[ WP ] The sky is falling , and you are an old man

Isaac wrapped his hands tightly around the handle of the wooden cane he used to walk and shuffled his feet, rocking backwards and forwards, backwards and forwards on the old screened porch in Mississippi. The rocking chair creaked and his knees creaked as another gust of wind shook the porch and a corner of netting came lose on the right hand side. Isaac sighed. He'd have to get his son-in-law in to fix that. Leaves swept past the house and the wind rattled the screens like his youngest grandson shook toys when he was angry. Backwards and forwards, backwards and forwards. The sky had been blue that morning, but now it was the same dull grey as untempered steel. Clouds hung heavy and full on the horizon, just over his neighbours' land. They'd left on Monday. He was still here. 
 
 
 `` Grandpa, it's time to go.'' The porch door slammed open, the wind grasping it and almost wrenching it away from its hinges. Lily bounced up to him, one pony-tail falling out of its neatly tied ribbon. She held a pillow under one hand and Joe under the other. The bear he had given her for her fourth birthday was ratty now, three years later. His neatly tied red bow tie that had looked so smart in the store had long since fallen off, one eye glistening with dried glue around the edges where it had been stuck on. 
 
 
 `` Daddy says it's time to go.'' Lily said, gripping his hand with her pudgy one. She pulled his thumb off his cane and tugged it. `` You have to come with us!'' 
 
 
 The wind howled and the house creaked once more. Lily's wide eyes looking upwards as though worried that the tiles on the ceiling were about to start sliding off. 
 
 
 `` There's no room for me, silly Lily.'' Isaac said. His chest hurt as he spoke, but he tried his best to suppress his wheezing breath as he spoke to his granddaughter. 
 
 
 `` Of course there is. You're the silly one!'' Lily tugged on his hand again, Joe starting to slip from her grasp. 
 
 
 She looked at him with worried eyes as he did not move. She looked so much like her mother, his daughter, with those eyes. Lily pouted and readjusted Joe under her arm. 
 
 
 `` You have to come, Daddy has the engine running. There's Daddy and me and Alex.'' 
 
 
 Isaac rocked backwards and forwards, backwards and forwards. 
 
 
 `` The sky's falling Grandpa, Daddy says you have to come!'' 
 
 
 `` Is Amelia there?'' Isaac said weakly. `` Is your mother there?'' 
 
 
 Lily went quiet. 
 
 
 `` I miss her Lily.'' 
 
 
 The wind picked up again. Wooden planks, splintered by force and branches tumbled past the screened porch. Lily shivered. She had a t-shirt on and goosebumps were crawling up her arms. The house groaned and shifted a little, as though settling into the ground. 
 
 
 `` Lily, you go now.'' Isaac pulled her little hand off his and settling his grip back on the wooden cane, rocking backwards and forwards, backwards and forwards. 
 
 
 `` Tell your Daddy I'm waiting for Amelia.'' 
 
 
 `` But Grandpa!'' Lily cried 
 
 
 `` Go!'' There was an awful tearing sound and the whole right side of the screened porch ripped off, pulled away by the wind and cast into the grey void that waited. Lily started crying from fright. 
 
 
 `` Go, Lily! I'll be alright.'' Isaac said 
 
 
 His granddaughter sniffed and nodded. She wiped her nose on the back of her hand then sighed. 
 
 
 `` Okay, but take this.'' She held out Joe to him, fur a little grubby and wet from her tears. 
 
 
 `` I ca n't take Joe...'' Isaac tried to give him back but Lily pushed the bear into his lap stubbornly. 
 
 
 `` He'll look after you. He'll keep you safe. `` 
 
 
 When she was gone Isaac sat. He wrapped both hands tightly around Joe and stared across the world into the grey void. He rocked; backwards and forwards, backwards and forwards.
