we were in junior high science class with mr shoemaker on the afternoon of the tornado. the desks were facing the blackboard; the bay of windows was behind us. someone was daydreaming, and caught the green tinge of the sky in his peripheral vision. soon the whole class was turned around, whispering about the coming storm. we could feel it in the air, and we could definitely see it in the clouds.
i later thought mr shoemaker could have seized the moment and taught us a think or two about meteorology. instead he was annoyed by the distraction, and told us firmly to turn around and pay attention to his lecture.
it was less than five minutes later that the hail started, pounding the roof of the school and threatening to shatter the windows. five minutes after that, the town's emergency sirens sounded from the distance, followed by the school's tornado alarm. we filed out of the room and headed for the downstairs hallway--where sat on the floor and put our hands over our heads surrounded by glass trophy cases praying the tornado would pass us by. it did, but by less than a quarter of a mile.
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