Holiday hurricane

Chapter 3

The swirling of the wind outside left them all in shock. Linda had never been involved with a hurricane before and panicked as her father ran to make sure everything was set up. Her aunt had grabbed everyone's belongings and a pile of luggage was sitting in the corner of the room. 

Everyone stayed huddled together until her mother made an announcement. "Okay everyone. We have air mattresses over here and i would like you all to help me blow them up for tonight. Lynda asked, confused,"Tonight? How long will I be stuck here for?" Kayla looked her by her words but her father was quick to jump in and explain that it would probably last several days considering their location. 

Above them, the house shook. From the basement, they heard things shattering and breaking as well as large objects crumbling to the ground. "Is the house going to be alright? It sounds like it is destroyed" Linda solemnly asked. Her aunt shook her head but did not say a word. She turned to her Uncle Mike. "Everyone is safe and sound down here along with all of the things we hold near to our hearts. Objects can be replaced" He spoke wrapping her in a hug.

From the corner of Linda's eye, she saw her aunt sink to the ground. " my pickles!" she shouted. "my pickles are in the house!" she cried and attempted to run towards the door to the house. She was halted by Linda's grandfather and sadly walked back to her spot on the floor.

The family huddled together and were surprisingly calm given their situation. The beds were blown up and flashlights were next to each one of them. Linda claimed a bed in the middle of the mass of beds and sat down. The thin, rubbery mattress sunk down when she sat and she couldn't help but regret making her long journey to the house. Slowly, the rest of the members shuffled over to their resting areas and prepared for the night. The basement was getting increasingly cold from the night's chilly temperature and they all wrapped themselves in several blankets to keep warm. The children were quietly playing with a deck of cards under the sheets and her grandmother was reading a novel. The majority of her family was asleep or lying in bed quietly. Linda could hear her relatives' quiet breathes and their chests softly heaving up and down every couple of seconds.