The Scariest Night of My Life

I feel a need from far inside to get this out. This is a lengthy post, but I so hope you will read it.  I need to get this off of my chest, now.

I may have spoken of it briefly in the past but never with as much detail or feelings from my heart. I want to take you back with me just a little ways in time. Take a trip down ol’ memory lane. Let my memory be yours if ever so briefly. From the front of my mind, this thought, to the front of yours.

The day of this memory may have been the starting point for my journey. I may have been touched by God on this day and not even known it. When ever I think about this day, and what happened to this area and where my mind was, it hurts me to my core. It brings a pain up from below that is as painful as ANYTHING I have been through since. What I did during this time is horrible, to me anyway.

If you are currently holding an alcoholic beverage, please, for me, set it down for a few moments. I would rather you do it forever. But that’s meddling now. I’m not really sure why I asked, but your in my “house.” Just this once, please. Don’t leave though

February 5th 2008

Today was Super Tuesday for most. Not for me. I just knew it was super because at some point in this day, I was going to get to sit down with my ol’ friend Bud, and have that relationship that we’ve had for so long.

At this time, I was bigtime into playing Halo3 online. I had met some friends online that I played with every night. I had gotten pretty good too. Halo 3 and Bud Light. Nothing could’ve made me more happy….at the time.

Things Went Along

Well, just as planned. I made it home, finally. Had my beer chillin in the fridge. Getting myself ready for a nice relaxing evening. And things went along as planned. Until…

It was between 10:23PM and 11:00PM, good-n-drunk time for me. I don’t remember the exact time, but I do remember hearing a noise outside. A noise like I’ve never heard before. It was a deep menacing noise.

I told my buddies online to hang on cause there was this horrible noise outside. I went to my back door and looked towards the south and the sky was lit up as bright as day almost. It looked quite a bit like armageddon if you’ve ever tried to picture it in your head. The roar was coming from where the light was. I eventually figured out that it must be a gas line that had exploded across the “holler” which it was.

I went back inside and tried to describe it as best I could. I was almost mesmerized by the sight. Boy, was I really in for it.

A very short time later, the roar sounded a lot closer. Much more audible. Much more menacing. Demonic? Slightly. Almost like a helicopter, or a bunch of helicopters. Or, maybe a train or two. We don’t have trains here in Lafayette, TN. A scary noise? You better believe it.

I again told my buds to hang on I think “there is something going on outside” I remember saying in a panic, or a cry for help. My knees were a bit weak, but that could have been from the alcohol, but it wasn’t.

There It Was

I went to the back door again and the trains were right outside my door. But again, we don’t have trains. I walked a little further out on the deck, and I saw my train. My demon. My helicopters. It was a tornado. EF3 tornado turns out. I knew what it was, I just wasn’t sure what to do?

“OH NO!” I said. Almost crying, tears welling up in my eyes. Knees definitely shaking now. Almost couldn’t stand on them. You know what went through my mind?

“I CAN’T DIE RIGHT NOW!”

“I’M DRUNK!”

“OH MY!”

“GOD! WHAT WILL EVERYONE THINK!”

That’s the first time I had talked to God in a long time. Funny, in a sick way. First, death did not scare me as bad as dieing a drunk and THEN letting everyone down. Hurts to put those words there. Feels good too. How little did I think of myself? How little did I think everyone thought of me? Why in the world, at that point, did I even consider that God would do anything for me? I wasn’t done, and neither was God. Thank….God.

I ran to the bathroom…well…staggered to the bathroom and got down in the tub. And I prayed. I heard it outside. It was right on me, I just knew it was. I could picture it outside in its anger, tossing my possessions to the side as it made its way to me. Staring my house down. To lift me out of the tub and sling me to where no one would ever find me. Tearing my dead soul from my body. Banishing me to hell.

I heard 3 or 4 crashes as I sat trembling with fear. “OH PLEASE GOD! OH PLEASE GOD,” I screamed as the tears were pouring from my eyes. Screaming for help, but no one was there. Alone. Drunk.

*pfffzztttt* now dark. The roar, knocking on my front door now it seemed. I have never been so scared in my life. And then….

Then it was……over. I was still in my tub crying. I was alive. I wondered why. Seriously, the question went through my mind…why am I still alive?

I quickly jumped in my truck to go check on mom and dad. I had to get caught with alcohol on my breath. It was my wake up call. I didn’t care. More importantly. Was my mom and dad even alive.

I went up the 200ft road to the main road and turned left to go to their house. Not happening. The tornado went right through there. Same thing when I turned to go another way. Couldn’t get there. Couldn’t get through to them on the phone. Finally did. Whew.  We were ok.

The Morning After

The next morning after getting outside the realization set in.  The tornado had missed my house by maybe 400 yards. About 1/4 of a mile from my road was destruction like I had never seen.  In a line from one end of the county to the other was the scene of a war.  It was an angry tornado. Killed 13 in our quiet little community.  

Well let me sum up the next 20 days, which is how long it took me to check myself in to rehab.

The power was out at my house for 2 or 3 days. I had no heat. No way to cool my beer. I WAS FURIOUS! Mom and dad said I could come over there, friends around told me I could come over to there place. Nope, I had to go get ice and beer in a town 30 minutes away.  I made sure I had plenty.  I had my stupid idiotic priorities.

I’m angry at myself even now as I pass these words across my screen. I’m fighing back the tears of sadness of a life that once was a HELL that I will never visit.  How pathetic. How….

At night, I lay in a sleeping bag on my couch with a flash light and a case of beer. I could see my breath, inside my house, it was so cold.  But I was happy.  I was miserable.  

Everyone in this community, my church, everyone was pulling together to help.  But not this poor ol’ lonely soul.  I was getting drunk.  If I wasn’t getting drunk, I was driving around all irritated because some roads were closed and made my trek to the beer store that much longer.  I didn’t touch a limb.  I didn’t hug a soul.  I didn’t care about anything.  

I WILL NEVER GO THROUGH THAT MESS AGAIN!

Starting February 25th, 2008 everything changed.

Thank you for reading.

SC

(The 3 or 4 crashes that I heard? I had some “decorative” coffee cups sitting in my window in the kitchen. It was a warm night so I had my windows open. I no longer have the decorative cups. They were blown out of the window into the sink, crashing into pieces. That’s the only thing that was damaged at my house. But, when I heard those crashes, I sure thought that was it for ol’ Scott. )

Here is a quick Google Search for lafayette tn tornado 2008

Archive from the Macon County Times from February 8th.

Below is a video of the area that I found on YouTube.