Walking along the beach, late afternoon, I listen to the crashing of the waves. I look over the horizon, seeing the clouds approaching, seeing nothing but clouds. I know this hurricane is going to be a bad one, a Category 4 on a scale of 1-5, but the solitude and impending danger matches my mood. Knowing I still have a few hours before the storm hits, I keep walking, losing myself in the sounds of the waves and my own thoughts.

Master came home from work very angry. Something happened, I have no clue what, and I wasn’t sticking around to find out. I hauled out the door after getting Him a beer, hoping he calmed down soon. I look around realizing I’ve walked for miles so I turn around to go back and realize it’s been a while since I’ve left. The storm is much closer now. The calm is gone and the winds are picking up. I pick up my pace to try to get home before it hits getting scared now, knowing I don’t have much time and knowing as long as I’ve been gone Master will be getting worried. I still have a ways to go and it starts to rain. Hard pelting rain that stings as it hits due to the ferocity and the winds. The sand is blowing and stinging as it hits my arms and legs, hurting but not slowing down, needing to get home where it’s safe from the storm. I see someone walking up the beach and wondering who else is this nuts to be out walking in this storm. As the person gets closer I see it’s Master and see the relief in his face as I realize I’m not far from home now.

Then I see his relief turn to controlled anger. He grabs my arms and shakes me, gritting his teeth saying, “Where in the hell have you been?”

I look up, eyes wide, scared, saying, “I’m sorry, Sir. I lost track of the time. I didn‘t mean to make you worry, Sir.”

“Too late for that, I’ve been worried. Do you realize how long you’ve been gone?”

“No, Sir. I just went for a walk and got lost in my thoughts, Sir.”

“You’ve been gone over 3 hours, what were you thinking, going for a walk with a hurricane coming in?? Do you have a death wish?? They closed the road to the mainland and now we are stuck here to ride it out.”

Shaking as I realize the magnitude of what I’ve done and how frightened He must have been, how long I’ve been gone, and how much closer the storm is finally hits me, I look around to see how far we are from home. As the storm is quickly approaching and it being too far to get back to the house without risking life and limb we decide to find shelter in one of the nearby houses, and pray it holds up to the storm. The first house we come across doesn’t look very sturdy, so we decide to try the next house. This house looks a lot sturdier, and hopefully will withstand the storm. Master has to remove the plywood off the back door to get to the window, so we can get inside. Once inside I go looking for towels to dry off. Master starts searching to see what He can find for candles as the power has been shut off already just in case the lines go down. After we dry off as best we can I go searching for something to eat