My watch says 6:05 PM.
The garage is still and dark. I can hear neighbors in the street talking, trying to figure out what just happened.
The flashlight battery is freshly charged, so the light is bright and fills the garage. I work my way around the wedding stuff and pull the emergency release cord on the garage door opener. The door is heavy and difficult to lift, but once moving, it easily slides to the top of the track.
The air seems to vibrate with a dull hum. About 20 people mill around in the street and yards nearby, trying to get a view of the sky. I go back in the garage, grab my ladder and lean it against the front of the house.
There was definitely an explosion. I can see a huge plume of black smoke and flames that must be over 100 feet tall. It looks to be somewhere along I-35, probably near 38th Street. I can’t tell if it is on the East or West side of 35.
It doesn’t look like a building fire… more like a jet flame. I think I can hear the roar.
Maybe a gas line?
“We still have a downtown?”
Tom startles me and I have to sit quickly to keep from falling off the roof.
Tom lives across the street with his wife. I don’t typically socialize with my neighbors, but he and I have had a few conversations about the yard and house upgrades.
“Looks like a gas line blew somewhere along 35. Come take a look.”
I wave him up the ladder.
“Jesus.”
We are both hypnotized by the flame and smoke.
My watch says 6:15.
Monday, November 30, 2009
day 1, part 4
Trish isn’t home yet, but I chalk that up to the ongoing traffic problems. Check my phone, but still no signal. Hopefully she’s alright.
The cat is wound up… running and jumping around the house like he is chasing bugs. Gives me a needed laugh as I head out back to check on the dog.
“Babu?”
I see her head peek around the gate of her pin.
“Come on, kiddo. Let’s get you some fresh water.”
She cautiously walks across the yard; tail tucked, eyes locked on me.
“What’s the problem, pup?”
I squat to her level and start to scratch her ears. She immediately relaxes and pushes herself closer to me.
She knows something is off today; should have paid attention before I left the house.
My watch says 5:57 PM.
“Let’s go inside and get you some food”
I dump her water bowl into the yard and head for the door.
I don’t know how to explain the noise… I remember as a kid there was an explosion at (I think) a refinery that could be heard for miles around Longview. Our house was 15 or so miles outside of town, but I remember my mother or father saying that they thought the chimney had fallen. It was a single BOOM similar to the sound of a sonic boom; only much, much louder.
It lasts all of a second, but I feel the sound pressure in my chest as the air pushes out of my lungs. My ears immediately begin to ring and my eyes begin to water. The windows on the porch and kitchen shatter in their frames.
I stumble to the ground, gasping for air. It’s like the world has gone silent and still. My head swims as I try to comprehend what just happened. I can faintly hear the dog barking; sounds like she is miles away. Shake my head to clear the cobwebs.
What the hell?
The dog has gone nuts; sprinting around the yard, just barking.
“BABU! INSIDE! NOW!”
I pull fresh air into my lungs and fight off the urge to panic.
I pull open the back door and shove her inside. The slamming door causes the remaining glass in the back window to fall out of the frame into her kennel.
“Babu, go to your mat.”
I point to her padded mat made of egg crate foam.
She slinks over and lies down. She looks calmer, but her eyes are still wild and she is shaking. Her kennel is closed and latched, so I’ll worry about the glass later. I grab a chair from the table and lay it on its side in front of the bigger pieces along the back wall.
“Yaji?”
I look around for the cat.
He’s in the corner of the back guest bedroom under the bed, and refuses to come out. He’ll be fine for now. I’ll get some treats and see if I can’t coax him out in a bit.
The cat is wound up… running and jumping around the house like he is chasing bugs. Gives me a needed laugh as I head out back to check on the dog.
“Babu?”
I see her head peek around the gate of her pin.
“Come on, kiddo. Let’s get you some fresh water.”
She cautiously walks across the yard; tail tucked, eyes locked on me.
“What’s the problem, pup?”
I squat to her level and start to scratch her ears. She immediately relaxes and pushes herself closer to me.
She knows something is off today; should have paid attention before I left the house.
My watch says 5:57 PM.
“Let’s go inside and get you some food”
I dump her water bowl into the yard and head for the door.
I don’t know how to explain the noise… I remember as a kid there was an explosion at (I think) a refinery that could be heard for miles around Longview. Our house was 15 or so miles outside of town, but I remember my mother or father saying that they thought the chimney had fallen. It was a single BOOM similar to the sound of a sonic boom; only much, much louder.
It lasts all of a second, but I feel the sound pressure in my chest as the air pushes out of my lungs. My ears immediately begin to ring and my eyes begin to water. The windows on the porch and kitchen shatter in their frames.
I stumble to the ground, gasping for air. It’s like the world has gone silent and still. My head swims as I try to comprehend what just happened. I can faintly hear the dog barking; sounds like she is miles away. Shake my head to clear the cobwebs.
What the hell?
The dog has gone nuts; sprinting around the yard, just barking.
“BABU! INSIDE! NOW!”
I pull fresh air into my lungs and fight off the urge to panic.
I pull open the back door and shove her inside. The slamming door causes the remaining glass in the back window to fall out of the frame into her kennel.
“Babu, go to your mat.”
I point to her padded mat made of egg crate foam.
She slinks over and lies down. She looks calmer, but her eyes are still wild and she is shaking. Her kennel is closed and latched, so I’ll worry about the glass later. I grab a chair from the table and lay it on its side in front of the bigger pieces along the back wall.
“Yaji?”
I look around for the cat.
He’s in the corner of the back guest bedroom under the bed, and refuses to come out. He’ll be fine for now. I’ll get some treats and see if I can’t coax him out in a bit.
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