Caught In The Storm – The Prologue

series 4 Minutes

BY EDWARD ONUOHA

18th April, 2005
Springfield Ohio, U.S.A

The night was dark and windy, and the persistent rain had finally softened to a drizzle. The sound of sirens could be heard from a mile away, wailing loudly over the tense scenery. The flashing red and blue lights were made into nothing more than smudgy illuminations under the rain, flickering incessantly above the white bodyworks of police cars and the screaming red of the ambulance that had come with them, all parked in front of the house. The Henderson home was now officially a crime scene.

Sonia sat at the back of the big red ambulance, her body nearly swallowed up by the huge blanket that hung over her shoulders. The colourful lights of the sirens blinked near her, taking turns in casting their blue-red hue over her pale face.

Her puffy red eyes kept staring into open space, registering nothing in their visual field, the horrid events of the last hour playing in her head. Her body stiffened as her soul recalled every gruesome detail; the sound of glass shattering, the sound of bullets ricocheting all over the room, the blood-curdling screams that followed, the way his eyes blazed with murderous intent, the colour red oozing out of a limp body.

Fear travelled through her veins as she relived the fresh memory repeatedly, but it never made it to her facial muscles. A sea of negative emotions drowned her soul, arresting her orientation to time and place.

Warm arms suddenly wrapped around her, pulling her out of the horrid replay. Startled, she shrieked as she turned abruptly, her heart racing unnaturally.

“Hey… it’s okay… it’s just me…It’s alright.” Her aunt whispered softly.

But Sonia’s chest kept heaving, her widened eyes revealing the deathly panic that embraced her.

“It’s okay, honey… you’re safe now. Just breathe…that’s it…breathe.” Her Aunt whispered, placing a hand on her shoulder.

Sonia’s breathing slowed, her tense body easing up slightly. Shifting her gaze slowly, she looked at her aunt, her body still trembling. Seeing the bruises on Helen’s face, she sank into a deeper level of pain. She shut her eyes tightly and nestled into the warmth of her aunt’s side, desperately clutching onto Helen’s arm like a scared infant. Helen recieved her into a full cradle, holding her protectively while she sobbed.

“It’s alright, baby. It’s over… we’re gonna be alright.” Helen whispered, burying her niece’s head into her chest.

Jonathan slowly made his way towards the ambulance, carefully side-stepping the officers in his path. Reaching them, he gave his mum a worried look.

“How’s she doing?” He asked, gesturing to Sonia.

“She’ll be fine… we’ll all be fine.” Helen said protectively, pulling Sonia closer to herself.

“She’s too young… for all this. She’s just fifteen…” Jonathan muttered, sadly gazing at his cousin.

“Jonathan… I said she’ll be alright.” Helen replied firmly, trying desperately not to lose it herself.

“How are we gonna get through this?” Sonia asked softly, her voice still coarse from the sobs. Her body shivered feverishly as chills ran down her spine in waves; and they had nothing to do with the blistering cold.

“Don’t worry yourself about that, honey. As long as we’re alive… there’s hope.” Helen said softly, her voice warm and optimistic.

Sonia wished she could believe that. She wanted to believe it so badly. But the fear that plagued her soul required more than hopeful words. Terror had her tender heart in its tightened grip, leaving her mind floundering with various incomplete thoughts. All she wanted was to wake up from this nightmare, for the last two hours to be deleted permanently from her memory.

The gurney finally emerged from the house, pushed carefully by two paramedics. There was a black body bag strapped onto it, the body that was the reason for all the attention. The whole place went quiet, everyone’s eyes settled on the wheeled stretcher as it moved across the scene, giving off the chilly vibes of an unholy procession.

Watching the gurney approach the ambulance where they sat, Sonia’s heart leaped into her throat. She felt her throat close up, her breathing becoming more laborious as she slowly pulled away from her aunt’s hold. Turning to face Helen, she saw no grief in her aunt’s eyes, only simmering rage. She shifted her gaze to Jonathan, watching his bruised face wear the same incensed look.

Quietly, they moved away from the ambulance, silently watching the paramedics lift the gurney into the van. Sonia’s eyes never left the body bag until the back door of the ambulance was slammed shut.

At the sound of the doors slamming shut, reality finally dawned on her. It was over. He was actually gone. The fear that he would suddenly jerk back to life, that he would somehow survive had plagued her over the past hour. But he didn’t, there was no way he could have. She had watched in horror as the life drained from his eyes, she had watched his body spasm and grow limp. It was now certain; he was dead.

STAY TUNED!!!

Hey guys! I hope I’ve gotten your full attention with this teaser😁. Please leave a comment, and don’t forget to subscribe

Also, I’ve got good news! The first episode will be released on Saturday!💃🕺💃🕺

So watch this space!

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Published by Edward Onuoha

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57 thoughts on “Caught In The Storm – The Prologue”

  3. Oh wow Edward! This is amazing! This is a cliffhanger mehn, not a teaser lol.
    This was so well written! I’m excited for the next part, can’t wait!
    Very well done Edward, 👏🏾👏🏾👍🏾👍🏾👌🏾👌🏾🤝🤝

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    2. Expected nothing less. Amazing as always!!! 👌👌👏👏. I’m going to read episode 2 to find out what happened 🏃‍♀️🏃‍♀️🏃‍♀️

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  6. The story had me in its grip from the first paragraph. The words paint a vivid description in the mind of the reader.
    The story has a ‘chilly tone’ to it (I don’t like rainy days by the way 😁), but I love it. Well done 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

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  13. Feels like I was reading a Nora Roberts/John Grisham/Jeffrey Archer book

    Lovely intro Edward, Looking forward to the rest 💪🏾💪🏾💪🏾❤️

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  17. Lobatan!!
    I wonder what to expect if this is just a teaser. I’m thankful Saturday is just few hours from now because I’m itching to read the full story.

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  31. Wowww! Guy you have gotten my FULL attention. Your choice of words is just so sleek. I can’t wait to know what happened afterwards… 😔💔

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