Rain pelted on the windows as a clap of thunder shook the small cottage. Just another summer storm, I reminded myself, as I threw on my pj’s and climbed into bed.

“My mom just texted me and she’s worried about the weather,” my roommate Maddie said as she leaned against my doorframe, staring down at her phone.

“We’re fucked if a tornado hits,” I replied in a half-joking manner. When deciding to move to Nashville almost 4 years prior, I didn’t realize it was located in tornado valley - but the last deadly one hit over 20 years ago so the chances were low… right?

I opened the storm shield app on my phone and stared at the giant red and yellow radar blob. “What do we do if one hits?” I asked, “there’s no basement or room without windows.” I look up at Maddie, her expression mirroring my own. Both of us were worried, but didn’t want to worry the other any further.

“I read this article once that said hard shell suitcases can act as makeshift helmets,” she offered hopefully. “Maybe we could hunker down in the bathroom with those?”

Another thunderous clap rocked the cottage. Both Maddie and I exhaled at once, neither realizing we were holding our breath.

“That’s a great idea,” I responded, “but what about JoJo?” As if on cue, JoJo lifts her large furry head from the floor rug and gives me side eye like I’m the one shaking the house. “We’ll make it work.”

A half hour later, both Maddie and I were in our rooms trying to rest through what sounded like the apocalypse outside. As I’m drifting to a different thought, my phone suddenly starts to explode with sirens.

I jump out of bed and grab the hard shell suitcase from my closet before running into Maddie and JoJo in the narrow hallway. No words were spoken as we crammed into the single bathroom, coaxing JoJo inside. Luckily, we all fit - snuggly - but a suitcase didn’t.

“I think mine can cover us all,” I declare, my voice shaking more than I’d like to admit as I start unzipping the luggage. Maddie pulls up a live news stream on Twitter.

“…at the John C. Tune airport. We aren’t yet positive which direction the funnel will move - east or south depending on wind,” a reporter claimed while drawing 2 electronic arrows on the screen. “Anyone in The Nations, Belle Meade, or Bellevue should seek shelter immediately, along with anyone in Downtown, Germantown, and East Nashville.” Maddie glanced up at me, the fear palpable in her eyes - one of the paths went directly over us.

I clutched the suitcase over our 3 heads as best as possible. JoJo started whimpering, finally seeming more fearful than agitated at the blistering winds outside.

“Well, this is it,” I said aloud, but more so to myself. A feeling of utter calmness trickled down my nervous system. I’d never felt this way before, like my fear had been enveloped by acceptance; This could actually be it.

Maddie and I were silent as we tried to discern the loud noises outside. Is this what an impending tornado sounds like? Is that the sound of a train? In tandem with the outside sirens, it was hard to tell. Or maybe not; maybe we’ll get lucky.