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Prologue

It would later be called one of the most violent storms in North Carolina history Because it occurred in 1999, some of the most superstitious citizens considered it an omen, the first step toward the end of time Others si like that would happen sooner or later In all, nine docu in the eastern part of the state, destroying nearly thirty homes in the process Telephone lines lay strewn across roads, transformers blazed without anyone to stop them Thousands of trees were felled, flash floods swept over banks of three ed forever with one fell swoop of Mother Nature

It had begun in an instant One minute it was cloudy and dark, but not unusually so; in the next, lightning, gale-force winds, and blinding rain exploded from the early summer sky The syste the state at nearly forty ency warnings, docu the storm's ferocity People who could took cover inside, but people on the highway, like Denise Holton, had no place to go Now that she was firmly in its midst, there was little she could do Rain fell so hard in places that traffic slowed to five miles an hour and Denise held the wheel hite knuckles, her face a mask of concentration At tih the windshield, but stopping hway behind her They wouldn't be able to see her car with ti the shoulder strap of the seat belt over her head, she leaned over the steering wheel, looking for the dotted lines in the road, catching a gli which she felt as if she were driving on instinct alone, because nothing was visible at all Like an ocean wave, rain poured across her windshield, obscuring nearly everything Her headlights seemed absolutely useless, and she wanted to stop, but where? Where would it be safe? On the side of the highway? People were swerving all over the road, as blind as she was Sheseehts in front of her, to the rearview mirror; she hoped and prayed that everyone else on the road was doing the sa that would keep the at all

Then, just as suddenly as it had started, the storain She suspected she'd reached the front edge of the syste Despite the slick conditions, cars began to speed up, racing to stay ahead of the front Denise sped up as well, staying with the even e and felt a knot form in her stoas to make it home

Minutes went by

The flow of traffic kept her vigilant Thanks to a new lanced at the dashboard again The needle on the gas gauge was deep into the red shaded area Despite her fears about staying ahead of the stor to conserve as left, hoping it would be enough Hoping to stay ahead of the storm

People began to race by, the spray against her windshield wreaking havoc with her wipers She pressed onward

Another ten h of relief Gas, less than a ed, rode in the right-hand lane, exited She stopped at the first open pump

She'd made it but knew the storm was still on its way It would reach this area within the next fifteen minutes, if not sooner She had time, but not a lot

As quickly as she could, Denise filled the tank and then helped Kyle out of his car seat Kyle held her hand as they went inside to pay; she'd insisted on it because of the number of cars at the station Kyle was shorter than the door handle, and as she walked in she noticed hoded it was It seehway had had the sarabbed a can of Diet Coke, her third of the day, then searched the refrigerators along the back wall Near the corner she found strawberry-flavoredlate, and Kyle loved milk before bedtime Hopefully, if she could stay ahead of the storm, he'd sleep most of the way back

By the time she went to pay she was fifth in line The people in front of her looked impatient and tired, as if they couldn't understand how it could be so crowded at this hour Sootten about the storm But from the looks in their eyes, she knew they hadn't Everyone in t

he store was on edge Hurry up, their expressions said, we need to get out of here

Denise sighed She could feel the tension in her neck, and she rolled her shoulders It didn't help ain In the aisles behind her, she heard a lanced over her shoulder The boy appeared to be about the sae as Kyle, four and a half or so Hison tightly to her son's arm The child stomped his foot

"But I want the cupcakes!" he whined

His h junk today"

"But you're getting so"

After a moment Denise turned away The line hadn't ? She peeked around those in front of her, trying to figure it out The lady at the cash register looked confused by the rush, and everyone in front of her, it seemed, wanted to pay with a credit card Anotherthe line by one By this tiot into line directly behind Denise, their argu

Denise put her hand on Kyle's shoulder He was sipping hisquietly She couldn't help but overhear the two people behind her

"Aw, c'mon, Mom!"

"If you keep it up, you'll get a swat We don't have time for this"

"But I'ry"

"Then you should have eaten your hot dog"

"I didn't want a hot dog"

And so it went Three custoister, opened her pocketbook, and paid with cash She kept one credit card for e change seelancing up at the digital nuument between mother and son continued unabated In tie and put her pocketbook away, then turned toward the door Knowing how hard it was for everyone tonight, she sh sometimes, aren't they?