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Show Twisters . . . 97 wouldn't want you here. It's a war zone!" "Can't I just wralk in to the K Mart?" I begged her. It's not that far now. You don't know how my mom worries when she doesn't know where I am," "Oh, Dan-" her eyes filled uP) "-I can't just leave you here." I already had the door open, glad she wasn't trying to stop me. "I'll be okay, honest!" "Wait--" She reached for me, all right, but by then I was free. I waved at her and ran, the tears streaming down my face. I don't know why I was crying, but I was. Crying as hard as I ever had, crying and running. Around the barricade, splashing through the low places, leaping over the kindling wood remains of somebody's house, dodging wires that draped crazily everywhere. I never stopped and I never looked back. I'm sure it wasn't yet seven by the time I got to the 1600 block on Locust and spotted the K Mart, but everyone else seemed to have beat me. The parking lot was overflowing. There were news vans, guys with TV cameras, ambulances and firetrucks and National Guard jeeps everywhere. Besides the rumbling engines, sounds of walkie-talkies and CBs and people shouting orders came at me from all sides. I skirted along the edge of the parking lot, passing the Salvation Army van, the medics,and a row of chemical toilets to reach the store itself. My heart was pounding like crazy, but I didn't get there soon enough after all. A guy wearing a hard hat stopped me. "Hey, son, don't go in there!" he yelled at me. I whirled around. "My mom's here. I want to see her!" He left the small loader he was riding and came over. "They've set up an official operations center here. This is the |
