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The storm had come to Murdock.
16
MELANIE
The wind was already blowing little paper ads and trash around the parking lot when I pulled in. A quick glance to the trees that lined the median on the cross street showed that they were whipping back and forth, threatening to snap in half or come uprooted if it got much worse. And it most likely was going to.
I had the radio on the entire way listening to the alerts as they kept coming in. One after the other, the news was getting worse for Murdock. The storm was tearing through the next town over, and the mayor was pleading for people to seek shelter.
The roads were desolate, and it was creepy to be out on them by myself. When I reached a red light, I noticed that there was no one else around and ran it. There was literally no one on the roads.
As I reached the cross street where the store was, I saw that the lights were still on inside, but there were only a few cars left in the parking lot. The second my car was parked, the front door opened, and I could see Amy’s face, locked in an expression of stress and terror. She beckoned me as I ran through the rain thatbegan the second that I opened my door. Thick, heavy drops felt like bullets crashing down from the heavens as I dove into the store.
“Everybody needs to get out,” I said. “Right now. Go home.”
“People are still shopping,” Amy said, shrilly. “I can’t make them stop!”
“I can,” I said, yanking down the mic on one of the registers. I pressed the button and heard the intercom system click on. “Attention. Anyone in the store in sixty seconds will not be rung up. You will be locked inside and left to deal with the storm. Bring your crap up and get the hell out. Now.”
Within a few seconds, a line had formed at the register. Amy stood by, but her hands were shaking, and I could see she was a wreck. I laid a comforting hand on her shoulder, and she spun to look at me.
“Yes?” she asked.
“Amy, go home,” I said. “I’ve got this.”
“But the storm—” she began.
“I’ve got this,” I said. “If you leave right now, you’ll make it in time to shelter. Go home. That’s an order.”
Nodding, she took off for the office. A moment later, she was running for the door, swinging her pocketbook behind her and pulling the hood of her jacket over her head. Before she could reach the door, it opened, and I was about to call out to whatever idiot customer was walking that we were closed when I saw who it was. Instead, I focused on the people I was ringing up.
“Melanie,” Victor said as he headed toward me from the door, “please, we need to talk.”
“No,” I said.
“At least let me help get people out of here.”
“Fine,” I said. “Sweep the store and see if anyone else is in the aisles.”
He nodded and took off, going down each aisle as I rang the last of the customers up. At least it got him out of my face for a minute. It had been at least ten minutes since the loud alarm that shook the walls of the store had started, warning people of an incoming storm. The alerts on the radio said the lockdown horn would run when the tornado touched down. Since it hadn’t yet, I was determined to send everyone out of there and go home myself. I just had to get through this last customer.
Victor appeared behind the last customer, seemingly pushing him through the line. I rang him out and handed him his groceries, sending him on his way.
“Leave the cart,” I said.
When he was finally out of the door, I yanked the till out of the register and headed for the office. Victor followed me, still not saying anything. I got the impression he expected me to be the one to start talking.
I went into the office and hit the combination for the safe. It would be a few minutes before it would open, so I put the till down on top of it and went back out to lock the front door and look out over the street.
The clouds were growing extremely dark and violent, an eerie shade of green at the edges, and rain was mixing into hail. Theparking lot was now empty aside from my car and Victor’s. I got a sudden burst of worry that this might be the last time I would see it in drivable condition, and part of me wanted to run out right that second, take the till with me, and just go home and hide. But before I could jump to that plan, another loud, blaring horn sounded, seeming to take up all the air in the town.
It was the second alarm. The tornado had touched down.
“Shit,” Victor said from the doorway of the office. “Let’s go, come on!”
He paused and looked out the window. I watched as his shoulders fell. “Oh no. It’s here.”
I turned to look back out of the window and follow his gaze. The black smoky clouds had begun spinning slowly, seeming to be sucked toward a central mass. My eyes trailed in horror to where they formed a cone. It was partially hidden by the buildings in the way, but there was no doubt what I was seeing. The tornado was just a couple of streets down.
