Teaser #1 – Part of the Prologue for Haven from the Storm

Without further ado here is part of the prologue for Haven from the Storm…this is an unedited version that is subject to change, morph, or self destruct as I see fit…so keep that in mind while you read! Thanks for all your support!!

Prologue – Lily

Real loss only occurs when you lose something that you love more then yourself.

Friday, August 7, 2009

There he is, the only boy I’ve ever wanted, the only boy who makes me want to think about forever, Dean Haven.  He takes off running, jumps onto the ratty rope, and swings out over the murky river causing a splash large enough to send the waves on shore where I sit wiggling my toes in the sand.  We’re surrounded by sunflowers that are almost as tall as me, not that this fact says much for their height.  We’re the only two here in this secluded place, I’m not sure where my brother is.  I don’t know how I got lucky enough to spend the entire afternoon alone with Dean.  I’ve dreamed of this since the day I stopped believing all boys had cooties.

The water is so brown I can’t see him beneath the surface until he slowly emerges with his eyes trained on me and a knowing smile on his face.  He swims to the shore and begins his strut toward me as if stalking his prey.  I feel the tingling butterflies in my stomach as I watch the sun reflecting off his wet chest and perfect abs.  He stands above me blocking out the sun while allowing the cool water to drip from his body onto my warm skin.  My pulse quickens as I feel the heat spread within me and I know it’s caused by more then this hundred degree day.  Dean slowly descends until his body is hovering a few inches above mine, he starts to lightly caress my neck and chest with the back of his hand.  I look into his dark eyes and see the same desire I know he sees in mine.  This is a side of Dean I’ve never seen before, I’ve dreamed of this many nights but he’s never shown me any affection beyond being his best friends little sister.  But his body pressed against mine and the look in his eyes is unmistakable and I know he feels the same way I do.  He gives me a smile, melting my heart as he glances to my lips and starts to remove the distance between our mouths.  His perfect lips are so close I can feel his breath on my mouth.

Suddenly, I see my brother standing across the river surrounded by sunflowers, he appears to be shouting but I can’t make out what he’s saying until his voice is booming in my head.

“Lily, we have to go. Lily, can you hear me.  Wake up, Lily, wake up.”

I jump awake, completely confused, I realize my perfect afternoon with Dean was nothing but a dream, as usual.  Easton has his hands on my arms shaking me and I can tell by the look on his face something’s wrong.

“Easton, stop shaking me.  I’m awake, let go,” I say as I try to pry his hands off my upper arms.

“A big storm is coming, get up we have to go to the cellar now,” he turns, picks up my sneakers, and throws them at me, “Now Lily,” he shouts.

“But I don’t hear the storm sirens,” I say as I sit on the edge of my bed with no desire to put my shoes on and make the five mile journey in the darkness and rain to the closest cellar.

“Gary England just showed the storm and said for everyone in and around Kolby to take cover now because the tornado has already touched down south of town.”

I take a deep breath and quickly put my shoes on, “Where’s everyone else?”

Easton grabs my arm and drags me out of my room, “Dad’s not here and mom’s in bed.  You get in the truck while I get her.”

I start to panic, “Easton, no don’t leave me. I’ll come with you,” I grab his hand.  “C’mon.”

He stops me, “No, Lily.  Go now, we’ll be there in a minute.”  He gives me a quick hug, “Go Lily, I’ll only be a second.”  I head out the front door while he heads to the back of the house to wake our mom.

I step out the front door and am immediately hit with pouring rain and large hail.   It feels like hot pokers all over my warm skin exposed under the thin tank top and shorts I wore to bed.  Even in the small amount of light in our yard I can see the hail covering the ground.  There’s so much hail it reminds me of the ice storm several years ago that knocked out power to our entire county for over a week.  I can barely see the truck and have no idea how I’m going to be able to get to it.

I hear a loud rumbling and start looking around to find it.  It sounds like a train is moving fast down the tracks by our house.  They are hidden by the dark and I can’t see lights of a train.  Suddenly the light in our yard goes out leaving me in complete darkness.

I don’t know where to go or what to do.  I look back at the front door waiting for my brother to rescue me like he has my entire life…he doesn’t come.  Without him I am frozen like the hail laying in the yard.  The wind is so strong I can barely stand any longer.  I move to grab the post on the front porch but slip on the wet surface and fall to the muddy ground below landing on my stomach.  I try to climb to my knees but am quickly blown, stumbling to the edge of the yard and into the large ditch.  The water is deep and I struggle to hold my head up.  Between the rain and hail hitting my face and the water rushing over me I struggle to breath.  I am fighting to get out of the ditch or at least to where my brother can find me.  He should be outside by now.  I find my way to the edge and hang on to part of the concrete culvert under our driveway using the thick weeds surrounding it as support.

The roar is deafening; the tornado is here.  The debris from the strong wind is flying all around me.  Living in Oklahoma I’ve been taught over and over again what to do when a tornado strikes, now if only I’d have paid better attention instead of daydreaming about Dean.  My mind completely wanders to Dean, my brother, and even my Mom.  Are they safe?  What if the tornado gets them?

***

I wake with a sharp pain on the side of my forehead.  Reaching up to touch it I realize there’s a huge gash, I don’t know if I’m bleeding or if the wet I feel is from the storm.  But I’m alive, and that’s what matters.  I can’t see any lights not even the moon and stars.  I’m still in the ditch near the culvert and weeds.  I start yelling for my brother.  There’s no response.  I yell for him until I start feeling nauseous and weak.  I don’t know how badly my head is hurt, but I know I need help.

It feels like I’m waiting for hours before I finally hear a vehicle traveling down the muddy dirt road.  I hear a female voice hollering my name.  My mom?  It must be my mom and Easton.  I try to stand but immediately collapse.  I can hear someone crying, I think it’s me.  I finally see a small figure in the stream of headlights but I can’t tell who it is.  Large hands pick me up and carry me to a truck.  I can hear the voices reassuring me everything will be okay.  But all I can do is cry.  They have found me; my brother has finally found me and with him I know I’m safe.