Not Starting New
A simple short story. Given the craziness that is happening right now I wanted to write something with a bit of hope in it, instead of the usual action and vague endings I've been doing lately.
Please let me know what you think!
Not Starting New
By: Lu-Man!
Jackson looked up at the blue sky in disbelief. His tuffed bobcat ears folded back in annoyance and anger. So beautiful and innocent looking. Not a cloud in sight right now. But this was the first day in what felt like ages that they didn't have at least some rain. The torrential down pour and light sprinkle and more torrential down-pouring from on high like an angered God from old seeking vengeance on his own people.
He sloshed through the ankle high water that still stood in his drive way. People had been cleared to check on their belongings, but no one had been cleared to go back home just yet. Looting is always a problem during these times, leaches taking advantage of the dying corpse of a neighborhood to take what they can before they move on. So much of your life and love stolen in what seems like trinkets and memories.
The door creaked open slowly pushing back a small tidal wave of water of its own. Everything was the same, yet everything was changed. The roof had a part missing from it, the storm literally lifting the corner off near the front door of their house and pulling it up, like the pop top on a can of fruit, before slamming it back down in the neighbors yard. Daylight poured in through the hole in the ceiling.
"Come look at this!" His wife Karen had snuck in behind him without him noticing. She held open a dishwasher that still had a load of dishes in it "Ta-Da! Still dry!" she said smiling. The clean load of dishes looked so ridiculous in the remnants of the house that he smiled inspite of himself.
"That's one hell of an advertising campaign," he said, his left ear lifting a bit in humor "Raytag, Your dishes will survive the hurricane"
"How about Raytag, we take more than one blow" she said smiling back, her own ears lifted. Jackson smiled and held her close. "Oh, Jacks, what are we going to do." she breathed against him, her hurt coming out in a long huff.
"It's just stuff." He said, a lie he had to believe himself, for just a while "it's all replaceable. We're alright, that's what's important."
"I know," She whimpered holding him close for just a bit. "I know."
They worked through rooms side by side then. Looters had been present, but had taken nothing more than a few water logged electronics and some costume jewelry. Each room itself had been hit harder by the storm than any looter. Furniture had been lifted by the flood and thrown. The heirloom oak armoire was destroyed. Water had caused the bottom to swell slightly, warping the entire thing.
"Rick said he'd bring Suzy down next weekend to help with cleanup." Karen said this matter-of-factly, in a 'just so you know' tone. Rick was their child. He grew up here. Jackson knew why she thought of it, this was his room. Baseball games, high school, college, even marriage, whenever Rick was visited, he'd stay here.
The room began to swim for a moment, Jackson took a step out the door and held his breath for a moment before exhaling it tightly. He was standing in the hallway now, he could feel the ruined carpet that he painstakingly laid down last year squishing beneath his feet. Fourteen hundred square feet and just as many memories all over the house, and all of it gone.
A single gentle touch on his shoulder. The familiar purr and familiar scent of his wife and lover for so many years filled his nostrils. The warm embrace calmed Jackson, his heart rate slowing after a while. "Maybe we should head back." She said "We already have the safe at the hotel, there's nothing left here worth taking."
"Look." He replied, pointing at a spot on the wall. The late afternoon sun peered down through the gaping hole in the roof on the wall opposite them. On this wall was a portrait. Ricky stood patiently between a much younger Jackson and Karen, back before the two bobcats had so much gray on their muzzle.
He walked forward picking up the framed picture off the wall. "Will wonders never cease" he muttered as he examined it. It wasn't damaged in anyway, the frame, the glass or the photo. It had not been thrown down from the wind nor had the picture been touched by water.
Gripping his wife by the shoulder he brought it over to her for her to see. "Well, I'll be..." she muttered herself as she looked over the photo. "How do you suppose this happened?"
He gently kissed her on her head as she looked it over. "I have no clue. But I think it means something."
"What's that?" she said as they started towards the door.
"We maybe starting over, but we're not starting new. We're gonna be okay."