Agnes and the Tornado

Chapter One

The Right Ingredients

A young girl about the age of ten was walking with her German Shepherd Willow. Her name was Agnes. She looked up at the sky.

“We might get some storms Willow,” she said, “it’s been pretty hot humid all day.” When she reached home, she looked back up at the sky. There were more clouds off to the West than before. And they were getting bigger. She went inside. Willow followed. Agnes walked into Dad’s study. Dad was a storm chaser Dad was sorting out pictures from their last storm chase. One picture showed how big the hail had been. Baseball sized hail. Another picture showed a bolt of lightning. The last one showed a tornado. That was the first tornado she had ever seen. It was amazing. She remembered Willow barking in fear. Next she remembered her Dad shouting, “ Look! A tornado!” The wind was rising and screaming.

“Agnes,” said Dad. Agnes turned her attention to Dad. “What’s up,” she said. “Look,” he pointed to the laptop. On the computer, a radar was on the screen. “Storms are forming off to the west,” he said, “Do you want to go on this one?”

Agnes nodded. “Can Willow come, too? Oh, please, let her come! She loved it so much.” Agnes gave her father a pleading look.

“Why not? She might like to get out, “said Dad with a smile. “We are leaving in fifteen minutes.” Agnes ran to her room and grabbed her storm chaser’s bag. She checked her bag to make sure she had everything in it. A pair of binoculars, a digital camera with a memory card, and some batteries, some trail mix, and raisins, a coil of rope, a first aid kit, and a flashlight. “Good,” thought Agnes, “Everything I need.”

“Agnes! Time to go!” yelled her dad from outside. Agnes threw on her backpack, said good-bye to her mom, grabbed the leash, called Willow, put the leash on Willow, and the two of them ran for Dad’s truck. Willow was put into the back and they were off! “Supercell, here we come!” said Dad.