Late that night... nature seemed determined to torture the broken souls seeking shelter.
A summer storm raged with ferocity unseen in years. A massive front of sweltering, humid air clashed with a cold front. Thick, oppressive black clouds swallowed every last trace of moonlight.
Gale-force winds howled, driving massive raindrops against the rotting wooden windows. Crash! The wind shrieked as it tore through the cracks in the roof and the gaps in the timber walls. It sounded like the wails of condemned spirits screaming for redemption.
And then...
CRAAAAACK!!
A deafening thunderbolt detonated right overhead. The impact felt as if the earth itself had split open. The shockwave rattled the glass panes until they threatened to shatter. The dishes in the kitchen clattered violently.
The single neon tube lighting the living room flickered before dying completely.
