Dear Daniel

Dear Daniel,

I don’t know what the weather is like where you live. If tornadic weather is a mainstay. But I hate spring in early to mid summer in Kentucky for a lot of reasons. I don’t officially live in tornado alley, honestly I don’t think my heart could take it if I did. I mean nothing good could come of a place where ‘tornado’ and ‘alley’ are synonymous with each other. I mean severe thunderstorms are bad enough.

Wednesday my home was hammered by two rounds of severe thunderstorms. And in retrospect I’m grateful that the first round came through early in the day, around four in the afternoon. It took some of the energy out of the atmosphere for the second round later that night. What I didn’t really bank on was that second round going late into the night.

 I was at Missy’s house and it was raining hard and it was putting on quite a light show. So as it began to die down I decided I would drive home.

Yes. You heard me right. Miss Chicken Little herself when it comes to bad weather decided at the tail end of a severe thunderstorm it would be a ‘good idea’ to get out and drive in that shit. I’m telling ya’ I’m a fuckin’ genius for making that move.

There was a flash flood warning out. And as I drove home listening to the AM station for weather, I got to listen to the same system that had just passed through my area was now spawning tornados to the south of Bullitt County.

I was driving across the county on a back road. Really the only way to get to Shepherdsville from Mount Washington was the back road and it was dark, mostly unlit and each time I hit a large pond of water the car jerked, giving me a heart attack several times over.

I don’t like to drive in the rain, and even clouds give me the heebie jeebies if they look dark enough. I’ve set under a wall cloud before in the middle of gridlocked traffic and that’s an experience I NEVER need to repeat. Fortunately nothing snaked its way down from there but a gush of relief washed over me when it began to rain. And that weekend I ended up staying at my  aunt and uncle’s house. You know, the ones with the basement and a landlady from hell? Well, no you wouldn’t know that but they are my safe house in a storm.

When I got home I was tangle of frazzled nerves and jagged edges. I went in my room to work and quickly realized I was tense and when my night meds kicked in I was emotionally drained and the thought of anymore work getting done while I was awake was an ephemeral dream. I crashed and burned and slept from 11PM to almost 5PM uninterrupted. Which these days is unheard of. Usually I sleep until 2AM get up set up to work and around an hour or two later fall asleep.

I know I need a new mattress but I don’t have the kind of money it takes even to buy a $99 one, but with Fandom Fest/Fright Night coming, Killer Nashville, Night Risers Expo and Film Fest I have no extra money. It’s not like I blow my cash on irresponsible items. But I’m hopeful that one day this small press success finds mainstream success and can afford a new bed. A new mattress and a house with a basement to put them in.

Sincerely,

Amy McCorkle