The sky is green and roaring like a freight train, almost louder than the siren, as a patter of hail pummels the siding. I sit at the old kitchen table in the basement, watching the tornado’s progress on my phone, and feel very alone. Outside, a transformer explodes, a loud bang to punctuate the lights going out. I click the flashlight; it casts a small circle of light. Debris collides with my home, the bangs echoing through the empty rooms above. I listen, thinking of dark houses abandoned, my neighbors hiding underground, clustered around their own dim circles of light.
Tammy Komoff's work has appeared in DreamForge Anvil, Abyss & Apex, All Worlds Wayfarer, and other magazines. For more information please visit tammykomoff.com.