No Escape

I woke up to the warm, morning light filtering into my bedroom. The whole house was quiet, which was unusual for my family. “Peace before the storm,” I said to myself, because after breaking news to my parents, there would definitely be no peace. While stepping out of my plush, cozy bed, the cold winter air hit me. Brrrrr. Once I got out of bed, there was no going back to my only moments of peace until the sun set. The memories of last night started to unfold as I quickly packed my trunk with all of my necessary belongings. I then set it by the door leading out to the hall. 

Immediately, I changed out of my nightgown and into my “armor” as I liked to call it. I straightened my back and glanced at the mirror observing what was in the reflection. The silver-rimmed mirror displayed the rich green dress, matching my emerald orbs. I tied my chocolate colored locks into a bun on the back of my head. Then, I slipped on my silver shoes, which were shinier than a pound coin. Finally, I gently inserted my diamond ring on the ring finger of my left hand, and smiled to myself. Even when the band had only the slightest bit of light shining on it, it still glowed as bright as the sun on a summer day. Again, looking at myself through the mirror, I smiled to myself. I whispered, “Today, I will finally be free.” 

I emerged from my bedroom and descended down the stairs, my velvet dress swishing at my feet. Before I even entered the dining room, I could smell the delicious aroma of ham and eggs. Quickly, I sat down at the large, oak table as a servant placed down the plate.

 “That’s strange,” I thought. “Where is the rest of the family?” 

The hustle and bustle of the downstairs kitchen could be heard, but no noise from the residents of the house. A strange sense of calmness overcame me. Rarely did I get a taste of this sereneness. Delicately, I ate my eggs and corn bread, savoring every bite. While I ate, I looked out the freshly polished window, and watched the people traveling about. Our three-story townhouse was in the heart of London. Hopefully, I would be moving out soon from the claustrophobic home I grew up in. The closeness of the other townhouses was always squeezing, choking, and suffocating. 

My dream has always been to move out of the crazy city and live somewhere with more freedom and space, like the countryside. I could just imagine the green rolling hills, and little farms dotting the horizon. Suddenly, my fantasies were interrupted by the front door slamming open, and the sound of my parents excited chatter. 

“When she finds out, she will be so excited!” I could hear my mother shout. I was positive they were talking about me, and my gut feeling told me I wouldn’t be happy like they expected.  

“Darling, where are you?” my mother called.

“I am in the dining room,” I said back. They burst into the room with beaming smiles covering their faces. Mother was wearing an obnoxious bright orange dress, like a hot fiery inferno. 

“Victoria, you are going to be wed!” Father cried out. I looked at them with dismay. How could they have found out about Peter and I already? And why are they so enthusiastic about all of this? That was the exact opposite reaction from what I expected. 

“Oh darling, he even already gave you the ring! How romantic!” my mother and father rushed to admire my ring finger before I could utter a word.

“But the diamond is so small! Why, a man as affluent as he should put a bigger stone on your finger!” Father said with distaste. I immediately yanked back my hand. 

Lashing back, I yelled “What gave you the idea that he was wealthy! And I don’t need a gaudy ring to represent my marriage!” 

Father chuckled. “Of course Robert Harrington has money! What a silly-” 

“Robert Harrington? You mean the old man who owns the bank on main street? You are seriously expecting me to marry him?! He’s already gone through two wives and he’s Catholic!”

“Now, now darling. Let’s calm down. Why is this a surprise when he already gave you the ring?” Mother said.

“Robert Harrington did not give me this ring and I will never consider marrying him! In fact, Peter Bradford kindly gave me this ring!”

Mother and Father both had puzzled looks on their faces. “Who is this Mr. Bradford fellow?” Father questioned, while he peered down at me from those ugly glasses of his. 

“He owns a farm outside the city.” I answered him.

Mother laughed, “Why would we ever let you be wed to a no name farmer! Especially one who would think that (points the ring) would be acceptable in our family.” 

At that point I couldn’t take it anymore. “I never asked for your permission! This is my life and I am not going to marry some washed up banker for you or for any money! My whole life I have been forced to do everything for you, and now that is going to change!” Before they could respond, I ran upstairs as fast as I could, making sure not to trip on my long dress.

 Peter and I made a plan on how I would escape my parents. I grabbed my little brown trunk, and rushed back downstairs. Before my Mother and Father could stop me, I ran outside and saw Peter and his carriage waiting for me. As we took off, I caught a glimpse of a bright orange flash in the front window. 

Peter and I met around a year ago, at the downtown market. He was selling some of his crop, and it all set off from there. He owned a quaint farm a few kilometers outside the city. 

Peter glanced over at me with his charming smile, “I’m so happy we can do this Victoria! It’s a dream come true! You are finally free of your parents!” He gave me a quick peck on the lips. 

“Hopefully,” I replied with uneasiness. The whole time I was observing the verdant scenery. The smell of those bright and blooming daisies wafted in the air, as well as the stench of manure. Dark green grass, contrasting with the baby blue sky, stretched as far as the eye could see. It was beautiful. 

“We are almost here,” Peter said. 

As soon as we rode over a hill, I could spot dark grey smoke rising in the sky. Peter noticed it too, and had a worried expression on his face.  

“Do you know where the smoke is coming from?” I questioned. He didn’t respond. Oh no. Was it the farm? 

“We better hurry,” he said with a worried tone. The carriage picked up speed, and soon we came to what was once the Bradford farm. The fire was blazing, eating up my freedom and future. The orange reflected in my eyes, replacing the once vibrant green. Peter’s family, who also lived on the farm, were using buckets of water to tame the flames. I immediately started to help them.

I woke up to the warm, morning light filtering into my bedroom. The whole house was quiet, which was unusual for my family. “Peace before the storm,” I said to myself, because after breaking news to my parents, there would definitely be no peace. While stepping out of my plush, cozy bed, the cold winter air hit me. Brrrrr. Once I got out of bed, there was no going back to my only moments of peace until the sun set. The memories of last night started to unfold as I quickly packed my trunk with all of my necessary belongings. I then set it by the door leading out to the hall. 

Immediately, I changed out of my nightgown and into my “armor” as I liked to call it. I straightened my back and glanced at the mirror observing what was in the reflection. The silver-rimmed mirror displayed the rich green dress, matching my emerald orbs. I tied my chocolate colored locks into a bun on the back of my head. Then, I slipped on my silver shoes, which were shinier than a pound coin. Finally, I gently inserted my diamond ring on the ring finger of my left hand, and smiled to myself. Even when the band had only the slightest bit of light shining on it, it still glowed as bright as the sun on a summer day. Again, looking at myself through the mirror, I smiled to myself. I whispered, “Today, I will finally be free.” 

I emerged from my bedroom and descended down the stairs, my velvet dress swishing at my feet. Before I even entered the dining room, I could smell the delicious aroma of ham and eggs. Quickly, I sat down at the large, oak table as a servant placed down the plate.

 “That’s strange,” I thought. “Where is the rest of the family?” 

The hustle and bustle of the downstairs kitchen could be heard, but no noise from the residents of the house. A strange sense of calmness overcame me. Rarely did I get a taste of this sereneness. Delicately, I ate my eggs and corn bread, savoring every bite. While I ate, I looked out the freshly polished window, and watched the people traveling about. Our three-story townhouse was in the heart of London. Hopefully, I would be moving out soon from the claustrophobic home I grew up in. The closeness of the other townhouses was always squeezing, choking, and suffocating. 

My dream has always been to move out of the crazy city and live somewhere with more freedom and space, like the countryside. I could just imagine the green rolling hills, and little farms dotting the horizon. Suddenly, my fantasies were interrupted by the front door slamming open, and the sound of my parents excited chatter. 

“When she finds out, she will be so excited!” I could hear my mother shout. I was positive they were talking about me, and my gut feeling told me I wouldn’t be happy like they expected.  

“Darling, where are you?” my mother called.

“I am in the dining room,” I said back. They burst into the room with beaming smiles covering their faces. Mother was wearing an obnoxious bright orange dress, like a hot fiery inferno. 

“Victoria, you are going to be wed!” Father cried out. I looked at them with dismay. How could they have found out about Peter and I already? And why are they so enthusiastic about all of this? That was the exact opposite reaction from what I expected. 

“Oh darling, he even already gave you the ring! How romantic!” my mother and father rushed to admire my ring finger before I could utter a word.

“But the diamond is so small! Why, a man as affluent as he should put a bigger stone on your finger!” Father said with distaste. I immediately yanked back my hand. 

Lashing back, I yelled “What gave you the idea that he was wealthy! And I don’t need a gaudy ring to represent my marriage!” 

Father chuckled. “Of course Robert Harrington has money! What a silly-” 

“Robert Harrington? You mean the old man who owns the bank on main street? You are seriously expecting me to marry him?! He’s already gone through two wives and he’s Catholic!”

“Now, now darling. Let’s calm down. Why is this a surprise when he already gave you the ring?” Mother said.

“Robert Harrington did not give me this ring and I will never consider marrying him! In fact, Peter Bradford kindly gave me this ring!”

Mother and Father both had puzzled looks on their faces. “Who is this Mr. Bradford fellow?” Father questioned, while he peered down at me from those ugly glasses of his. 

“He owns a farm outside the city.” I answered him.

Mother laughed, “Why would we ever let you be wed to a no name farmer! Especially one who would think that (points the ring) would be acceptable in our family.” 

At that point I couldn’t take it anymore. “I never asked for your permission! This is my life and I am not going to marry some washed up banker for you or for any money! My whole life I have been forced to do everything for you, and now that is going to change!” Before they could respond, I ran upstairs as fast as I could, making sure not to trip on my long dress.

 Peter and I made a plan on how I would escape my parents. I grabbed my little brown trunk, and rushed back downstairs. Before my Mother and Father could stop me, I ran outside and saw Peter and his carriage waiting for me. As we took off, I caught a glimpse of a bright orange flash in the front window. 

Peter and I met around a year ago, at the downtown market. He was selling some of his crop, and it all set off from there. He owned a quaint farm a few kilometers outside the city. 

Peter glanced over at me with his charming smile, “I’m so happy we can do this Victoria! It’s a dream come true! You are finally free of your parents!” He gave me a quick peck on the lips. 

“Hopefully,” I replied with uneasiness. The whole time I was observing the verdant scenery. The smell of those bright and blooming daisies wafted in the air, as well as the stench of manure. Dark green grass, contrasting with the baby blue sky, stretched as far as the eye could see. It was beautiful. 

“We are almost here,” Peter said. 

As soon as we rode over a hill, I could spot dark grey smoke rising in the sky. Peter noticed it too, and had a worried expression on his face.  

“Do you know where the smoke is coming from?” I questioned. He didn’t respond. Oh no. Was it the farm? 

“We better hurry,” he said with a worried tone. The carriage picked up speed, and soon we came to what was once the Bradford farm. The fire was blazing, eating up my freedom and future. The orange reflected in my eyes, replacing the once vibrant green. Peter’s family, who also lived on the farm, were using buckets of water to tame the flames. I immediately started to help them.

After a few long hours, the fire died, but along with it my dreams. I sunk down on my knees, defeated. I thought back to my mother and her blazing dress. I couldn’t escape the fire. 

I did not really have any inspiration for this story, except that I wanted to write about something that I haven’t written about previously. I picked England for the setting because I’ve always wanted to go there, and think it is very beautiful. Also, I chose to have it take place in the 1800s because I have never written about something during that time. Overall, it was a fun piece to write and I enjoyed the process.

---

May 22

“We better hurry home before the rain gets harder!” Dad said to me after the graduation ceremony finally winded down. I glanced outside the window, and saw the rain pounding down on the sidewalk. Earlier that day there was only a 30 percent chance of rain, so it was a surprise when I heard the beating of rain coming from above me. Most of the families had already left, so I quickly said goodbye to my friends who were still there. My parents and I sprinted out to the car, every second getting even more wet. We piled into the car, soaked head to toe from the freezing rain. As we drove away, I took one last glance at Joplin High School. Little did I know that it would be the last time I would ever see that building again.

While in the car, I reflected on my high school career, and my future. I took out my diploma and stared at it for a few seconds. I thought about how lucky I was. I finally graduated high school and got accepted into my dream college! Everything almost seemed too perfect. 

The beating became harder. “Oh no!” I thought. “Is that hail?” The wind was gradually becoming faster now. “How did the forecast not predict this?” Mom yelled from the front seat. I craned my head around the driver’s seat and looked in front of me. All I could see was a few feet in front of the car, and the rest was gray. “We need to pull over and find shelter! The hail is-” Suddenly my dad was interrupted by the blaring sound of the tornado sirens. “Those darn sirens, always going off!” shouted Dad. Sirens went off all the time, so no one thought anything of it. The wind was really picking up then. Instantly, my dad slammed on the breaks. “What’s going on? Why has the traffic stopped?” I asked. Then my heart almost stopped beating. 

A few hundred feet ahead of me, a swirling funnel emerged from the gray void. “Tornado!” I yelled. At the same time, I saw a few people getting out of their cars running aimlessly. 

“Stay in the car and buckle your seatbelt!” Dad commanded. “There is nowhere for us to go, so it is safest to stay in the car and put your hands over your head.” I obeyed, but at the same time peeking out the window. Around me, I saw Main Street being torn apart by the beast. It would only be a matter of seconds before the tornado hit our car. Preparing for impact, I covered my head even more tightly. As the tornado contacted the car, all I could hear was wind rushing around me. People have compared the sound of a tornado to a train, and that was spot on. All I could remember before blacking out was our car rolling over and over. 

A few hours later, I woke up, disoriented. All once, everything came rushing back to me like a strong wave, and I realized our car was upside down. For the first time, I noticed was a piercing pain from my arm as if a thousand daggers were stabbing me. I looked down to see it covered in dark red blood. I knew that I had to get to the hospital fast. In the front seat, I could hear my parents whispering quietly. 

“Who knows when someone will uncover our car? It could be days!” Mom said with worry in her voice. 

“How’s Charlotte doing?” my Dad replied. He glanced back at me. 

“I’m awake” I croaked. Slowly I sat up, and panic overcame me.

I burst out “We need to get out of here!” I tried opening the car doors in the backseat, but to my disappointment, all the doors were jammed shut. There were pieces of debris blocking the doors. Somehow, our car was not completely smashed. “Well that’s just great!” I muttered.  The rubble blocked any view of the outside, so we were completely and utterly trapped. “How long have I been out?” I questioned. Mom told me they had been awake around an hour before I woke up. Then, gradually I fell back asleep.

Bang! Crash! Around a couple hours later I could hear machinery noises as well as sirens from outside of the car. “We’re saved!” I thought. I figured that since the tornado hit Main Street, the busiest street in town, there would be a lot of people in the cars that needed to be saved. Honnnk! Because our car was completely covered, honking the horn could let our rescuers know we were there. Suddenly, light filtered into the car. We immediately looked up to see a huge piece of wood being lifted. Dad pushed the sunroof open and we all pulled ourselves out to freedom.

I couldn’t believe my eyes when I surveyed my surroundings.  Everything was crumbled and in ruins. As I looked around in horror all I could think was “My perfect life, now destroyed in a matter of hours”. The only thing I could see still standing was a lone tree, surrounded by the wreckage. Battered and broken but still alive. It was a miracle that it wasn’t torn out of the ground and tossed aside like everything else. 

“We better hurry home before the rain gets harder!” Dad said to me after the graduation ceremony finally winded down. I glanced outside the window, and saw the rain pounding down on the sidewalk. Earlier that day there was only a 30 percent chance of rain, so it was a surprise when I heard the beating of rain coming from above me. Most of the families had already left, so I quickly said goodbye to my friends who were still there. My parents and I sprinted out to the car, every second getting even more wet. We piled into the car, soaked head to toe from the freezing rain. As we drove away, I took one last glance at Joplin High School. Little did I know that it would be the last time I would ever see that building again.

While in the car, I reflected on my high school career, and my future. I took out my diploma and stared at it for a few seconds. I thought about how lucky I was. I finally graduated high school and got accepted into my dream college! Everything almost seemed too perfect. 

The beating became harder. “Oh no!” I thought. “Is that hail?” The wind was gradually becoming faster now. “How did the forecast not predict this?” Mom yelled from the front seat. I craned my head around the driver’s seat and looked in front of me. All I could see was a few feet in front of the car, and the rest was gray. “We need to pull over and find shelter! The hail is-” Suddenly my dad was interrupted by the blaring sound of the tornado sirens. “Those darn sirens, always going off!” shouted Dad. Sirens went off all the time, so no one thought anything of it. The wind was really picking up then. Instantly, my dad slammed on the breaks. “What’s going on? Why has the traffic stopped?” I asked. Then my heart almost stopped beating. 

A few hundred feet ahead of me, a swirling funnel emerged from the gray void. “Tornado!” I yelled. At the same time, I saw a few people getting out of their cars running aimlessly. 

“Stay in the car and buckle your seatbelt!” Dad commanded. “There is nowhere for us to go, so it is safest to stay in the car and put your hands over your head.” I obeyed, but at the same time peeking out the window. Around me, I saw Main Street being torn apart by the beast. It would only be a matter of seconds before the tornado hit our car. Preparing for impact, I covered my head even more tightly. As the tornado contacted the car, all I could hear was wind rushing around me. People have compared the sound of a tornado to a train, and that was spot on. All I could remember before blacking out was our car rolling over and over. 

A few hours later, I woke up, disoriented. All once, everything came rushing back to me like a strong wave, and I realized our car was upside down. For the first time, I noticed was a piercing pain from my arm as if a thousand daggers were stabbing me. I looked down to see it covered in dark red blood. I knew that I had to get to the hospital fast. In the front seat, I could hear my parents whispering quietly. 

“Who knows when someone will uncover our car? It could be days!” Mom said with worry in her voice. 

“How’s Charlotte doing?” my Dad replied. He glanced back at me. 

“I’m awake” I croaked. Slowly I sat up, and panic overcame me.

I burst out “We need to get out of here!” I tried opening the car doors in the backseat, but to my disappointment, all the doors were jammed shut. There were pieces of debris blocking the doors. Somehow, our car was not completely smashed. “Well that’s just great!” I muttered.  The rubble blocked any view of the outside, so we were completely and utterly trapped. “How long have I been out?” I questioned. Mom told me they had been awake around an hour before I woke up. Then, gradually I fell back asleep.

Bang! Crash! Around a couple hours later I could hear machinery noises as well as sirens from outside of the car. “We’re saved!” I thought. I figured that since the tornado hit Main Street, the busiest street in town, there would be a lot of people in the cars that needed to be saved. Honnnk! Because our car was completely covered, honking the horn could let our rescuers know we were there. Suddenly, light filtered into the car. We immediately looked up to see a huge piece of wood being lifted. Dad pushed the sunroof open and we all pulled ourselves out to freedom.

I couldn’t believe my eyes when I surveyed my surroundings.  Everything was crumbled and in ruins. As I looked around in horror all I could think was “My perfect life, now destroyed in a matter of hours”. The only thing I could see still standing was a lone tree, surrounded by the wreckage. Battered and broken but still alive. It was a miracle that it wasn’t torn out of the ground and tossed aside like everything else. 

I was immediately taken to the hospital because of my arm. Luckily the hospital was not destroyed by the tornado. While on the way all I could only think about how my life changed so drastically. The image of the lone tree flashed in my mind. Broken but still alive. 

My mom grew up in Joplin, Missouri where one of the biggest tornados in the country hit a few years ago. I wanted to write a story that would grab people’s attention and have some action in it, but still have a lot of knowledge on it. This was the perfect topic. Although my mom was not there to experience the tornado, many of her friends and relatives did, so I have heard many stories over the years concerning this topic. I very much enjoyed creating a character and coming up with a plot for this short story.