Blue Ridge Community College - Doubling Yearbook (Weyers Cave, VA)

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August 23 Rain - but from where? The sun has been shining brightly, no warning, not even thunder. The hum of my mower stops and there is a queer feeling in the pit of my stomach. Bert puts the mower away and I get the boys from the pool. Something tells me to take Mac home now and to get back to my family - quickly. The rain increases steadily. Clouds gather with such density that it suddenly seems nearly dark. This ominous feeling! I wish it would go away. The girls finally arrive, what a relief I They have had difficulty getting home; water is already over the high- way in places. Even though they are safely home the gnawing anxiety won't leave me. The river which has sung soft lullabies all summer is becoming an angry, snarling monster. The huge window that has framed the tranquility of a peaceful stream, now is my guardpost. I cannot sleep. I have never heard such relentless pounding rain. The pounding of my heart seems to blend into the noise of the storm. I can stand it no longer. As I approach the window, I am stunned! The sky! I have never seen anything like this before; it is charged with electricity! I hear no thunder, just a deafening roar. The river! It IS at out back door. I must get Bert up. The children, it is within six feet of their bedroom! I move like a robot. The children first - and then as many valuables as possible. The water begins to creep up my ankles. As I work, I watch its steady climb up the wall. Mary, Bert calls and as we reach the front of the house , Bert stops short. I see what he sees and I think my heart will stop! We are surrounded by the angry river. Bert carries Jay as we link hands to wade to higher ground . I sit with my children through a night that seems an eternity, praying for daylight to come and the rain to stop. This is a night I will never forget. The mud, the stench, the roar, the anxiety, is burned into my soul forever. Mary Jo Hawkins Second Place Miscellaneous Category . 95

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Illustration by Mr. Wayne Liskey 94

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96 i remember when the skies were blue i remember when the seas were blue 500 i remember when the meadows were green and the clouds could be seen once in a while it7s a good thing i can remember Brenda Bocock Honorable Mention Poetry Category