Hurricane Song by Paul Volponi

Author:Paul Volponi
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Penguin Young Readers Group
Published: 2010-03-01T05:00:00+00:00

7

And when the moon turns red with blood

When the moon turns red with blood

Lord, how I want to be in that number

When the moon turns red with blood

Monday August 29, 9:48 P.M.

The later it got, the tighter the stands became packed with people. The lights kept fading lower, and my eyes were constantly trying to adjust. I was just hoping to sleep. The storm outside sounded like it was easing up, and my stomach was howling worse than the wind now. Except for a few candy bars, I hadn’t eaten any real food since before we got to the Superdome on Sunday morning.

It was closing in on ten o’clock when a fire broke out two sections over. I smelled the smoke before I saw the flames. Then I opened my mouth, but Pop found his tongue first.

“Fire! Miles, everybody up!” he yelled.

Pop grabbed his horn with one hand, and me with the other.

We all shot to our feet, rushing in different directions, and couldn’t get out of each other’s way. Everybody between the fire and us was scrambling, too. Most of them were pushing right towards us, climbing over the rows of seats. We got jammed up hard and couldn’t move. I felt the weight of them pinning me, till I almost couldn’t breathe. It was like fighting to keep my head above water inside of one big black wave.

I’d never been so scared or felt so small.

Uncle Roy slipped down, and I stepped square on his back by accident. That’s when I felt that guinea pig go flying past my feet.

Pop had a death grip on my arm and wouldn’t let go for anything. But I couldn’t tell if he was keeping me up or dragging me down with him. And just when I thought I was going under for sure, that bottleneck busted loose and we finally broke free, spilling out into the aisle.

Two men beat down the flames with the shirts off their backs.

When the fire was out, and everything was safe, Pop pried his fingers loose from my arm. I could feel the bruises raising up where his nails had dug into me.

“You all right?” Pop asked, with his horn still clutched in his other hand.

Before I could answer, Fess, who was holding his ribs on the left side, said, “This Superdome ’bout to kick me senseless, Doc.”

So Pop and Uncle Roy helped him back down the steps and left me where I was standing.

A woman in the corridor started screaming “Rat!” as she tried to stomp that guinea pig dead with the heel of her shoe. It jumped back and even showed its teeth. Then I saw it jet past her and streak down the hall, running for its life.

People were whispering that thugs had started the fire, trying to shake folks down. But it had happened too far away to know for sure.

The soldiers never showed up to check on what happened, and after everybody got settled in again, the fire alarm went off.

ERT! .

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