The Deluge

Exhausted, Kendra leaned back against the tree. The quiet of the night surrounded her, and in the distance she could see a small orange glow here and there of fires set by those who had been forced to leave their homes and set up camp in this park.         She closed her eyes, rested her arms on her knees, and put her head down on her arms, cushioned by the sweatshirt she wore. The sweatshirt smelled …

…that this is the end.'         The three young people knelt next to the dying man. Kendra held both his hands, and Colin put his hand on the man's knee. Nathan's hand rested on the man's shoulder.         Kendra's father breathed slowly a few more times. She put her mouth to his ear. 'I love you. I love you,' she whispered. Her father slumped. The heavy book slid off his lap and onto the floor.