by Ivana Baric

Created on: July 14, 2009

The storm had been threatening to break since mid morning. Slowly gaining strength as the day progressed, those who knew what to look for would have confidently told you it would hit the house by the afternoon or early evening at the latest. Although it would inevitably hit, the skies above the Marley home were still clear. The family was gathered together in the living room, but they couldn't have been farther apart. Mrs. Marley sat in an upright chair by the window reading one of the many classical novels that she had read so many times before. Occasionally, she would look up from her reading to stare at the beach and sea that stretched out beyond the window or at her family sprawled around the living room. A part of her longed to go outside, but she knew it was in her best interest to stay exactly where she was. She imagined getting caught up in the storm, but her rational side warned her to stay exactly where she was: safe and calm. Furthermore, she didn't want her children to worry. She shouldn't been concerned, as the two younger Marleys were neither concerned nor interested in the slightest with what their mother was doing.

The elder boy sat glued in front of his computer screen messaging his friends about what a boring day it was. The younger was playing with his lego, towering them up and then knocking them down. Mrs. Marley wondered for a moment if it was the building or tearing down that captivated the boy more and caused him to repeat the actions over and over. Despite being out till 3 a.m the night before, Mr. Marley had left the house early in the morning, anticipating that a storm was brewing. But when he returned about an hour later, he figured a mistake had been made and no storm was coming. Of course, he was wrong. The thick, black clouds had been gathering for some time. They continued to grow in number and to join into one enormous thundercloud. They were still far enough in the distance to fool him into thinking the storm, if there was one, was going to head in a different location. Mr. Marley lounged in front of the t.v. aimlessly flicking the remote unable to rest on any one show. Mrs. Marley wondered if the turbulence of the coming storm was distracting him. She tried to read his thoughts, but then decided that he seemed quite content as though the storm wouldn't touch him.

None of them knew how strong this storm was really going to be. Storms had hit their home in the past, but had never caused that much damage.

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