Before the Storm

The sky over Eldridge was a dull gray, heavy with the promise of snow. The small village, nestled deep in a valley, was quiet as winter settled in. The air was crisp, filled with the scent of burning wood and pine. The town’s cobblestone streets were eerily silent, save for the soft crunch of boots on frost. The town's steeple stood tall against the overcast sky, its bell echoing faintly through the stillness. To most of Eldridge’s residents, this was a sanctuary—a haven from the troubles of the outside world. But for Annabeth Calder, it felt more like a cage.

Tall for her age, with dark brown hair that cascaded past her shoulders, Annabeth was often seen as the gentle giant of the village. Her shyness made her a bit of a recluse, often preferring the solitude of the woods or the quiet of the church pew over socializing. Her loyalty to her family was unwavering, but she often doubted her own place in the grand design of things.

She sat on the swings in the park behind Eldridge High, kicking at the frost-covered earth beneath her boots. The metal chains creaked as she gently swayed back and forth, her thoughts distant. Across from her, Emmalyn, her fiery red-headed sister, stood with her arms crossed, one eyebrow arched and a smirk tugging at the corner of her lips. Emmalyn was a force to be reckoned with—sharp-witted, fiercely independent, and full of sarcasm. Her fiery temper and quick tongue often kept people on their toes, but Annabeth knew better than anyone that beneath that tough exterior was a heart just as loyal as her own.

“What’s with the long face?” Emmalyn asked, tapping her boot against the ground, her eyes narrowing. She was leaning against the park’s wooden fence, the wind tousling her wild curls. “Let me guess: you’re thinking about how dull Eldridge is and how you’ll probably never leave.”

Annabeth looked up, her hazel eyes thoughtful. “It’s just… everything feels so small here. The town, the school, the same old routine. Don’t you ever feel like… like God is calling us to something bigger? Something more than this?”

Emmalyn’s lips curled into a sarcastic grin. “Oh, is this the part where you tell me you’ve had some ‘divine revelation’ and now you’re going to go off on some great adventure?” She leaned in, her tone dripping with mockery. “Maybe you’ve just been reading too many of those quest stories again. You know, with the chosen one and the prophecy and all that.”

Annabeth shifted uncomfortably, her tall frame towering over Emmalyn's shorter one. She wasn’t so sure about a prophecy or being chosen, but she felt a stirring in her heart, a pull she couldn’t ignore. “I don’t know,” Annabeth said, hesitating. “I just feel like there’s something more I’m supposed to do. I’ve been praying about it, and I don’t think it’s just about staying here forever. I feel like there’s a bigger purpose for us.”

Emmalyn rolled her eyes but there was something softer in her gaze now. “Oh, right. The big ‘saving the world’ thing. Tell me, how exactly do you plan on ‘saving the world’ from this sleepy little town? Do we ride in on unicorns and wield magic swords?”

Annabeth smiled despite herself. She knew Emmalyn’s sarcasm was just her way of keeping things light, but there was an edge of truth in her words. “I don’t know yet,” Annabeth admitted, her voice quiet but steady. “But I believe God has something planned. Maybe we’ll find it together.”

Emmalyn snorted, but the playful glint in her eyes gave way to a more serious expression. “Alright, I’ll bite. So, what’s the plan, tall girl? What’s our next move? Wait around for a shining angel to come down and tell us what to do?”

Annabeth shrugged, pushing her glasses up on her nose. “I don’t know. I just feel like… like we’re supposed to be ready for something. I’ve been reading the Bible, praying, trying to listen for God’s voice. And I keep coming back to this verse in Isaiah—‘Here am I, send me.’” She paused, letting the words settle. “I think it means that when God calls, we should be ready to go, even if we don’t know where we’re going yet.”

Emmalyn studied her for a moment, then exhaled loudly, shaking her head. “You know, you’re ridiculously persistent for someone who’s always worried about doing things wrong. Fine, I’ll play along. But I’m not going to let you drag me into some big adventure without a few more details.”

A faint smile tugged at the corners of Annabeth’s lips. “I’ll take that as a yes, then?”

“Yeah, yeah. But if we’re going to ‘save the world,’ we need more than just a ‘yes’ and a prayer,” Emmalyn said with a dramatic roll of her eyes. “We need a plan. And maybe a good pair of boots.”

Annabeth’s smile widened, her heart lifting just a little. “We’ll figure it out. Together.”

Later that night, as snow began to blanket the town in soft white, Annabeth sat at her desk, her Bible open in front of her. The flickering candlelight cast long shadows against the walls. She read the passage from Isaiah again, letting the words sink deep into her soul.

“Here am I, send me.” She whispered the words, a prayer to herself. And though the path ahead was uncertain, and the world beyond Eldridge felt impossibly vast, Annabeth knew one thing for sure: the journey had begun. And she wouldn’t walk it alone.

Meanwhile, Emmalyn was already planning her first sarcastic remark for their grand adventure, but even she couldn’t deny the weight of what lay ahead. Together, they would face whatever God had planned for them—whether it was saving the world or simply answering a call neither of them truly understood yet.

And Emmalyn? Well, she wasn’t going to let Annabeth have all the fun.