Another new beginning of the catastrophic sort, this one in third person, perhaps less personal than our other disaster, but no less dramatic. 

 

 

 

 

Winter Homecoming

By

 F. E. Dan

 

 

 

            Wind driven snow flashed across the headlight beams of Jason Baxter’s Chevy S-10 pickup making it hard to see the snow covered highway. He was about ten miles from home when his cell phone beeped. He knew he shouldn’t try to answer it while driving, especially under these conditions, but a voice in his head told him it might be urgent. He picked it up. “Hello.”

            He recognized his wife’s voice, but the transmission was garbled and breaking up— power off…odor…basement…dead ani…rot eggs or…

            The phone went dead. Oh shit—gas leak, he thought, and the power off— must have used her cell phone.  The wind blew harder shaking the little truck and forcing him to slow down even more. He had to keep going. He had to get home before…he didn’t want to think about what would happen if the power came back on and a spark ignited the gas.

            Five more miles, but the windshield had glazed over—wipers not able to keep up. He rolled down the side window and stuck his head out. He had to squint and the wind stung his face.  He recognized the Red Barn Pizza Place…only one more mile to go, but then a faint glow appeared on the horizon. When he tried to speed up the little truck slid sideways and thumped into the snow bank left by the snowplow on the right side of the road. He back off the accelerator then eased it down again and managed to keep the truck moving.

            His breath caught in his throat as he topped a small hill a quarter of a mile from home and realized that he was indeed too late. Two fire trucks were parked a short distance from his house which was completely engulfed in flames.

            Jason parked and got out. He couldn’t see Ellen anywhere, but some of the firemen were clustered around the back of one of the trucks. When he joined them they stepped aside and he saw Ellen sitting there wrapped in a blanket, a stunned look on her face. She stood up and he pulled her into his arms as tears rolled down his cheeks. “I can guess what happened, but how did you get out? Where were you when it started?”

     “I came home from work and smelled something rotten as soon as I opened the door. I didn’t dare to go in so I hurried back to my car and called you, but then my phone died so I drove over to Clara’s house. I had just rapped on her door when our house exploded.” She looked up at him. “Oh Jason, what are we going to do now?

    He leaned down and kissed her. “I guess we’ll have to begin looking for a new place to live. I just thank god you’re okay