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recently-repaired, door opened to reveal a room so messy a pig would’ve been aghast at the sight. Sprawled sound asleep on her bed, Shanie was lying amidst a pile of dirty and clean clothes. A bag of half-eaten potato chips lay at her bare feet, curdled chocolate milk on a side table. She rolled over, muttered something about a boy with a nice ass and settled again on a soft sigh. Shane turned off her television and unplugged her video games for the night.
    Her parents offered each other supporting looks, closed the door and made their way to Michaela’s room. Their youngest daughter lay surrounded by a multitude of stuffed animals, picture books and the latest numerous toys on the market, her room full to bursting. Her angelic face peaceful in the soft moonlight bathing the room. Tansy reached out and smoothed back a long lock of sweet smelling, chestnut hair and placed a kiss on her sleeping baby’s brow. Shane did the same, then pulled her princess covers up under her chin, tucking her beloved rag doll in beside her.
    Neither adult noticed the subtle movement of the tree branches outside the darkened room window as they tapped at the house as if in warning. The last few leaves of fall drifted to the ground in a spiral motion, only to be picked up and captured by the wind, sailing into the moon’s illuminated sky.
    Smiling adoringly at his wife, Shane took her hand in his and embraced her. Keeping his wife pressed possessively to his side, the young couple made their way to their room and went to bed.

Chapter 2
    “Mom, hey Mom,” Shanie yelled, running into the house, slamming the door on a gust of boisterous wind determined to make its way indoors.
    It was the last day before the Thanksgiving long weekend. It was shortly after lunch. Tansy stood sorting socks at the kitchen table, she loathed this job. She looked at them in disgust. It appeared the proverbial sock fairy was at it again, too many without matches. She groaned. She didn’t have time for this; she was supposed to be writing out a quarterly review that was already past due. As it was, she was running late her wrist automatically twisting to reveal the time indicated on her watch. The turkey was in the oven cooking early and would need basting; she’d just have to freeze it for later. If she could keep Shane out of it, she thought with fond annoyance.
    “Must you slam the door? And why are you home so early?”
    “Mom, really, you’re not going to hurt the socks’ feelings by scowling at them,” Shanie said.
    “I thought I could intimidate them into telling me where the other wayward truants are,” she replied, indicating the growing pile with a bit of frustration. “Speaking of truants...” Tansy gave her a direct stare, brows lifted with meaning.
    Shanie rolled her eyes then came directly to the point. “They closed the school.”
    “For Thanksgiving?” Tansy asked, shooting her a quizzical glance.
    “I think for good,” Shanie stated with a dramatic flair. Tansy’s hand stilled. She looked at her daughter waiting for a punchline. When none came, she gathered her thoughts and asked as calmly as she could, “What do you mean, you think for good?”
    Explaining on the way, Shanie took her mother’s hand leading her into the living room. “An announcement came over the PA, we were to head straight home, not bother with our lockers. Not to stop to talk to our friends, just go home. The principal said we weren’t to return for any reason. He told us to turn on the news channel the minute we got home and find our parents. At first we thought it was a bomb scare, but on the way home I saw people rushing around like crazy, there’re some creepy clouds in the sky.”
    Shanie grabbed the remote to click on the television and both watched as the scene unfolded. Words like; “Roads closed,” “State of emergency,” resounded throughout the room from a frantic anchorman, his plea to the public to seek shelter, help their neighbors, friends.