Twisted

Part 1

What a year it had been. She had just buried her brother and sister-in-law, who had been killed by a drunk driver, then Mia inherited their 3 month old baby boy and now per the radio, she had a tornado following her.

Mia had just taken baby Carson to his 3 month check up and was on her way home when the emergency broadcast came over the line. The weather man had been talking about this storm for 2 days so she knew it had to be something serious.

She had watched the weather last night but the severe weather wasn't supposed to show up for another 2 hours! To top it off, there was a confirmed touchdown just southeast of her location!

This is ridiculous, she thought. Carson was oblivious in the back seat, sleeping through the heavy rain and hail pelting her car.

When her brother and his wife asked her to be godmother, she thought it was an honorary title but had readily agreed. She knew what it involved but never thought it would happen.

Mia tried to stop this line of thought, it had only been 3 weeks and she couldn't allow herself to fall apart right now. She learned that Carson was hers now and also the 1,250 acre ranch. She had no clue about ranching.

She determined she would stay and run things and watch Carson grow and inherit his parents' place. However, she never even considered the notoriously bad tornado season!

She only had about 5 miles to go before they were home and she could get them into the storm shelter. It was all she could do to keep herself from flooring it and speed all the way home but she had to be careful. She could hear the tornado sirens sounding around the county and kept listening to the weatherman on the radio to keep track of the location of the twister. The wind had really picked up and tree branches were thrashing violently around. Debris littered the road and the hail hitting her car was deafening.

Carson was awake and crying now, which never failed to wrack her nerves. Poor kid had already been through so much in his mere 3 months on earth.

Up ahead there was a huge tree laying across the road. Mia came to a halt and her mind raced, searching for a solution. The tree was huge and no way around it. Shit!

She had to stay calm for Carson's sake. If only she could get him to return the favor. His crying made her heart hurt and her stomach churn. All of a sudden someone was rapping on her window, Mia looked and all she could make out was a cowboy hat. She rolled the window down just an inch and heard,

"Ma'am get out of the car, the tornado is right on our heels. Hurry!"

Out if the corner of her eye she saw a large truck parked behind her. She quickly got out, grabbing her purse and the diaper bag. She got out and felt the man grip her arm holding her up against the 70 mph winds. He started to haul her towards his truck but she yelled,

"No! The baby!" She wrenched open the rear door of her car. She bundled Carson up and together her and the man ran to the truck. He all but threw her in the driver side and she scooted over.

"Belt up lady and hang on to your baby, good and tight!" He made a two point turn around and floored it.

"Isn't this the way back to the tornado??" She cried.

"This is my place," he gestured to the right, "and there is a hidden road leading up to the house and storm cellar."

Sure enough, he turned into a road that was hidden between the trees and there was a makeshift barbed wired fence that the man plowed straight through and was speeding up the small incline. Soon they topped the small hill and she could see a house off in the distance. She peered behind her and gasped.