Gigantic cumulus clouds heavily laden with rain rolled west-northwest at twelve miles per hour as they approached the green sloping mounds of the Leeward Islands.
Winds picked up speed and palm trees swayed as Rose viewed the scenery through the window from the drawing room. She could see tides ebb higher than normal as the skies became more ominous.
Rose went to the closet adjacent to the front door and withdrew a battery-operated LED lamp and extra batteries which were next to a portable digital AM/ FM radio.
“I still say we are going to get the tail end of it as it blows over,” Rose said to herself. She closed the door and returned to the drawing room where she set the lamp on a rolltop desk.
It had been forecast that the hurricane would make landfall by mid-morning or early afternoon the next day. Officials issued warnings, special instructions, and addresses and phone numbers of local shelters.
As the day turned to night, torrential rains fell on the island of Antigua and ferocious winds howled. Walls of homes and other structures creaked from the pressure of the winds. Waves slammed the shorelines, boats and yachts rocked in their docks, and all the grassy grounds became sodden. Windows rattled, street lamps and telephone poles wobbled. Palm trees swayed wildly, lightning slashed the sky, and thunder ruled the air.
The ruckus made sleeping difficult for Rose. Agitated, she tossed and turned on the bed and listened to the sounds of a relentless, unmerciful hurricane. Booming claps of thunder irritated her all the more.
Rose woke up with a jerk when a patio chair banged against the side of the house. She yanked the covers off, flicked on the LED lamp, and turned on the radio.
She was withdrawing a box of tea bags from the kitchen cupboard when the drawing room window imploded. The noise and wind startled Rose and jangled her nerves. Thick wind-whipped pellets of rain blew into the room and splattered on the carpet and furniture. Rose peered into the drawing room and observed the wet mess the storm began to create.
Rose looked around the room and listened to the roar of the winds as the lights flickered. The radio emitted static. According to reports, the eye of the storm was approximately eight miles from the island of Antigua and a storm-surge warning had been placed in effect.
Tiles ripped off the roof. A large branch with palm fronds blew in through the open window into the drawing room. Rose panicked and felt powerless.
Several minutes later, one wall creaked and groaned loudly. It crumbled as Rose stood in the middle of the drawing room. Driving rain pelted her body and harsh winds ruffled her bathrobe as she ducked her head and shielded it with raised arms. The remainder of the wall tumbled into the living room and the roof caved in.
Rose screamed in terror as the collapsing roof forced her to her knees. Cinderblocks of plaster and wood fell on her as well as around her. A ceiling beam fell and slammed her from behind, which knocked the breath out of her and shoved her flat to the ground. Her turban tumbled from her head and plopped on to the floor a few feet before her. A thin stream of blood oozed from a small gash on her forehead. Her cheeks, hands, and arms sustained lacerations. Blood also trickled from one nostril as she lay on the wet floor.
The fury of high winds and torrential rain continued its relentless assault on Rose’s private resort.