As Ruth peered through her kitchen window at the darkening skies, the phone rang and she answered it. She heard her husband’s voice.
“Hi, Ben. What’s the latest word on the storm?”
“There’s nothing to worry about. Just get the kids in the car right now and drive over the bridge to the mainland and go to your mother’s house in Tallahassee. You have plenty of time if you leave right now.”
“But what about the chickens? And the key to the garage? I never did find it.”
“The chickens will take care of themselves, and there’s nothing in the garage to lock up. The main thing is, don’t wait for the storm surge. Keep an eye out for the neighbors. When they head for the Eastpoint bridge, you get out too.”
“Oh, they all left an hour ago.”
“Then get in the car with the kids and get out now. Once the tide starts building, the waves will sweep over the bridge and you can’t get out. You must get out before the winds pick up. You got that?”
“I don’t understand what they mean when they say level five. What do they mean?”
“Don’t worry about that. Just grab the kids and get in the car as soon as you hang up. Okay?”
“Can’t I just go to Apalachicola? It’s such a long way all the way to Tallahassee. I don’t like the traffic there.”
“You’re lucky there’s no traffic on St. George Island. Promise me you’re leaving right now.”
“Okay.” After putting down the receiver, Ruth reached for her purse to find the house and car keys, but looked out the window when she heard little Billy screaming. She saw five-year-old Jack chasing three-year-old Billy with a tree branch.
“Jack! Put down that stick!”
“But I don’t want to!”
Ruth ran out into the yard to grab the branch from Jack. Glancing at the swollen tide off the shore, she told the boys, “Now go to the car right now.”
“But I don’t want to!” Jack replied with a giggle and ran in the opposite direction.
“Jack! Come back here right now!” Ruth chased him for a few minutes and finally grabbed him by the hand and dragged him back to the car, opened the door and pushed him in. Billy crawled into the seat without a word. “Wait here while I go get my purse.”
Back in the kitchen, Ruth picked up her purse and rifled through it, finding the house key but not the car key. Going down on her knees she searched for the keys, reaching under the table and chairs. She heard giggling and looked up. Jack was in the doorway jingling the keys in his hand.
“Jack! Give me those keys!”
“But I don’t want to!”
Ruth jumped up and raced to the door. Jack scrambled down the steps and ran down the road. Pausing briefly, Ruth considered whether she should take the time to lock the door and go after Jack. She decided to lock the door and looked through her purse to find the key. After a long moment she realized she had left them on the kitchen table. Running back in the house, Ruth found the key, went out the door and locked it. By this time she could not see Jack but could hear his giggle among the barrier brush.
“Jack! Come here right this moment!”
“But I don’t want to!”
Ruth ran toward his voice, stumbling on the sands. As she tried to stand, Jack ran up and dangled the key in front of her face. Snatching the key from him with one hand she whacked his bottom with the other. Ruth stood and held Jack’s arm in an angry grip.
“Come on and stop this!”
“But I don’t want to.”
She threw him in the back seat with Billy and sat behind the wheel. The key fell from her fingers. By the time she picked it up and put it in the ignition, rain began to fall. She glanced back at the gulf. She saw a large swell coming towards them. Ruth pulled the car onto the driveway and headed for the bridge leading to Eastpoint and mainland safety. She stopped as she saw angry white tufts of water splashing over the railings. Ben’s warning echoed in her head. Once the waves crashed across the bridge, there was no getting out.
“Boys, I think we better go back to the house before we get wet.”
Jack sniffled. “But I don’t want to.”