Life After Life - 8 Hours To Live

It really didnt seem like a day we were all going to die on even the dogs were layed out under a tree. Seemed almost like a day and a half actually. I woke up planning on gettting some gas and groceries, never before would i enter a day like this in my entire life. As i was cruising the city to find a gas station the erie feeling came over me, it was a ghost town. Where did everyone go, just a few sitting in stations pushing on buttons on the pump with a look of fear in the eye. Little did i know how much worse it would get. My first encounter was at the shell station by my house, there were multiple cars sitting at pumps but not pumping gas. As i approached the group i began to see and feel the fear, they felt death at their doorstep if they didnt react and get out of dodge, but it was too late for most. The gas is gone now and most of the 280k of this small town took heed except for our samll group, and we were on a hunt. A search that could end in death for my entire family if i didnt succeed. The hours ahead would be a tipping point in my life and many others, i still shudder to this day thinking i almost killed my entire family.

I know what your thinking, dumbass deserved to die. But trying to leave a town while a cat 5 is moving in aint no easy feat folks. It was 9 am or so and we all packed up, even the lazy dogs got in the truck. We used to rely on the horses to tell us when the water was going to rise, they did and it scared the shit out of all of us. As we were leaving the property early that day we decided just to run up in one field and see how high the horses got, not good. They left our fenced area to get to a higher point 1 mile away and were in a fit when i got too them. When i got up amongst them they rushed around me like they were protecting me naying like crazy, i took it as feed us before you leave. So i did. We love our animals and would die for them and damn sure almost did on that windy rainy day in October.

Anyone ever say to you somethin is gold, well gas is gold and gas is life, if not for my find eventually gas would have meant death.Death is a strange word, we use it alot but never really understand the demands death puts on you. The seperation of fear and firver the combining of godly thoughts and negative thoughts rushing around the brain is a disturbing play on anyones thought process. Who on earth ever thought i would die, i didnt my kids didnt and my wife didnt but as the day and the hours spent its light rain and wind we felt death creep right up to our liitle families doorstep. The knock of death is not loud, death doesnt mean to scare you just take you. Truthfully, i think the mind dies before the body in these circumstances, the inate abilities falter and the stark reality begins to control the mind.

Who's to say why, but it was my moment in time with god.
The look as i drove was bleak, people standing around in shutdown gas staions looking to passers by who had gas and heading for the highway, lifes highways was so real for those sitting in fear. Many had children piled in back, dogs in crates on top, literally stuff sticking out he windows. They were lifes moments and memories shoved into a 4 by 8 trailer only to sit 5 miles from home, never to move again. Many memories were lost, over a hundred along the beach in bolivar were in my dreams that night, i knew they stayed and i listened to them begg hours later to leave on the shortwave, but it was too late most were lost and only a few were found floating on doors and barrels. They too
sat in my moment in time but they died sitting with me.
They died and the moment i knew, was the moment i knew.
Its time to find life after life, that precious smell of gasoline never smelled so good.

So i went back out, looking for life after life. I took my pistol the second time, my first trip around town let me know were dealing with something here thats serious and i had to protect myself and my family. As i scanned the groups at stations i noticed people piled up around one guy pumping gas, what, i thought to myself there is gas there.
As i pulled in i saw the fear in the eyes again, all but one had it and the guy pumping was the all but one. I slowly approached and asked, how are you gettting gas.
He said they will take debit cards at the pump, and my heart dropped into my stomache as i reached fro my wallet.
I had credit cards and cash, i prepared but just didnt leave.Now we can leave im getting gas, my attitude changed instantly my tears were puddled in my eye sockets and i began to shake in joy.

Your probably thinking he got out, he didnt and his family didnt either. They all almost died in that one bathroom house they were all raised in, 1200 square foot of prison for the next 8 hours we lived the wrath of hurricane ike.
110 mile per hour wind and both our oak trees sitting in our living room with yes me pinned underneathe screaming in pain for 8 hours while my children and wife watched me die, trapped in a prison of doom and horror.

My stories are real, my pain is gone now but the memories of life after life still haunt me to this day. My family has done well, we've redone the house and the trees. But the blood stains in the hardwood floors were left to remind us. Never underestimate the power of god.