Read Annie's Truth (Touch of Grace) for Free Online Page A

closer for warmth. She nestled against him and tried to shut out the roar of the monstrous wind and the rattle and bang of the door as it jumped and shook under the stronger bursts. Samuel startled the first time but became accustomed to the noise and slowly drifted off.
    Thomas eyed the jarred food, and Mamm looked over at him. “Our farm’s at stake, and you’re worried about your stomach?”
    “Sorry, Mamm.” He tucked his chin down and after a few minutes closed his eyes.
    Their daed leaned against a dirt wall, only moving when a louder sound than usual caused him to stir. Hanna sat next to her brothers. She nodded off once, but the noise of the stubborn wind woke her.
    As suddenly as the storm had come, it went, leaving in its wake a calm and unnatural quiet. Amos looked to John, and he nodded. John was the first up the stairs, with Daed close behind him. He lifted the door with ease, looked out, and then motioned for the others to follow. Annie heard Eli groan and scrambled up the stairs to see what the storm had left them.
    Annie scanned the fields, which lay barren as far as she could see. Yesterday’s hard work had sailed away with the gales, which reached down and snatched the corn leaves, shafts, and husks. Their buggy laid on its side, along with assorted shovels, rakes, and hoes. Some were picked up and tossed a few feet away; others were completely gone. The destructive winds had been selective in what they kept and discarded.
    “Thank Gott we moved in our crop.” Mamm let Samuel slide down her side.
    “The Lord provides.” Annie spoke softly, taking in the power of the wind.
    John stepped up beside her and touched her shoulder. “Are you okay?”
    “Jah.” Annie gave his hand a gentle squeeze. “Do you need to go?”
    He studied the wind and looked up at the sky, now void of clouds. An eerie stillness hung in the lifeless air. “My daed has four sons to help him.” He turned to her. “I’ll stay and help Amos.”
    They walked over to Amos as he examined his farm and then slowly walk toward the barnyards. “Let’s check the livestock.” The boys followed; even Samuel was at his daed’s heels, anxious to see what was left and what was lost.
    The east barn was torn down into splinters. Great trees and shrubs had been ripped from the ground, broken off and uprooted, and bark had peeled from tree trunks. Fields were covered with rubble, boards, and timber. Fences lay scattered across the dirt road leading up to their home, which was still standing but with a large hole in the roof. Articles of clothing from the clothesline were matted together or hanging from trees. Grain spilled out from the torn side of one of the granaries.
    John walked past the barn to look for hurt or wandering animals. Most had run off when the howling wind came upon them. Others were long gone, and the family could only hope they would find their way back. Only a handful of livestock remained within sight. The storm had chosen an erratic path, leaving some areas untouched while others were stripped bare.
    Annie’s voice broke the silence. “Does anyone see Otto?” She hated to even hope for him to have made it but couldn’t help asking. She scanned the area, but the horse wasn’t in view. No one answered, telling her he wasn’t around.
    A feeling of depression seemed to settle over them. No more words were spoken as they began to pick up debris and haul off broken posts and destroyed tools. The younger ones didn’t have the strength to help with the heavy farm equipment, so Annie found a functional wheelbarrow that Augustus pushed around while they threw wreckage into it.
    A cluster of men walked down the path, picking up what they could carry along the way. This was the way their community functioned. They would go from farm to farm until every family was tended to. It would take days or weeks to complete the task, but for today they would assess each one’s damage and help those most in need first. Hearing their