I have taken my first glance out the window in, like, 30 seconds and noticed a leaf blowing around in my front lawn. I immediately went down to my storm bunker located 50 feet below my basement, got the entire family down there as well, made sure we had flashlights and water, enough to last us 57 weeks, and a twix bar. And here I sit now, waiting.

That leaf, blowing so swiftly around, could only mean one thing. Hurricane Irene is upon us. It's not every day that you see leaves blowing around, so I am sure that by now no one is above ground in Massachusetts. Anyone who is above ground is completely insane. Especially since I saw that leaf seven hours ago. By this time, I am sure that there is nothing left above ground. Things out here weren't meant to live through a hurricane. I will go outside in a few days, maybe a week to make it safe, to find what I expect to find: absolutely nothing. 

That leaf was blowing at at least 3 feet per minute. Those are some really strong winds, you know. To top it off, it was getting cloudy, which meant that the rain was almost upon us. At around 7:30 PM, the sky was growing darker, and darker, until it was black. I am sure that if I had not seen that leaf, I would be dead, along with my family. We must have had mere seconds before the sh*t hit the fan. I don't know who else got the lucky warning like I did. Phones don't work down here. Internet doesn't work unless you're on Newsvine or Buythisfreecrap.com. So I wait, hoping that the worst will be over when I venture outside for the first time. 

The countdown has started. In exactly 13 days, 22 minutes, and 56.70 seconds, I will emerge. Emerge to what I fear most: nothing.