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“Where?” I asked.
He took too long to answer.
“Houses gone, where? Which suburbs?”
Jeremiah put his hand up, like he was telling Shane not to answer. He pulled me back against him and kept his arm around me.
“Everywhere,” Shane yelled. “Houses everywhere.” He gestured to the air, to the cyclone outside. “And this half is worse than the first.”
His words hit me like the storm itself.
I sagged back and Jeremiah’s hold on me tightened.
Houses everywhere.
I shouldn’t have asked.
Because knowing was worse.
It was so much worse.
And time dragged on slower then. The surreal time warp went on and on.
Until the bangs got fewer and farther in between, the roar was a mere ringin’ in my ears, and all that was left was the sound of rain.
“I think it’s over,” Jeremiah said.
Everyone sat in silence, listening now, instead of tryin’ to not hear.
He got to his feet and pulled me up with him.
God, my whole body hurt.
“I think it’s over,” he said again, going to the door. He put his hand on the handle and paused, looking at me.
The rain got quieter still, so he opened the door and we walked out. Seeing the outside world for the first time in what felt like years. Seeing sunlight trying to break through storm clouds and gentle spatters of rain.
And utter carnage.
CHAPTER TEN
JEREMIAH
It washard to process what we were seeing.
The carport at the side of the building now had no roof. The Jeep was a few metres away and now facing toward us. The news van was on its side against the now-broken fence.
Arty’s house was missing some roofing iron and it looked like some windows were smashed.
Jean and Michael’s house seemed to be okay. Further down, there was a car on its roof out on the street, debris everywhere. Jeff, still holding his two girls, started for his house, made it a few steps, and stopped. It was missing half its roof, and I couldn’t see what else.
Doreen went past him and raced across the street toward Jean’s house.
My god, I hoped they were all okay...
People started walking out onto the street. Someone further down started running for Jeff’s house. “Jeff?” they called out.
“Up here,” he yelled back. He put Casey down and waved.
