briefest moment, Lizzie wondered where her bedroom and the entire upstairs of the house was, but then she realized she was even more grateful that she hadn't found it onto her.
"Miranda!" She bellowed.
Her ears picked up the faintest sound. Lizzie jerked her head in that direction. She strained for the slightest sound. The muffled cry came again.
Hope soaring through her heart, Lizzie picked her way over everything scattered over the ground, she stumbled forward. "Miranda, where are you?!"
Then she saw her.
Or at least part of her.
Lizzie's heart dropped. Pinned beneath a rather large looking section of what had once been a wall, was a thin, tanned arm. "Oh God, Miranda!"
Lizzie lurched herself forward.
A muffled reply came from under the wall.
Lizzie felt as though a weight had been lifted from her heart. Miranda was alive.
"I'm going to try to move this, just hold on!" Lizzie encouraged. She looked frantically at the wall. She gripped the edges in her hand and gave a tug. Her arms pulled as she staggered back. The wall wasn't immovable, but she couldn't do it alone.
She realized the sound she'd been hearing in the distance was sirens. She looked frantically around the neighborhood for the first time. Her house wasn't the only that remained in ruins. Where there had once been a cheerful happy neighborhood was now destruction. A house was not left standing. And she couldn't see any signs of her neighbors either.
Refusing to give up, she called words of encouragement to Miranda and picked her way over the skeleton of the house. She finally found a beam that had broken off and was small enough for her to pick up. She stared at the wall that trapped Miranda, and finally had an inspiration. There was just enough room to make a lever, she could prop it up, but Miranda would have to move herself out.
"Miranda, can you move?" Lizzie called, leaning closest to the hole she could find.
"Lizzie, it hurts," Miranda moaned.
Her heart wrenched but she nodded. "I know, but I have to hold it up, so you can get out. Can you move?"
"I'll try," Miranda answered weakly.
Her heart thumping, Lizzie shoved the board into place, trying desperately not to think what would happen to Miranda if the wall gave and crashed back onto her.
"Ready?" Lizzie called, hoping against hope that she would have enough strength to move it.
"Ready," came the weakened reply.
With all the energy Lizzie could muster, she flung herself onto the board and was amazed to see the wall move. "Hurry, Miranda! Move now!" Then to Lizzie's horror, she hard a sickening crack.