Standing at the doorway, ear against the door, he listened.  Over the years, he knew his fathers stumbling footsteps after drinking to much “Juice that makes life bearable”.  So many beatings.  The simple thought of his father walking down the hallway was enough for Beowulf to soil his pants.

Heart thudding in his chest, his mind raced as he thought of hiding spots around his room.  He had hidden before, but was always found.  Beowulf didn’t understand what he had did wrong, but he knew to dread Friday and Saturday nights after a long day of his Father’s drinking.

Ear to the door, he waited.  So focused on the imminent danger coming form his own home, he had totally blocked out the wind outside of his window.  Even as he listened for the footsteps that would cause him so much pain and suffering, the sound of the rain pounding against his window and the whistle of the intense wind didn’t register.

The sound of shattering glass brought him back to reality.  His head whipped around in the direction of his broken window as a tree limb extended into his room, reaching out to wrap itself around his small frame.  The elderly oak that had resided outside his home for so many years was not strong enough to withstand the impending storms and had simply succumbed to the violent winds and fallen against the old farm house where he had spent so many tormented years.

With the crash of glass, his fear of his father was overcome and he reached for the door handle, and with a quick twist, the door was open and he raced down the hallway.  Beowulf could hear the thundering sounds of lightning crackling directly over the top of their simple farmhouse.  His father, when not drunk, had always preached the importance of survival and making your way into the storm cellar.  He raced down the stairs, leaving to the bottom landing from the fifth stair, landing nimbly.  Landing in the front room of the home, he was stopped immediately when he saw his father lying on the couch, passed out, and a half filled bottom of “Juice” resting on his chest.

Heart thudding in his chest, he knew a beating was seconds away as he had made a significant amount of noise when he had landed on the wooden floor at the bottom of the stairs.  Holding his breath, he waited seconds for his doom.  As he heard his father’s steady breathing, the tension that held him immobilized began to fade.  With no idea how long he focused on his father’s breathing, the safety of the storm cellar finally brought him back to reality.  Breaking his stare on the immobile figure on the couch, he looked toward the back door and quietly moved in that direction.

Opening the door, the magnitude of the storm became much more apparent.  The door whipped open once the latch was release, slamming against the counter and breaking several of the small panes of glass in the upper half of the door.  Disregarding the damage, he saw the doors to the storm shelter less than 50 feet from the doorway.  Racing to the doors, opening the door was so difficult and the storm was preventing him from lifting the door and gaining access to his safety.  Straining against the wind, the door slowly opened enough for him to slip through the small opening.  As he slipped through the small opening, his leverage was reduced and he fell to the bottom of his sanctuary as the door slammed shut.  The winds caused the door to rattle and his fears if the door being ripped from the hinges filled his mind.

After several a few minutes of terror watching the door rattle under the heavy winds, his eyes had adjusted enough that with the lightning flashing above, he was able to see an internal latch to secure the door from the inside.  Climbing back up the ladder, he reached up and was able to turn the latch, locking the door from the inside.  As the latch closed and the door became secure, the rattling became much less evident.

Stepping down from the ladder, he backed up until he felt the cellar wall against his back.  Sliding down the wall, his knees came to his chest and he wrapped his arms around them, holding himself tightly.  He could hear the winds continuing to increase, yet the stability of the cellar made him feel more like a spectator as opposed to someone at risk.  As he began to relax, a banging on the cellar door, along with a voice that filled his mind with anxiety yelled “Open this fucking door, NOW!”

His father continued to reign blow after blow on the cellar doors, screaming profanities and threats of more beatings.  These sounds reinforced the tight hug he was making around his knees and he buried his face into his legs, trying to put the sounds out of his mind.

Minutes became hours and at some point, he fell asleep.  As he woke, he noticed thin lines sunlight come from gaps around the cellar door.  No longer were the sounds of his angry father or the sounds of the ominous storm.  Slowly, he stood, making his way slowly over to the stairs that lead out of the cellar.  Climbing the stairs and removing the internal latch, he pushed against the cellar door.  The door easily opened and sunlight filled his world.

Stepping from the cellar, he looked in the direction of his home as was shocked to see that it was gone,.  Where once stood a two story farm house, now only the foundation remained.  The tree that had fallen against the house was flopped over in the opposite direction.  Rotating around, he saw that the ground was littered with debris and it became obvious that the farmhouse had literally been destroyed under the forces of Mother Nature.

Not knowing what else to do, he walked out onto the street and headed toward town.  Navigating past fallen trees and debris that could no longer be identified as being from a home or a barn, he walked.  Only blocks into his journey, he began to recount the events from the night.  And as he thought of his fathers blows against the door, he knew that his father had perished.  Without any remorse, he silently thanked God and Mother Nature for hearing his prayers and ending the reoccurring pain that his father had inflicted.

As Beowulf walked down the street, he could here sirens in the distance, but a smile crossed his face as he knew this was the beginning of a new chapter in his life.