How could a mother choose between her children?
By Judy DeFreitas
As, I hung the last of the clothing out on the line I notice the grey skies in the distance and hoped it
would pass. “All this work for nothing”, I thought. The laundry would have to wait until after lunch.
“Come on guys”, I called out. There little legs running quickly towards me. Ben, two and Isabella four,
ran to wash up. After placing a grilled cheese on each plate I headed towards the living room where I
had left the television on earlier. A fast talking weatherman alerting that a Tornado warning is in effect.
What did I hear? A tornado was spotted in a nearby town only 15 miles away. The red line on the bottom
of the screen with instructions scrolling by verified what I just heard. By this time the heavy
thunderstorms were here. Ben and Isabella already at my side. Unprepared I took them down to the
dark and musty basement of my 1924 dwelling. No television, radio or even a flashlight. In the hallway
leading to the basement, Isabella quickly jerked and ran back, “I have to get Bubba”, our dog. I grabbed
for her, tearing her dress but she was to quick. Do I leave Ben alone here in the dark or go after
Isabella? I could hear what sounded like a train in the distance. I put Ben down and headed for
Isabella. She was heading to the shed where Bubba liked to hide. I screamed for her to come back but
she just kept running. She finally reached the shed and started to run back to me when I saw the horror
in her eyes. All around, the house fell to pieces. I kneeled to the ground and in that moment I died.
By Judy DeFreitas
As, I hung the last of the clothing out on the line I notice the grey skies in the distance and hoped it
would pass. “All this work for nothing”, I thought. The laundry would have to wait until after lunch.
“Come on guys”, I called out. There little legs running quickly towards me. Ben, two and Isabella four,
ran to wash up. After placing a grilled cheese on each plate I headed towards the living room where I
had left the television on earlier. A fast talking weatherman alerting that a Tornado warning is in effect.
What did I hear? A tornado was spotted in a nearby town only 15 miles away. The red line on the bottom
of the screen with instructions scrolling by verified what I just heard. By this time the heavy
thunderstorms were here. Ben and Isabella already at my side. Unprepared I took them down to the
dark and musty basement of my 1924 dwelling. No television, radio or even a flashlight. In the hallway
leading to the basement, Isabella quickly jerked and ran back, “I have to get Bubba”, our dog. I grabbed
for her, tearing her dress but she was to quick. Do I leave Ben alone here in the dark or go after
Isabella? I could hear what sounded like a train in the distance. I put Ben down and headed for
Isabella. She was heading to the shed where Bubba liked to hide. I screamed for her to come back but
she just kept running. She finally reached the shed and started to run back to me when I saw the horror
in her eyes. All around, the house fell to pieces. I kneeled to the ground and in that moment I died.
New Hampshire Writers Flash Fiction
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