short story version #1

Short story version #1

It was the hottest day of the summer, which unfortunately was drawing to a close as a sleepy silence fell over the small, red farm on Hillshire meadow. The animals that usually roamed the meadow had retreated to their shaded shelters, in order to escape the increasing glare of the sun, while putting all their faith into a nonexistent breeze. All that was left outside to bask in the increasing heat were two teenage siblings lying flat on their backs in the long, uncut grass.
Tom the younger of the two siblings was a tall, but skinny sixteen year old boy with freckles and curly hair. As Tom turned to look at his sister Lanett, an intelligent nineteen year old girl, with the wisdom and maturity of an adult, he whispered, “Why do you think she hasn’t called for us yet”. Lanett sat in silence, then turned to Tom and said, “I think we should go check on her”, as Tom immediately nodded his head in agreement.
The two quickly made their way home. As they stepped through the door, they saw their grandmother’s lifeless body on the floor. Lanett quickly ran over to her side, as Tom stood frozen in fear, with different scenarios of what had happened running wild through his mind. “Tom”, Lanett cried, “she’s not dead, so get over here and help me get her off the floor”, and with those words a wave of relief came over Tom as he helped Lanett get their grandmother onto her bed. Lanett, using the skills she had obtained as a former nurse, checked her grandmother’s vital signs and was quickly able to tell what was wrong. Lanett slowly, with a look of anguish turned to her brother and said, “I…., Tom she has influenza “. Tom, feeling a sharp pain in his chest, fell to the floor, remembering that his parents were killed by the same disease now threatening to take away their last remaining relative. Tom looked up at Lanett with a look of pain on his face and said in a low tone, “how”, Lanett turned to him and replied, “I don’t know, but you’ve heard it on the radio haven’t you”, “heard what Tom replied”, Lanett looked into his eyes with a look of frustration and said, “the news of all the people catching influenza and dying”.