State of Grace [E.Diaz]

ᴘʀᴏʟᴏɢᴜᴇ

PROLOGUE 

July 17th 2005

SHE GRIPPED THE HANDLE of the boat engine as she is pelted with rainwater, she couldn't see anything as the wind blindsided her left and right. Her ebony hair was soaked and her shorts clung to her body as they rode across the water. She grunt's frustrated as she look forward to a small teen that stood at the front of the boat. 

"How far do you think we are from home?!" Josie shout's to her, she looks back squinting as her wet hoodie clung to her body. 

"I dont know we just passed Loomis street!" Maria shout's to her. 

She shakes her head, the entire street was flooded and every house was under three feet of water, the two teenager's thought they were gonna make it home before the storm had made landfall but they were wrong. Josie had spent the night at Maria's house and they both had planned on going back to Josie's.
Maria's dad had allowed the both of them to leave thinking they would be safer away from the trailer house. Josie's house was at least on a foundation that was stable and somewhat safe from the storm.

The two of them were able to find an old metal boat with a working engine, left over from someone leaving before the rain came in. Josie was just hoping that whoever the owner was wasn't going to be angry when they found out it was commanded by two teenagers. 

"It's like a maze, I can't tell what is what!" Josie admits, her hood of jacket blewed against her body. "We should have just stayed at your dad's it was higher ground there." 

"That stupid trailer was going to fall apart long before this shit happened." Maria admit's laughing, she shakes her head. 

"That's Mr. Dyke's house," Josie shouts pointing at a mustard-yellow house. 

"So much for him taking up gardening." Josie jokes, everyone in her neighborhood knew each other and they all looked out for each other. "How far do you think we have?" Maria asks her friend. 

"I'm not sure." She admits, she looks around her at the flooded houses and broken street signs, the palm trees stood strong against the powerful winds that whipped against them, her brown eyes scanned. "Jo!" 

"What!?" She shout's, she point's in the direction of the sea, her brows knit together as she looks up, the water pulled in and out as the wind raced against her face. "What is that?" Josie asks. 

"Remember Mrs Fray's class, water pulling in and out like that is sign of a storm surge." Maria reminds her friend, her eyes widen as she realizes. "Oh shit!" 

"We gotta get out of the street, we need to get to higher ground!" Josie shouts to her friend, she nods her head as her black hair hit her in the face. "Where do go? Nowhere is high enough." 

Josie's brow's knit as she tries to think of somewhere safe for the both of them, she claps  her hand's as she gets an idea. "There's a two story house not far from here, we will have to turn around though."