The Storm.

Oddly enough, I got the inspiration to write this by listening to Safe and Sound by Taylor Swift, and thinking how much I want tea.

The only thing I could hear was the silence, and once, I was extremely grateful. I was alone in the quiet space of my room.
Or at least, it was my room for now.
I was trying to find a peaceful ground between me and my internal conflicts before I dared to shut my eyes for the night. I kept the lights off, for I didn't have the balls to let someone be aware innocence was hiding in their bedroom. However, here was a full moon out tonight, revealing only a thin white outline on anything that was near the window.
I sip the tea that rested next to me on my nightstand. The warmth of the liquid did not help still my nerves, but it made me feel better to pretend that everything was alright. I had just set down the mug back on the nightstand when a loud BANG came from the East.
The gun shots outside my window sounded closer than they did 15 minutes ago.
It wasn't even a war. It was just a random pillage. They have been occurring all across the United States for some time. Of course there was the Coast Guard, but they were the busy trying to drive back these forces.
But "driving back" doesn't ensure protection.
I curdle back into a beetle position, bringing my legs to my chin and keeping my arms wrapped around them. The tea was useless, because I was between some mixture of shivers and light tears, as if it would make me safe. I'm just 15 years old , I thought to myself between the quiet sobs, day couldn't come soon enough. I was completely alone, as far as I knew. My mom and dad had left for my grandma's house, who was farther North and there wasn't as much violence there.
I was alone, because they left while I was sleeping. My grandmother always loved me, but my parents never spent that much time with me. My father was always out and about doing who knows what and my mother acted as if I could be dying and she wouldn't care. Well...I guess she wasn't acting.
The pillagers didn't kill their hostages...usually. I wasn't a prisoner, but I was frightened all the same. I was defenseless, with only a mug of tea to defend me. If I could just hold out for another morning, I would be the happiest man in the world. The pillage usually ended at daylight, because then people were easier to see and the Coast Guard could have the advantage. As great as their determination was to do as much harm as possible was, no one wants to get shot.
The shots were closer now. I started to pray between sobs.
The sound was like it was right outside my window...But it wasn't. The violence still didn't reach my section of town. I looked at my alarm clock that rested next to my nightstand.
2:00 am. Damn it. Still a long time before I could even dream of safety.
I try to dry the streams of tears from my eyes, because if they did find me, I didn't want to give whatever satisfaction they were looking for.  I already decided I wasn't going to become hostage, because even though there would still be a chance of survival, there would just be more time for the threat of death to shadow my days and no one knows how long this will carry on. I would go in peace, or be blown to pieces. I would prefer peace.
I noticed that the light from the moon suddenly wasn't at my window anymore. Someone was blocking the light.
S**t, s**t, s**t, s**t.
At least... it will be over, I think
Tap, Tap, Tap, Tap.
Strange. That didn't sound like rifle explosions.
I didn't know what to think, but listen to the sound in awe. I always liked the rain. It always calmed me down, sort of like when your in a car ride. I always listened to the rhythmic sounds as I drift to sleep into my dreams. Sometimes as when I was younger, I would purposely go outside when it was pouring down. I pretended it was a warm shower, that I just rest in and let the water wash my troubles down the drain.
The rain kept coming down harder, until it sounded like blankets of the water came pelting down.
But it was almost like a miracle.
The gun shots had died down, and their sound was replaced by the sheiks of people, probably scattering to find shelter from the harsh rain. There was an enormous flash of white light fluttered through the window, making it look as if it was already daylight. Almost instantaneously, the flash was soon followed by the roar of the thunder, hinting that the strike was very close to my position.
I guess no one like to pillage in the rain. I close my eyes, and quietly listen to the rain pelt the ceiling. The taps of the rain relentlessly came down, one after another, showing no sign of weakening soon.
My shivering stops, and I take another sip of my tea, now cold. I become still, and try to devise a plan for escape. As soon as daylight hits, I'm leaving. It's clear I can't stay here if I want to live, and I already decided that I'm not settling for the position as a hostage.
There would be a storm coming soon enough, I thought.
If it isn't already here.

Author's Note

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Reviews

[Daring Darling Didi]

1.) ...the tea is never useless.
2.) I think this is my favorite write from you. Very powerful, scary and it put me on the edge. If something like this happened in real life, I would go Valerie (http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4122/4825595981_b90dac42b4.jpg) and wait for them to take me or kill me, but either way I'd already be dead inside and barely notice if I was dead outside as well. Even the sobbing shows that this person has something he wants to live for. Truly inspiring.