That Which Leads Us Home - Chapter 14, The Fury of the Wind
That Which Leads us Home
by Frakkin_Eh
Rating: K for now....
Authors notes: This story is a sequel of sorts to the Movie 'For All time' starring Mark Harmon and Mary McDonnell. It picks up in the second to last scene in the movie. If you have not seen the movie you should be able to follow the story anyway as I hope (fingers crossed on that one) that I've provided enough information in the story about what happened prior to the timeline the story takes place in. You should watch the movie though, for no other reason than it's a wonderful little movie and .. well, Mary's in it.
** Huge thanks to tayryn for keeping me honest and making sure this story is believable.... well.... other than the part about a man going back in time to find the love of his life - LOL. Thank You so MUCH for all your help.
Chapter 14 - The Fury of the Wind
Charles could feel his chest tighten as a knot formed in the pit of his stomach. He cast a desperate glance down the street, looking for a streetcar. Then he remembered they didn’t go down there that time of day.
“A bicycle,” he though but he couldn’t see one anywhere. He gave the automobile parked nearby a second glace but considering how little he knew about motor vehicles in that era he quickly ruled it out.
“Only one thing you can do, Charlie,” he concluded. “Run.”
“***************************************************************************
“***************************************************************************
Laura cast a worried glance towards the sky as she made her way down Lafayette Avenue. A gust of wind, catching her by surprise, nearly claimed her hat before she quickly snatched it from its grasp.
“Oh my goodness!” she exclaimed.
“You’d better find some shelter inside, Ma’am; it looks like the skies are going to open up!” A man rushing by suggested.
Laura quickly scanned the buildings and signs along the street. A tiny smile graced her lips when her eyes fell on a small black and white sign that read: “THE LAFAYETTE JOURNAL.” Without further ado, she quickly crossed the street and headed for the tiny building at the end of the block.
“***************************************************************************
“***************************************************************************
Charles broke into a full run then forced himself to slow down to a steady pace as he told himself. “Easy, Charlie. You’ll never be able to run that far if you don’t set some sort of reasonable pace. Okay, okay… think! It’s about ten blocks… that’s about a mile. When you were in college you could do a mile in approximately ten minutes. Pace yourself.”
As Charles’ feet found a steady rhythm, his mind raced uncontrollably. “What is she doing here? Where is she headed? Why is she looking for me?” While Charles’ mind kept telling him to err on the side of caution and not to get ahead of himself, his heart couldn’t help but jump to its own conclusions. “She’s come looking for you because she knows she made a mistake. She’s come looking for you because she knows the two of you belong together.”
He looked up at the street sign… one block down, nine more to go!
“Why does this keep happening to us?” He wondered. “First the explosion and now this… is something trying to tell me that we’re not supposed to be together?”
A boy and a large dog came out of nowhere, practically claiming the entire sidewalk. As the dog attempted to go one way, the boy tried to lead it in another. Charles hurdled the leash as dog and owner engaged in a pseudo game of ‘Tug of War’.
“Why would I have found the watch, Somerville, and Laura if we weren’t destined to be together? No, no we are meant to be together, and I’ll be damned if I’m going to lose her in some stupid storm!”
Charles felt a surge of energy sweep through him as a new shot of adrenaline set in. “Fuck pacing yourself, Charlie, RUN!”
“***************************************************************************
“***************************************************************************
The rain was intense. Laura narrowly escaped the downpour as she stepped into the office of the Lafayette Journal a mere few seconds before the skies opened up. A small woman looked up from behind the counter at the sound of the door closing. “Good afternoon, Ma’am.” She said with a smile. “How can I help you?”
Laura could scarcely hear the woman over the thunderous sound of the rain pelting the tin roof above them. “Good afternoon!” Laura yelled.
Laura went through her usual spiel while the woman strained to hear her over the intense noise of the rain. As with each and every person Laura had spoken to so far, the woman didn’t know Charles. She did, however, assure her that if he happened to come into their office she’d certainly let him know that Laura was looking for him.
Discouraged, Laura thanked her before making her way to the door.
“You might want to wait for the rain to let up a little.” The woman suggested.
Laura nodded to her and smiled. “Thank you, I think I might just do that.”
“***************************************************************************
“***************************************************************************
The rain was coming down with such force it stung. Charles winced as he fought the burning in his legs, the ache in his side, and the pounding in his chest. His lungs were screaming for oxygen as he raised a hand to shield his eyes enough to read the street sign above. “Lafayette Avenue”… a second later the wind ripped the sign from its post, sending it hurling down the street.
“Holy Shit!” Charles yelled.
While he’d never been to either newspaper since his return to St. Louis, he was pretty sure where their offices were located. He turned right and made his way down the sidewalk.
“***************************************************************************
“***************************************************************************
As quickly as it had begun, the rain stopped. Laura gave the woman behind the counter a hopeful smile as she opened the door and gingerly poked her head outside. It was quiet. No rain, no wind… nothing. It was almost eerie.
“Looks like the storm has past.” Laura said as she re-secured her hat atop her head.
“Hmmm, maybe for now.” The woman said doubtfully. She then nodded towards the sky and added, “But I have a feeling there’s more to come.”
“Well then. I’d better get myself back to my hotel before it hits.” Laura stated.
The woman wished her luck and Laura stepped out and onto the street.
“***************************************************************************
“***************************************************************************
Charles’ legs nearly gave way when he saw her. Breathless, his heart jack hammering in his ears, he stopped dead in his tracks. He tried to call out to her, but he couldn’t. So out of breath the best he could muster was a pathetic wheeze that came out in a tiny squeak.
Laura was looking up the street as though she were searching for something. She then turned and began walking his way. When she looked up again she froze.
Charles’ head was pounding and every muscle in his body ached, but he didn’t care. It felt as thought the entire world had stopped turning for that one moment as he stood staring at her. Her eyes filled with tears and her face lost all its color as he saw her mouth one word: “Charles.”
Time stood still.
As Laura began to move towards him the wind picked up, sending leaves and dust swirling in the air, but neither of them cared… neither of them seemed to notice.
Charles’ step quickened as the rain began to fall again with such force it was blinding. Laura heard a woman scream and turned in time to see a park bench rolling down the street as though it were a tumbleweed. Before she knew what was happening, she felt him grab her arm as he yelled. “We need to find shelter, NOW!”
Quickly, Charles scanned the homes and buildings along Lafayette for a suitable place. Narrowing in on a large church on the corner he said, “Come on!” and practically dragged her across the street with him.
“***************************************************************************
“***************************************************************************
The church was packed with people seeking refuge from the fury of the wind and rain. Laura shuddered at the look of fear in the eyes every man, woman, and child as families huddled together in corners while others shifted nervously.
The rafters moaned and groaned from the force of the wind, which yielded an eerie whistle as it whipped through the streets and buildings and anything else it could find.
Several windows gave way, eliciting a blood-curdling scream from some women and a number of the children within the church. Laura trembled with fear as the walls around them shook and the noise outside erupted into a thunderous roar. If death could be heard, Laura was certain this was the sound it would make. Children cried out as they lost power and darkness fell over them. Women sobbed and men cursed as every remaining window around them shattered. As Charles pulled Laura to him to shelter her from the falling wood and glass, she instinctively wrapped her arms around his waist and buried her face in his chest… and she prayed.
It was over as quickly as it had begun. As the noise and rumble began to fade, Laura found Charles’ eyes and they exchanged a nervous glance. He gently reached out to pluck a splinter of wood from her hair. “You okay?” he asked.
Unable to find her tongue, Laura simply nodded an affirmative.
Slowly, the doors to the church were opened and the refugees began to emerge from within. While Laura still hadn’t seen what awaited them she could hear the sobs, the gasps, the soft prayers of those ahead of her. She knew it wasn’t good.
“***************************************************************************
“***************************************************************************
The devastation was overwhelming. Laura shuddered as she took in the sights and sounds around her. Unconsciously, she reached for Charles, who drew her into him and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. Debris littered the streets… trees, park benches, glass and wood… even a small rowboat.
Laura’s attention was captured by the sounds of a young girl wailing desperately, “No! No, Daddy, please! Don’t!” Tears filled Laura’s eyes as she watched the girl’s mother hold her back, wrapping her arms around the child in an effort to shield her from the horrific sight before them. Her father, standing over an overturned buggy, knelt beside the mangled horse that lay beneath. He gave the writhing animal a gentle rub along his nose before placing the nuzzle of his pistol to its temple and… Laura jumped at the sound of the gunshot. Charles felt her draw a ragged breath and he pulled her even closer to him.
Desperation and sadness surrounded them as they slowly made their way down the street. Laura paused to look at what was left of the Lafayette Journal. She wondered about the woman she’d met only a short while ago and hoped that she had not been injured.
Electrical wires lay on the ground and an automobile lay overturned as its owner stood staring at it dumbfounded.
From within the remains of a partially demolished building, Charles and Laura could hear voices. “Over here! Help us please!”
Charles hurried to the pile of rubble and began digging with his hands in an effort to rescue the people trapped beneath. Several men joined him as the recovery phase of the disaster began to take shape.
Laura grabbed the woman next to her by the arm. “We need to set up a place for the injured…” she said. “… until the emergency workers and ambulances can come.” She had no idea if the city hospital was even still standing and didn’t expect help to come anytime soon. She figured, for the most part, they’d be on their own.
For a brief instant, Charles stopped and looked up at her. Their eyes locked, and Laura felt her insides turn to mush. She fought back the urge to drop what she was doing and rush into his arms… to wrap herself around him and bury her face in his neck and sob. Instead she simply gave him a tiny smile. One that said, “We’ll talk... soon.”
Chapter 13 <> Chapter 15
Previous Chapters
by Frakkin_Eh
Rating: K for now....
Authors notes: This story is a sequel of sorts to the Movie 'For All time' starring Mark Harmon and Mary McDonnell. It picks up in the second to last scene in the movie. If you have not seen the movie you should be able to follow the story anyway as I hope (fingers crossed on that one) that I've provided enough information in the story about what happened prior to the timeline the story takes place in. You should watch the movie though, for no other reason than it's a wonderful little movie and .. well, Mary's in it.
** Huge thanks to tayryn for keeping me honest and making sure this story is believable.... well.... other than the part about a man going back in time to find the love of his life - LOL. Thank You so MUCH for all your help.
Chapter 14 - The Fury of the Wind
Charles could feel his chest tighten as a knot formed in the pit of his stomach. He cast a desperate glance down the street, looking for a streetcar. Then he remembered they didn’t go down there that time of day.
“A bicycle,” he though but he couldn’t see one anywhere. He gave the automobile parked nearby a second glace but considering how little he knew about motor vehicles in that era he quickly ruled it out.
“Only one thing you can do, Charlie,” he concluded. “Run.”
“***************************************************************************
“***************************************************************************
Laura cast a worried glance towards the sky as she made her way down Lafayette Avenue. A gust of wind, catching her by surprise, nearly claimed her hat before she quickly snatched it from its grasp.
“Oh my goodness!” she exclaimed.
“You’d better find some shelter inside, Ma’am; it looks like the skies are going to open up!” A man rushing by suggested.
Laura quickly scanned the buildings and signs along the street. A tiny smile graced her lips when her eyes fell on a small black and white sign that read: “THE LAFAYETTE JOURNAL.” Without further ado, she quickly crossed the street and headed for the tiny building at the end of the block.
“***************************************************************************
“***************************************************************************
Charles broke into a full run then forced himself to slow down to a steady pace as he told himself. “Easy, Charlie. You’ll never be able to run that far if you don’t set some sort of reasonable pace. Okay, okay… think! It’s about ten blocks… that’s about a mile. When you were in college you could do a mile in approximately ten minutes. Pace yourself.”
As Charles’ feet found a steady rhythm, his mind raced uncontrollably. “What is she doing here? Where is she headed? Why is she looking for me?” While Charles’ mind kept telling him to err on the side of caution and not to get ahead of himself, his heart couldn’t help but jump to its own conclusions. “She’s come looking for you because she knows she made a mistake. She’s come looking for you because she knows the two of you belong together.”
He looked up at the street sign… one block down, nine more to go!
“Why does this keep happening to us?” He wondered. “First the explosion and now this… is something trying to tell me that we’re not supposed to be together?”
A boy and a large dog came out of nowhere, practically claiming the entire sidewalk. As the dog attempted to go one way, the boy tried to lead it in another. Charles hurdled the leash as dog and owner engaged in a pseudo game of ‘Tug of War’.
“Why would I have found the watch, Somerville, and Laura if we weren’t destined to be together? No, no we are meant to be together, and I’ll be damned if I’m going to lose her in some stupid storm!”
Charles felt a surge of energy sweep through him as a new shot of adrenaline set in. “Fuck pacing yourself, Charlie, RUN!”
“***************************************************************************
“***************************************************************************
The rain was intense. Laura narrowly escaped the downpour as she stepped into the office of the Lafayette Journal a mere few seconds before the skies opened up. A small woman looked up from behind the counter at the sound of the door closing. “Good afternoon, Ma’am.” She said with a smile. “How can I help you?”
Laura could scarcely hear the woman over the thunderous sound of the rain pelting the tin roof above them. “Good afternoon!” Laura yelled.
Laura went through her usual spiel while the woman strained to hear her over the intense noise of the rain. As with each and every person Laura had spoken to so far, the woman didn’t know Charles. She did, however, assure her that if he happened to come into their office she’d certainly let him know that Laura was looking for him.
Discouraged, Laura thanked her before making her way to the door.
“You might want to wait for the rain to let up a little.” The woman suggested.
Laura nodded to her and smiled. “Thank you, I think I might just do that.”
“***************************************************************************
“***************************************************************************
The rain was coming down with such force it stung. Charles winced as he fought the burning in his legs, the ache in his side, and the pounding in his chest. His lungs were screaming for oxygen as he raised a hand to shield his eyes enough to read the street sign above. “Lafayette Avenue”… a second later the wind ripped the sign from its post, sending it hurling down the street.
“Holy Shit!” Charles yelled.
While he’d never been to either newspaper since his return to St. Louis, he was pretty sure where their offices were located. He turned right and made his way down the sidewalk.
“***************************************************************************
“***************************************************************************
As quickly as it had begun, the rain stopped. Laura gave the woman behind the counter a hopeful smile as she opened the door and gingerly poked her head outside. It was quiet. No rain, no wind… nothing. It was almost eerie.
“Looks like the storm has past.” Laura said as she re-secured her hat atop her head.
“Hmmm, maybe for now.” The woman said doubtfully. She then nodded towards the sky and added, “But I have a feeling there’s more to come.”
“Well then. I’d better get myself back to my hotel before it hits.” Laura stated.
The woman wished her luck and Laura stepped out and onto the street.
“***************************************************************************
“***************************************************************************
Charles’ legs nearly gave way when he saw her. Breathless, his heart jack hammering in his ears, he stopped dead in his tracks. He tried to call out to her, but he couldn’t. So out of breath the best he could muster was a pathetic wheeze that came out in a tiny squeak.
Laura was looking up the street as though she were searching for something. She then turned and began walking his way. When she looked up again she froze.
Charles’ head was pounding and every muscle in his body ached, but he didn’t care. It felt as thought the entire world had stopped turning for that one moment as he stood staring at her. Her eyes filled with tears and her face lost all its color as he saw her mouth one word: “Charles.”
Time stood still.
As Laura began to move towards him the wind picked up, sending leaves and dust swirling in the air, but neither of them cared… neither of them seemed to notice.
Charles’ step quickened as the rain began to fall again with such force it was blinding. Laura heard a woman scream and turned in time to see a park bench rolling down the street as though it were a tumbleweed. Before she knew what was happening, she felt him grab her arm as he yelled. “We need to find shelter, NOW!”
Quickly, Charles scanned the homes and buildings along Lafayette for a suitable place. Narrowing in on a large church on the corner he said, “Come on!” and practically dragged her across the street with him.
“***************************************************************************
“***************************************************************************
The church was packed with people seeking refuge from the fury of the wind and rain. Laura shuddered at the look of fear in the eyes every man, woman, and child as families huddled together in corners while others shifted nervously.
The rafters moaned and groaned from the force of the wind, which yielded an eerie whistle as it whipped through the streets and buildings and anything else it could find.
Several windows gave way, eliciting a blood-curdling scream from some women and a number of the children within the church. Laura trembled with fear as the walls around them shook and the noise outside erupted into a thunderous roar. If death could be heard, Laura was certain this was the sound it would make. Children cried out as they lost power and darkness fell over them. Women sobbed and men cursed as every remaining window around them shattered. As Charles pulled Laura to him to shelter her from the falling wood and glass, she instinctively wrapped her arms around his waist and buried her face in his chest… and she prayed.
It was over as quickly as it had begun. As the noise and rumble began to fade, Laura found Charles’ eyes and they exchanged a nervous glance. He gently reached out to pluck a splinter of wood from her hair. “You okay?” he asked.
Unable to find her tongue, Laura simply nodded an affirmative.
Slowly, the doors to the church were opened and the refugees began to emerge from within. While Laura still hadn’t seen what awaited them she could hear the sobs, the gasps, the soft prayers of those ahead of her. She knew it wasn’t good.
“***************************************************************************
“***************************************************************************
The devastation was overwhelming. Laura shuddered as she took in the sights and sounds around her. Unconsciously, she reached for Charles, who drew her into him and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. Debris littered the streets… trees, park benches, glass and wood… even a small rowboat.
Laura’s attention was captured by the sounds of a young girl wailing desperately, “No! No, Daddy, please! Don’t!” Tears filled Laura’s eyes as she watched the girl’s mother hold her back, wrapping her arms around the child in an effort to shield her from the horrific sight before them. Her father, standing over an overturned buggy, knelt beside the mangled horse that lay beneath. He gave the writhing animal a gentle rub along his nose before placing the nuzzle of his pistol to its temple and… Laura jumped at the sound of the gunshot. Charles felt her draw a ragged breath and he pulled her even closer to him.
Desperation and sadness surrounded them as they slowly made their way down the street. Laura paused to look at what was left of the Lafayette Journal. She wondered about the woman she’d met only a short while ago and hoped that she had not been injured.
Electrical wires lay on the ground and an automobile lay overturned as its owner stood staring at it dumbfounded.
From within the remains of a partially demolished building, Charles and Laura could hear voices. “Over here! Help us please!”
Charles hurried to the pile of rubble and began digging with his hands in an effort to rescue the people trapped beneath. Several men joined him as the recovery phase of the disaster began to take shape.
Laura grabbed the woman next to her by the arm. “We need to set up a place for the injured…” she said. “… until the emergency workers and ambulances can come.” She had no idea if the city hospital was even still standing and didn’t expect help to come anytime soon. She figured, for the most part, they’d be on their own.
For a brief instant, Charles stopped and looked up at her. Their eyes locked, and Laura felt her insides turn to mush. She fought back the urge to drop what she was doing and rush into his arms… to wrap herself around him and bury her face in his neck and sob. Instead she simply gave him a tiny smile. One that said, “We’ll talk... soon.”
Chapter 13 <> Chapter 15
Previous Chapters