"Then where are we supposed to go?"
"The caves."
"The caves? That's so far away."
"The storm won't get us in there."
"But by the time we get there-if we get there-we'll be drenched."
"You got a better idea?" He waited for a moment and then grinned. "I didn't think so."
"Give me a minute to think."
"This ought to be good."
Rebecca ignored him and closed her eyes. She tried to think of what Samantha would do in this situation. They needed somewhere close by that would be stronger than the dormitories. But there wasn't much else around, just the shops and kitchen and-
"The church."
"What?"
"The church should be safer. The walls are stone and the roof is much stronger."
David stared at her for a moment and then nodded. "That could work. Good job, Tubby."
"Don't call me that!"
"You sound like Wendy."
"Well maybe if you weren't such a bully people wouldn't have to say it."
"Let's just get the kids and go over there."
"Fine." Rebecca led the way back out to the dining room. She cleared her throat to try and get everyone's attention. Only Annie and a couple of the other girls looked her way.
"Everyone listen!" David barked. "We're getting out of here. Now."
"Where?" Wendell asked.
"To the church," Rebecca said.
"But it's not time for services."
"I know, but we'll be safer there. So, I want everyone to join hands and make one long chain. That way we can all stay together." The children seemed skeptical, but when David cleared his throat, they began to do it.
Within a few minutes, all of the children had joined hands. Rebecca had David's hand in one of hers and Annie's in the other. "Here we go, children," Rebecca said. "No matter what happens, keep a hold of those in front and behind. Don't go too fast. We want everyone to stay together."
David opened the front doors. He had only to slip the latch and the wind did the rest, the doors banging open. Some of the smaller children yelped at this. Annie tightened her grip on Rebecca's hand. "It's going to be all right!" Rebecca shouted over the wind.
The path from the dormitory to the church had turned to mud. Rebecca's shoes sank into the ground; the mud threatened to yank the shoes right off her feet. She had to struggle to get her feet to move. The smaller girls like Annie had an even more difficult time of it. Rebecca had to pull Annie's feet from the mud. At the same time rain and wind lashed at her, nearly blinding her.