DISCLAIMER: The Young Riders is the creation of Ed Spielman, and the property of Ogiens/Kane productions in association with MGM/UA television. This Story is created for entertainment purposes only, no infringement intended. Not to be copied without permission from the author.
They all stood on the porch and watched as Teaspoon boarded the door closed, fighting against the winds and the debris that was flung at them, but despite the personal danger, it was almost as if they were unwilling to leave the building that had been home to them for so long.
“C’mon we’d better get back to the house before this wind gets any worse.” Rachel called worried for her young friends.
“What about the horses?” Kid called trying to be heard over the screaming winds, his eyes full of worry for the other woman in his life, Katy.
“They’ll be fine Kid, they’re safer in the barn, if need be we will let them run free, but at the moment they are safer there.’ Teaspoon yelled back, holding his hat on and urging them to leave the bunkhouse.
Teaspoon called to them over the howling winds to be careful of the flying debris watching while a large chunk of wood from the corral fence nearly hit Jimmy, as it flew past him at head height. He remained standing on the edge of the porch as they all began to make their way back to the main house, watching to make sure they were all moving before he himself stepped off the porch and followed them to safety.
The seven of them struggled against the wind, Kid protectively pulling Lou tighter into his embrace, she struggled to place one foot in front of the other as they pushed into the wind that seemed to have doubled in intensity since they had crossed to the bunkhouse. Teaspoon put his arm around the shivering Rachel’s shoulders and pulled her closer to him as they struggled across to her home
“What about the Townsfolk Teaspoon?” Rachel called against the wind
“I just hope that they saw sense and managed to board up their homes” he answered
“And if they didn’t?” she asked more quietly
“I hope they made their peace with their gods” he spoke watching the dawning of realisation on Rachel’s face of the severity of their situation.
It seemed to take an eternity but when they finally reached the house and struggled inside they all breathed a sigh of relief. The wind had lashed them all with sand, dirt and small pieces of flying debris, the grit burning their eyes and stinging their skin. The thing that concerned Teaspoon more then any physical injuries at the moment was the fact that this was uncharted emotional territory for all of his riders, he could see the fear, no almost panic on all their faces at the moment and he really was unsure of how they might cope with what he knew was about to come. He knew that all of them could handle themselves, and handle themselves well against both human and animal assailants, but he wasn’t quite sure how any of them would handle the angry fury of mother nature.
Realising the severity of the weather that enshrouded them, the sky an angry, broiling grey green maelstrom, Teaspoon quickly herded them toward the basement, hoping that the worst of the weather had already passed them, but knowing that he was wrong as he heard the hailstones begin to pelt the roof.
“What’s that?” the riders called almost in unison their eyes as wide as a child’s on Christmas morning.
“Hail” Teaspoon spoke loudly trying to be heard over the commotion outside.
They all rushed to one of the boarded windows trying to get a glimpse of this new phenomenon, watching as clumps of smooth ice pounded against the walls and porch, completely obliterating the small flower garden that Rachel had managed to cultivate. Huge balls of ice, the size of the baseball that Teaspoon still occasionally brought out to entertain the boys.
The sounds of smashing glass from upstairs startled all of them, Teaspoon now really worried about their well being tried to make them all go down the steps to Rachel’s basement, when suddenly Kid pulled free of Lou’s embrace and ran upstairs. The others watched as he took the steps two at a time racing upstairs obviously remembering something he had left up there. Kid returned, wet and windswept, his face pale, several minutes later, shaking his head when he met Teaspoon’s questioning glance, but triumphantly clutching the wedding pictures that they treasured, not only because of the significance of their union but because they were the last photos taken of Noah before his tragic death against his chest. He had been back only a few moments the pictures in hand, pulling Lou into his arms when a tremendous ripping noise sounded from above them.
“Get in the Basement now” Teaspoon roared over the creaking and snapping wood, as the roof seemed to open up above them, the bright outside light penetrating the ground floor of the house. Looking up the all saw, the top of the house being slowly peeled away by the gale force winds and lifted into the spinning winds that encircled the house.
Needing no further prompting, they ran towards the basement, the boys almost pushing Lou and Rachel down the steps before them, Teaspoon lingered behind them, making sure that his family was all safely enclosed in the small room that would become their home for the duration of the storm, before he pulled the door closed behind him and slipped the bolts across securing the door from the inside.
Turning, he looked into the faces of his family, then walked down the small staircase into the basement and sat with his back against a saddle beside Rachel, putting his arm around his shoulders he settled in to wait out the st
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