Distress on Indiantown (Pt. 1)

Jess sat on a bench under a pavilion at Ocean Kay, a park not too far from the Juno Pier. It had been peaceful today in Jupiter, Florida, and it didn't look like that would change. As she sat, she talked to a couple of her best friends, almost family, and was loving the stress-free environment, and the salty ocean breeze. She still could smell the burgers that were cooked earlier, and the taste of a well-done s'more still lingered in her mouth. She looked at her Verizon cell phone for the time. She had school tomorrow. She had to get her brother, sister, and her sister's friend from off the beach, and into the car. She walked down the wooden stairs to the sand, and spotted them. She called them over.

Johnathan, her brother, was the first to hear her. He too was with a group of friends he thought of as family. He said his goodbyes, and half-jogged, half-walked out of the water, and onto the sand where Jess was. Rebbecca, her sister, heard her call the second time, and got her friend Maddie to come along. All four walked up the stairs, and made their way back to the pavilion. Johnathan had to collect some of his clothing, and borrowed a towel from a friend.

Jessica looked up at the sky. Clouds were gathering, and getting darker until lightning would occasionally brighten it with a bright bluish glow. This made her uncomfortable, and she called for Johnathan to hurry it up.

"Come on, I want to get out of here before it starts pouring!"

Johnathan lazily walked to the Christmas-green Ford Taurus, hardly realizing the small drops of water hitting his nose and shoulders as he climbed in. Jess rolled her eyes, not enjoying Johnathan's lazy attitude.

Rebbecca and Maddie were in the back seat, giggling at their own jokes, and bouncing up and down. It had been a good Sunday for them.

The engine started smoothly, with only a dull roar. Jess backed the car out of the parking space, switched the gear to drive, and started forward out of the parking lot.

Halfway down US1, or "Beach Road," the first signs of a potential storm showed as large drops of rain hit the windshield in clusters. Jess turned the wipers on, and continued driving the crew. As they turned onto Idiantown, the rain came harder. She went over the bridge, and the water was falling in sheets. Once driving upon a four-way intersection, water was being displaced in massive amounts from under the tires of the green car. Jess looked at the gas gauge, and realized they desperately needed gas if they planned on making it home. She turned into the nearest gas station, and parked, sheltered from the rain. She turned the car off, and asked Johnathan if he wanted to pump the gas. He refused lazily, forcing Jess to get out and do it herself. She Let out an angry breath as she climbed out of the car.

Maddie started getting restless, and began cracking bad puns. Rebbecca tagged along, leaving Johnathan to sit aggravated and lazy. Rebbecca opened the door, allowing the obnoxious odor of gasoline to fill the car. Her and Maddie were giggling about something. Jess came into the car again, and felt at the ignition. The keys weren't in there. She thought for sure she had left them there. She looked around, almost panicking for the loss of the keys. The rain started to come down harder. Jess looked up at Johnathan impatiently.
"You could at least help," she said.
Johnathan didn't want to shake form his laziness. "How am I supposed to know any better than you where the keys are?"
Jess looked at him again. "That's why we're looking for them." Thunder drummed loudly, almost as if the sound had originated in the car.
Johnathan faked as if he was looking hard. He checked under the seat in the middle, not really expecting to find anything. Surprisingly, he found them. "Oh, here," he said, wondering at how lucky a find that was. He handed the keys to Jess.
She lost her grip on them, and dropped them on the ground again. Thunder roared in her head. She jumped. "Wow, that was loud!"
Johnathan looked at her confusedly. "What was loud?" He asked.
Rebbecca and Maddie exchanged goofy looks, and then stared at Jess. They started to laugh. Jess looked serious.
"You seriously didn't hear that?"
Rebbecca spoke up. "There's no thunder anymore. The rain stopped as soon as you were done pumping gas, and the clouds are gone."
Jess put the keys in the ignition, and started the car. She backed out, and heard rain on the car. She looked back and saw drops of water hitting the back window. She looked at Rebbecca as if she had lost her mind. "It's still raining, Becca."
"No it isn't." said Johnathan. His eyes were wide with confusion, and his lips were set without expression. He looked concerned now, shaken from apathy into concern for his sister. "Are you okay to drive? Should we call for a ride?"
Jess looked around and heard the booming thunder again. "No, no I'm fine to drive. Just... I'll bring Maddie home." Jess looked to the seat where Maddie was sitting as she said that. She looked back to the front wind-shield, then did a double-check only to find that Maddie was missing. "Uh, where's Maddie?"
Johnathan looked and pointed as he and Rebbecca simultaneously said, "Right here."
Apparently they both saw her. Jess felt like she was crazy. Was she? She searched her mind. No, how could she go crazy over just a few minutes of driving? She didn't look back, she just drove to Maddie's house, taking Johnathan and Rebbecca's word for it. She couldn't dare look back, it would only be proof that she really was crazy.