Previous Challenge Entry (Level 4 – Masters)
Topic: Fast: Quick, or stuck or made stable (10/16/25)
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TITLE: Out of a Clear Blue Sky | Previous Challenge Entry
By LINDA GERMAIN
10/23/25 -
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One perfectly beautiful Saturday in October, John woke up early to start on his to-do list while Mary was at choir practice.
First, he took Walter, their loyal German Shepherd, for a short walk. The sky was the stunning color of sparkling Sapphire, and there was the slightest whiff of autumn in the air, the ideal accompaniment to the amazing bright sunshine.
On the way back home, John chatted with Walter as if he understood every word.
“Woggy-Doggy.”
Walter’s ears pricked up at his nickname. He seemed to listen to every word with great interest.
“My plan today is to get our boat cleaned and drained and ready to haul over to dry-dock storage for the winter.”
As they reached the driveway, John noticed old man Ben Harmenberg, their neighbor, whose bitter outlook clung to him like a scary shadow. The kids used to call him Humbug until their mother reminded them to show a little mercy.
She learned years ago that he had no interest in hearing what he called “Christian chatter.” He was often angry at the children for minor infractions, but he did seem to like their dog.
John waved at the crotchety senior sitting on his porch. Ben barely returned the greeting but managed to mutter a small reply to one of them.
“How’re you doing this morning, Walter?”
With perfect, hilarious timing, the dog replied with one word.
“Woof.”
John couldn’t wait to share that with his wife. She never stopped trying to be a good neighbor and had often mentioned that maybe Walter would soften the old guy’s hard heart.
After John finished pushing the trailer holding the boat into the garage, his phone rang.
“Hey, honey. You on the way home?”
“I’m rolling, John, but the radio is reporting dangerously bad weather headed straight for us.”
“Well, from where I’m standing, our street looks like paradise. I could grill some burgers, and maybe you’d like to help me winterize Little Ark.”
After learning about Noah and the big Ark in Sunday school, the kids had christened their family water vessel with that endearing name, now painted boldly on the stern.
As the call ended, John was shocked to feel the first drop of rain hit his face like a bullet. Threatening dark clouds rushed in seemingly out of nowhere.
“Hurry, Woggy-Doggy, get in the garage!”
Mary arrived just as Walter headed for shelter in his special bed under the workbench while lightning streaked across the menacing sky in loud, thunderous waves.
Shortly, they huddled in the kitchen with their pet, deciding on the next step. Another frightening flash was followed by a deafening explosion. John hugged his precious Mary and reassured Walter. All power was gone.
Their battery-driven radio blasted panic and confusion on every station as the deluge continued to wreak havoc on roads and homes, and sadly, on people.
“We have to go, Mary! Get into some waterproof clothes and bring our backup phones. I’ll grab the emergency supplies and put that special life vest on Walter. Ours are in the boat.”
Mary was the ideal first mate. By the time they were firmly ensconced in Little Ark, the local dam had burst, and the water level shot up ten feet.
“Wait, Mary pleaded, I see Ben on his upstairs deck. We have to try to reach him.”
Using his excellent sailor skills, John maneuvered the boat close enough to drag the fragile elder to safety. Mary helped him into a life vest and gave him a huge, sturdy umbrella. She wrapped a thick blanket around him.
Walter sat unusually close to the frightened old man whose teeth were chattering. Ben hooked his thin, wrinkled arm tightly around the dog as if clinging to hope.
The radio reported unimaginable collapses in diverse places, from volcanic eruptions and hurricanes to tornadoes and earthquakes.
Mary began to cry as she whirled around and fell to her knees by Ben.
“PLEASE, Sir! Listen to me! Time is short. I must get you to understand something desperately important…”
She and John shared one brief understanding smile before they disappeared into the brightest light in Heaven.
Mister Harmenberg continued to float down the dirty waterway in Little Ark toward an unknown destination. Dear Walter, the man’s only friend, stayed by his neighbor’s side until they had gone as far as they could go, which was the end.
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