The Storm (conclusion)

The storm pressed on.

Darkness set in. The power was out. And a combination of fear and excitement began to take hold on the heart of Ryan. He began to understand why the local residents would abandon their town during the storm. Even if the storm never hit, there was always the chance for massive destruction. But to see it first-hand was amazing. The desert thunderstorms were amazing in and of themselves, but they never did damage like this. This storm was something entirely different. The raw power that it possessed was unlike anything he had seen before.

A bolt of lightening streaked down from the sky and struck tree in front of the cabin. The energy from the bolt reached into every particle of the tree, heating it to a tremendous temperature. The water contained inside the cells of the tree boiled and vaporized, in the process creating a massive buildup of pressure. It was more than the structure of the tree could handle and it erupted with violent force sending limbs and branches through the air at blinding speeds.

The main body of the tree flew screaming through the window of the cabin and knocked Zack to the floor.

"Zack! Zack! Are you okay?" Ryan screamed as he leapt to the floor to shield Zack from any debris that might rain down on him. There was no response. He laid his fingers on Zack's neck to check for a pulse. There was a pulse, but it was faint. He grabbed Zack under the arms and pulled him into the bedroom. He lay Zack on the bed and then shut the bedroom door to keep the wind and rain out.

Zack had a large gash on his arm and Ryan began to attend to it. He needed to stop the bleeding.

The storm pressed on in all its fury.

A single dust particle, now encased in water, fell from the sky as one of countless other raindrops. It fell on the mountainside above the cabin that Ryan and Zack were in. When it touched the earth, it soaked into the loose soil. It was the tipping point for the soil. The provervbial straw that broke the camel's back. It was the last bit of water that gravity needed to overcome the friction that held the soil in place on the mountain.

The side of the mountain began to flow. Slowly at first, but gradually picking up speed. As it flowed down the mountain, the momentum disloged other spots of rain-drenched soil. It grew. It gathered more saturated soil. It grew even more. It grew and grew as it flowed down the mountain until it looked as if the entire mountain itself was churning and collapsing on itself.

Ryan didn't notice the rumble in the earth. He was too busy tending to Zack. He didn't notice until it was too late. The mountain flowing down on itself eventually flowed over the cabin where they were, burying it under many feet of mud, rock, and sundered trees. The storm had taken them captive, and would never let them free.

The storm pressed on.