In the Clear

"You're tired and mentally drained, just call it a day already. It's cold and it's pouring outside, there's dozens of people  out there already, you won't make much difference anyway."

You look at yourself in the mirror, your eyes look weary. It's been a long day, you've had a lot of shit happen on your 18 hour shift and all you've been thinking about is getting home and away from this storm.

"No one will think any less of you if you do nothing and just go to bed. Today's been rough."

You lay down on the couch and it feels like the weight you've been struggling to carry all day has finally been alleviated. The light flickers as you stare at the ceiling and for a split second, a thought pops into your head, you can't quite grasp it yet but the image of a kid crying on a rooftop is emerging. The picture slowly builds in the back of your mind  and it begins to gnaw at you. 

You close your eyes and the scene is becoming clearer, the kid is crying for help on the top of a roof in the middle of a storm. You open your eyes and once again you are staring at the flickers of the light upon the ceiling. You can hear the heavy pitter patter of rainfall hitting your window and a long wail of wind as if it was a cry or a call for you to go help.

"You're not qualified to help, you'll only get in the way, leave it to the professionals, you're not thinking straight anymore."

You turn on the TV and the news is reporting the same thing it has been reporting all day. 'Massive flood on the outskirts of the city caused by storm."

"You're safe here, you are in the clear. The storm won't affect you here in your home. Just go to bed."

The power goes out, everything goes dark, everything inside goes silent, the sound of the storm is prominent as the thunder roars loudly. You close your eyes once again and the scene replays in your mind, the storm drowns out the cries for help, you see a man in the water desperately holding onto a tree as the flood tries to wash him away. It's the boy's father, he's trying to tell the boy something, "Just stay there! You'll be alright! Just stay where you are! I love you."

You recognise his face, it's very familiar and as you see him getting washed away by the violent water, you realise that it was your father. You scream and cry for someone to help, to save him, you don't care who, just anyone who can do something to save the person you love and respect most in the world. But no sound comes out no matter how hard you try, only the heavy pitter patter of rainfall, the wailing of the wind and the loud roars of thunder can be heard. 

The power returns to the room. You sit up on the couch and glance at the front door. The voice in the back of your mind speaks again.

"Are you really in the clear? Are you going?"