The cold air hits my face like tiny needles nipping at my ears and nose sending chills down my spine. The wind is so intense it sends my hair into a frenzied whipping. I take a moment to compose myself before stepping out onto my lawn or what used to be my lawn. The ground was like a soggy marsh that formed large puddles in some areas.Garbage and debris was haphazardly strewn across the swampy ground. The roads looked like black rivers with gutters caked in mud about ankle deep, water ran down deserted side walks and into the road, moisture started to seep from my shoes and into my socks. I didn't want to step much further off my lawn but I continued my uncomfortable walk out of sure curiosity to see what the rest of Joyswood looked like. Our neighbor Mr. Walshe's car had been crushed under a fallen tree. I felt a tinge of sympathy for Mr. Walshe after remembering his affinity for muscle cars, the one that had been crushed was his favorite, The bulk of the trees weight had landed on the car practically splitting in half ,chunks of shiny red metal and shattered glass were the only reminents of the 1964 ford thunderbolt. I kept walking.
The town was empty ,abandoned, it had become a morbid caricature of itself. I had expected to see at least a few people on their porches or walking to the shop after the storm had ended but there was no one. The blinds were closed on all the houses, I don't think anyone in Joyswood really wanted to see the consequence of the storm, I knew sooner or later they all would have to face it. Every thing was silent not like the usual silence it was different, eerie like in a horror movie when you know something bad is about to happen when everything just goes still. It felt like I was the only person in the world,like the storm had been the Apocalypse and I was all that was left of humanity.
I noticed from a distance that the lights from the shop were still on. I passed the church on my way to it. Though the storm had ravage much of Joyswood the church was left relatively unharmed Its pure white exterior was still intact even the delicate stain glass windows were untouched by the storm except for the fine droplets of rain that had formed. Something was off, it looked naked, stripped, then I realized what it was, the cross had been torn from its perch, there was no sign of it anywhere, it was just gone. I stopped and stared at it for a moment taking in the strange sight almost entranced.
"Miss Baker" said a voice breaking my trance.
" Miss Baker what are you doing in this weather"
" Hi earl, I was just looking around, now that the storms gone."
" Well don't just stand there come on in." Earl said welcomingly as I approached the store I noticed two large sand bags next to the glass doors the door itself was cracked with missing shards creating large gaps,but I saw no signs of broken glass anywhere.Earl must of swept it up. I entered the store the floor had become a large muddy puddle with a couple of towels set down in a effort to stop the water from coming in.
" Why open the shop now?" I accidentally said aloud. Earl put his hand on his chin for a moment contemplating my question
" Well I guess I just wanted people to know some ones still there."
" What do you mean by that?" I asked puzzled by Earls response
" These types of things never really happen in Joyswoods especially not on a Sunday I mean we've had a couple of bad spells here and there but nothin like this nothin this serious. Scared most of us out of our wits, I cant deny I thought hell had opened up and we were all at its mercy so when the storm stopped I wanted people to know it was all gonna be alright even though we have one hell of a clean up on our hands sooner or later everything will go back to normal."
" There isn't a lot of people out today with the weather the way it is don't you think that kind of defeats the purpose of opening the shop."
" Your dad came here not too long ago didn't he, to me it doesn't matter if no one wants to come out as long as people know we're here,their bound to come eventually and I'll be here come hell or high water until they do." Earl's answer comforted me, I showed my appreciation in the form of the best smile I could muster.
" Well I should start heading out, it was nice catching up."
"Are you sure about that Miss Baker still mighty windy out there."
" Earl will you please stop calling me Miss Baker it reminds me to much of my mother,I'm not old enough to be a miss ,I'm only 16 after all."
" One of these days your goin to need to start getting used to bein a miss".
" Yeah sure Earl one of these days." I said pushing open the door
" Goodbye Miss Baker and be careful out there". Earl said looking down
" Goodbye Earl" I began walking home before suddenly remembering what my brother said about the Murphy house burning down. Against my better judgement my curiosity begins to take the better of me as I turned around and continued my walk. getting closer to the house I automatically see the giant gaping hole in the roof, is this what my father was talking about when he said minor damages? I walk closer to the house noting its strange appearance something is different about it ,off, yes it's always been creepy but it had some kind of timeless beauty to it, the kind of beauty all antiques have,but now it just seems ugly like a scab on the earth, its sags, slumps in some places,looking oddly unbalanced.Behind the house something catches my eye a large pond of water . It looks deep and murky strangely I'm drawn closer to it. I stare into the the muddy water at my reflection I catch something glinting in the water further down in the pond. I start to walk towards it. The water is getting deeper almost to my knees now ,but I was almost there I reach the spot, it's so hard to see, the water is so murky I pull my face closer, it kind of looks like a gold watch I reach for it, the water feels disgusting as it slips between my fingers. I grab something hard and cold as I bring it up its features look clearer. It took me a moment to process what it was in that moment I had never been more terrified
It surfaces
"My God, its a body."
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