Narrative - The storm

The wind howled like a wolf leaving echoes. Lightning licked across the night-like sky. A giants saliva soaking the dull clouds. The Earth began to shatter. I wasn’t going to give up this time. I was working with the rescue team. My goal was to save people from the disastrous storm. To be more noticeable I wore glow in the dark gear. The word impossible never went through my mind, until Hurricane Irma passed by…

The rain harshly blurred my eyesight. With the speed of the wind going around 185 mph, Trees swayed generating a powerful noise. Screams from children were heard from afar. It was impossible. Impossible for me to yell out to them. The strong wind decreased the volume of my words although I still had hope. The children came to my sight. Joy came to my senses for about 1 second until they disappeared. I smelt fear. Frustration and worry overflowed my mind. Where were these children? I needed to get to them. As soon as possible.

I accelerated like a cheetah suddenly stumbling upon even heavier rain. I carried a backpack with emergency supplies. Quickly looking for my torch, I turned it on and flashed it everywhere trying to get a sign from the kids. Sadly there was no luck.

Since I was running out of options, I quickly grabbed a rope that I spotted on the sidewalk and  threw it as far as I could. It took around two minutes until my rope became uneasy. With all the strength I had embodied earlier, I pulled and pulled. My eyes gazed at the deceased body. I screamed in fright and horror. Quickly, I pulled the rope and let the poor stranger drift out in the sea. My mind was so attached to the person that I forgot about the children. I quickly snapped back to reality and thought about options while running.

I was now running for two hours. All of my thoughts were enough to make me faint. I was running out of breath. However I wasn’t about to give up. I was committed to the team and I wasn’t going to let them down. I was about to stay determined and find them. As I was accelerating through the air I reached a very over flooded area. I then spotted a jet-ski in the distance. Without hesitation I swam like a fish to the jet-ski. Luckily there was a key already in its place! I started the engine and rode through the water like a professional. It was getting late so I adjusted the light to its highest level. To make the light stronger I added my torch and started to move around. Suddenly I heard a slight scream. So quiet I couldn’t even figure where it came from. It started getting louder as I was getting closer. Finally!

I had found the children! The terrified girl shouted, “Over here!”. She waved desperately towards me. To acknowledge her I sped through the water creating a loud noise. When I got to them they were all alone sitting on a rugged mattress drifting through the cold mid air.

I went as fast as I could to reach them. Because there were three children I had one of them sit on my lap to expand the space. It took us three devastating hours discovering the bodies trapped between water and bricks. When we reached the air force it must have been a coincidence. Their parents were also saved by one of  my fellow team members. It felt heart warming to witness them reuniting with one another.

The Mum of the three children said, “Thank you so much! I really appreciate your work!”. I could immediately tell she was relieved.

I think that being able to save someone was very special. Even though it took the world's biggest storm to save them, it was worth it. I strongly believe that sacrificing your own life for somebody else makes you a true hero.