Johnstown Flood: An Up2U Historical Fiction Adventure
May 31 1889 Johnstown Pennsylvania Sarah Beth pressed her face against the window and squinted I can’t see the barn Mama Mama peered out the pane of glass and shrugged It’s no use lookin The rain’s too heavy Sarah Beth wiped the glass and tried again If only I could run to the barn and gather eggs I don’t mind gettin wet Heavens no said Mama It’s rainin so hard now that you’d be soaked through and through Besides you can’t fool me You’re thinkin that your baby chicks need savin
Sarah Beth remembered the last time the rains had pelted them relentlessly Her baby chicks had drowned not ten feet inside the barn Tears gathered in her eyes Her heart pounded as she remembered finding the chicks lying lifeless in a pool of muddy water If only I’d been brave enough to go into the barn that day Mama Sarah Beth said I could have saved them Nonsense said Mama We can’t be livin off of if onlys And you didn’t cause the rain did ya Sarah Beth rubbed the glass pane harder She rubbed it as if she were trying to rub away her heartache If you had gone into that barn Mama continued you would’ve been floatin in water Mama blessed herself with a sign of the cross Losin chicks is one thing But losin you
Now Mama was wiping her eyes You know whenever we get our spring rains Stony Creek goes from a gentle stream to a raging river in the blink of an eye She shuddered Thankfully the horses and cows were spared and the chickens and hens were savvy enough to stay put in the hay loft She lowered her voice It was those bold baby chicks that disobeyed their mama and got into trouble Sarah Beth felt the weight of Mama’s eyes on her Besides said Mama Papa rounded up your chicks into a coop He carried them up to the loft last night They’re safe Sarah Beth couldn’t imagine anything safe out in the barn or down in the cellar Both were filled with a foot of water and it was still rising
