The Panic – Part Two

  As Petra hopped into her jeep, she thought about taking a walk on the beach with her morning coffee.  It was one of those days where she just wanted to be present in the moment and enjoy the ocean air.  She began backing out of the driveway slowly while she slid in her favorite CD. Suddenly, she was startled by someone blasting their horn non-stop. She looked up quickly to see a familiar old red pickup truck speeding down the road past the driveway.  It was Mr. Redding with his old dog.

 

            “Huh, Petra thought. I wonder what has him in such a hurry.”  Mr. Redding lived further up the mountain and was usually very friendly.  He would at the very least give Petra and her parents a big smile and a wave as he drove by the house or saw them around town.  Today, he didn’t even look at Petra as he drove by.  He was staring straight ahead with a most serious face.  Petra hoped everything was okay with Stanley, his old dog. He had been taking him to the vet quite often for the past couple of months.

 

With music blasting and the sun warming her on the cool early winter day, Petra started to make her way down the mountain.  She began to notice her neighbor’s homes as she wound her way down.  It looked like everyone was either lounging inside or out and about. She wished her parents were with her today.  It would have been lovely to go shopping with her Mom or take a walk on the beach with her Dad.

 

As she neared the point that introduced a breath taking view of the ocean, Petra felt a sudden jolt of electricity rush through her entire body.  She slammed on the brakes and switched gears into park.  Something was happening and she finally realized what it was.

 

            “Unbelievable,” she thought.  “No communications, no warnings of any kind, not even a feeling of anything approaching at all.”  Petra sat breathless, heart pounding, adrenaline pumping as to what she might see when she rounded the corner.

 

            “What am I supposed to do in a situation like this?” she said out loud. “I haven’t been trained for this specific situation. How am I going to survive the panic!”  Petra knew she had to move quickly now and get on with the mission at hand.  She also knew there must be a reason for the public arrival.  “Something very important must have called for this,” she thought.  “It’s not supposed to be this way……..this soon.”

 

She slowly stepped on the accelerator and turned the corner.  She understood that her life would never be the same from that moment on and she didn’t want to face any of it.  She closed her eyes for a last few seconds of innocent peace, saying goodbye to her simple yet blissful life…….saying goodbye to her parents.