Quest to the Southwest - Chapter Thirteen - Lightning

Martha was wiping out her dishes with paper towels examining the rock formation which surrounded her cosy little campsite, when the white government truck pulled up in front a campsite a few doors down. There was no potable water here at Chaco, she would wash the dishes at her next stop. The truck moved forward, stopping in front of her parked car.

“Going to be a storm tonight.

It’s real windy before the storm hits, just want to make sure you have everything tied down.

“Really? A storm, but the sky is so clear.”

“You’re going to be one of the lucky ones. In about fifteen minutes you're going to see a full moon, stars and lightening. Enjoy.” Smiling, the ranger pulled forward to the next camp site.

The campground was in a tight little canyon. Martha could see the sun still shining on the tops of the clouds, the moon already bright. She turned around slowly, three hundred and sixty degrees, studying the sky all around. Off to the west, just over the top of the steep canyon wall she could see some dark clouds. As she watched they lit up briefly.

Yes, there was lightning. No crash of thunder followed, so the storm must be far away.

Martha set up her laptop on the picnic table, lantern by her side. She had been inspired by the day and wanted to sort through her pictures. Taking the walk at 3:30 had been a good idea, also picking the trail that was away from roads and people. Seeing the elk was fun, and now that she was back at camp even the brief encounter with the rattlesnake wasn’t so bad anymore. She was

glad she had met up with that couple who told her to visit Chaco. They road hadn’t been that bad, just that one spot where it dipped down into the wash, signs warning not to cross if any water was

present. The wash had been dry and driving across the concrete had been a relief after the washboard of the gravel road.

The sun had disappeared completely now, and Martha shivered as the cold took over. It was amazing how much variation there was in temperature, her face was hot with sunburn from the pleasant day. Once the sun set the temperature dropped rapidly, a sweatshirt wasn’t enough. Martha packed up her things and put them in the car. Might as well get ready for this storm the ranger had predicted.

As Martha walked across the camp ground to the restroom she saw clouds creeping up from all directions, but the sky was still clear just above her. Blasts of lightening flashed in front of her, lighting up the entire cliff and canyon. These were followed by rapid flashes on her right and left. Still no thunder. Martha walked on to the entrance of the campground. From here she could see the vast Chaco mesa, with the huge Fajada Butte rising up. Each flash of lightning lit up the mesa and the butte. She could see the actual streaks now, not just the clouds flashing white. Three,

sometimes four streaks stretched from the sky to the valley floor. Her attempts to photograph and video were unsuccessful, so she sat on a picnic table and just enjoyed the show.

Martha watched for an hour, then she began to hear booms of thunder follow the flashes. The storm was moving closer. She returned to her camp site and packed up the last of her things, tucking herself into the car. The car was parked in the perfect spot to lay and watch as the storm rolled in, thunder moving closer until it shook the car, and then the massive downpour that followed.

Martha awoke in the night to winds which rocked the car, but the lightning, thunder and rain had passed. That storm had been amazing, she was glad she made the choice to come to Chaco.

Suddenly Martha sat up. The road. What about the road?

Martha was trapped in Chaco.