#109
"Dad,...…….Dad, can we come up" Ricky whined in his most piteous voice. "We're tired of being here in the basement, we want to see what is going on outside."
Milo sighed in exasperation. "You can come up for ten minutes. It won't take that long for you to discover that you can't see a blamed thing outside. It is pitch black," and Milo sighed again as the two boys raced up the stairs to stop suddenly at the top.
"Geeze, you weren't kidding; it's blacker than black outside. How come Dad? I thought you said it was just a cloud, and we ain't been in the basement all that long, so it should still be light outside. Hey,....neato, look at my watch, it's gone cuckoo." Robbie held his arm up near the lamp on the table.
"Lemme see," Ricky demanded, "are you making it do that?" he said accusingly.
"Nope, but something is," Robbie seemed fascinated by the time piece malfunction. "Wadda think Dad, why is it doing that?"
"Don't know son, this isn't a normal time for sure. Now you kids get back down in the basement, your Ma isn't feeling well and if we have a tornado, I will carry her downstairs and I want you guys out of the way."
"What's wrong with Ma?" Ricky craned his neck to see down the dark curtain of the hallway. "This stuff ain't making her sick, is it?"
"No, her stomach is upset, so you kids git, take the plate of cookies down with you as you go." That was probably the only thing that would have moved those two Linderman brothers off center, and back downstairs they went.
Milo went down the hall to check on Honey; and found her curled up on the bed resting. "It's eased up some," she whispered, "I'm hoping to hold it off until you can see to go get Doc Trish."
Milo held his opinion, that there was no way he would be able to find the clinic, much less have Bruce turn loose of Trish under these circumstances. Milo did the next best thing, and said "ummm."
Judy sat in the dark house shivering. She had heard the far off wolf howl and the darkness seemed all the more scary with Andy gone. Taking the lamp, she walked over to test that the back door was locked, and put the lamp on the counter to put wood in the stove. Hot water for tea sounded good.
Sitting at the table drinking tea with precious sugar stirred in, Judy folded her hands around the mug and prayed for Andy's safety. A little later she threw in Donny and that girl he had married with all those brothers and sisters. It was so frightening to have Andy outside in this unusual darkness, and through out the night Judy prayed long and hard.
George and Millie sat at the table, eating the warmed over stew and cornbread from the noon meal. The lamp on the table between them, barely cast enough light to see to eat, and Millie toyed with her potatoes and beans. "I'm just not hungry," she explained to George. "All of a sudden my appetite has vanished."
"Yeah, I thought I was hungry, but now, not so much." George finally put his fork down. "This is the craziest stuff I've ever been in; it's like a person can almost taste it on your lips."
"I wonder how long it's gonna last, it's not windy, so I had expected a tornado but I don't believe that will happen." George drug out his hanky to wipe at his forehead.
" I'm thinking we might as well go to bed, even though it can't be later than 4pm. I feel kind draggy and tired, how about you?"
"Is the downstairs locked up?" Millie wanted to know.
"Yes, I double checked all the doors and windows and the security slats are down and secured."
"Well then, I guess we go to bed." Millie replied calmly.