#catastrophicplot

merrick loved storms. 

growing up in an old farmhouse, storms brought wind and noises one that could send shivers down your spine, power outages easily putting them into pitch darkness, a spookiness that, as a teen, merrick adored. 

storms were a burden when she got older, something she had to endure as she went to work, traveling through blizzards and blustery winds and torrential downpours. but there was no work now - she was still being sidelined for supply runs, though she often disappeared on her own, finding herself in the papers office or the bar working on her own novel more often than not. 

which meant, for the first time in years, she could truly enjoy it. 

everyone else was terrified - a sound reaction to a summer storm like this - huddled inside the makeshift town hall. she should have been comforting her sister, a small voice lecturing her for not immediately running to holly’s arms. logan was out there, ethan was in the warehouses - but merrick couldn’t make her feet move towards the one she knew needed solace the most. 

instead, she sat on the steps of the town hall, the rain seeping into her pores as she let it wash over her. the winds were still strong, but not strong enough to pull her away - instead, she let it envelope her completely, only startling when the sound of someone’s voice called her name. 

“i’m fine,” she yelled back - she had to yell, to be heard - but the clouds were darkening again, and she knew it was probably not long before she had to return to the inside world again, her shoulders sinking slightly as she did. “come out here for a minute,” she invited instead, “it’s incredible.”