Then the Wind Came: Part One

Then the Wind Came

    “Olivia what are we going to do now?” sobbed ten-year-old Kai Williams, looking down at the body of his dead grandmother in disbelief.

    “We can't stay in the cellar any longer Bro. We have to go and find Mum and Dad,” said Olivia, taking hold of her younger brother, hugging him into her chest.

    “I mean, what are we going to do with Gran? We can't just leave her here.” Kai pulled himself away from his sister's hold and dropped onto his knees beside the camp bed where his grandmother lay. He gently stroked the dead woman's face and said, “Gran, what should we do?”

Touching Kai's shoulder, Olivia said,“Kai it doesn't matter how many times you speak to her, she isn't going to wake up. You do know that don't you?”

    “ Olivia just because you're seventeen doesn’t mean that you know everything,” said the distressed boy. Jumping to his feet, he turned to face his sibling and he said, “I know we have to leave here, but we have to bury her, give her the best burial we can in the circumstances. And I know she isn't ever going to reply again. Is that you wanted to hear? Well, now you have.”

    “ Listen to me Kai. I love you and until we can find our parents we have to stick together. I'll try and not to be so patronising in the future. How does that sound?”

    “A deal Sis,” Kai kissed Olivia on the cheek and said, “We know the wind has calmed and we can now find a nice spot to bury Gran.”

    Olivia nodded hesitantly, she suddenly felt that as though some kind of role reversal had just taken place. Kai was acting like he was now the elder sibling.

**

    Olivia looked at the set of wooden steps in front of her that led up from the cellar out into the yard. The sound of the high wind had ceased the day before, but Jane Williams the children's grandmother had refused to let them go for help. She had promised her son, their father that she would keep them safe until he came to get them.

    He and their mother were a part of a team of scientists assembled by the government to discuss emergency plans for the predicted weather turmoil they had forecast when Jupiter and Mercury headed for a collision. What they hadn't foreseen was that when the two worlds did collide, high winds then a massive tornado would engulf Earth.

    However, Jane's ill-health hadn't been planned for either and since they had been holed up in the cellar for the last four weeks her asthma attacks had gradually become a regular daily occurrence. Last night the oxygen that Olivia had administered along with her grandmother's medication couldn't save her. Each attack had made her frailer and frailer.

    “ Kai. Where are you going?” asked Olivia.

    “Outside. Or were you just blowing a lot of hot air?” said Kai. He had ascended the steps so quickly that Olivia hadn't really taken in what her brother was doing. Her head was in a spin, she had never felt so confused or alone in her life.

    “Kai, we'll go together,” said Olivia, looking back at her grandmother's cadaver.

    “ Okay. But we need to do it now. We don't know what's happening out there. And the wind could start up again. And then we would get nowhere,” said the boy excitedly.

    The two of them now stood side-by-side facing the heavily secured door that was all that stood between them and what could be a very changed world.

READ PART TWO DECEMBER 6TH