Shell Shocked Read Online Free Page A

was so huge that they were all killed. A thousand people died instantly, and then another thousand died of their injuries within the next two days.”
    â€œUnbelievable,” I gasped.
    â€œThere were over nine thousand people injured, including more than a hundred who were blinded.”
    â€œBy the flash?” I questioned.
    â€œFlying glass. They were standing behind windows, watching, and when it blew, the windows shattered and shards of glass shot into their eyes.”
    I cringed at the thought.
    â€œAlmost every building within a mile of the explosion was flattened, and there were fires everywhere in the wreckage. The streets were on fire. A lot of people were trapped and burned alive.”
    Again, another terrible thought.
    â€œHot fragments of metal fell from the sky. When it rained the next day, the rain was black, but at least it helped put out the fires. And the anchor of the ship, which weighed over eleven hundred pounds, was found two and a half miles inland.”
    â€œTwo and a half miles?” I gasped. “No way.”
    â€œThey felt the explosion a hundred miles away. It shook things on shelves. They said the fireball was a mile high. It was the largest explosion of all time.”
    I nodded my head in amazement. “And that was all from just one ship.”
    â€œOne big ship,” Jack said.
    â€œBut it was still one ship. How much in the way of explosives do you think are here at the plant?”
    â€œI don’t know, but it’s the biggest plant anywhere. There might be ten or twenty or even a hundred times as much explosives as there were on that ship,” Jack said.
    â€œAnd our house is less than a half mile from the plant.”
    â€œA lot less,” Jack confirmed.
    Jack and I were both thinking the same thing, trying to imagine what would happen if the plant exploded.
    â€œIf this plant blew up it would make the Halifax Explosion look like a firecracker,” I said.
    â€œYeah, but they have lots of safety features, and the plant has lots of separate buildings so fires or explosions would be contained,” Jack said.
    â€œAnd that makes you feel safer?”
    He shook his head. “I’ve never liked Mom working there.”
    â€œIt seems sort of silly to worry about what could happen when she’s at work,” I said.
    â€œWhat’s silly about that?” Jack asked. “It is dangerous. Something could happen.”
    â€œYeah, but it’s not just when she’s at work. If you think about it, she’s in danger when she’s sleeping in her bed at home, too,” I said.
    Jack shrugged. “I guess we’re all in danger. It would be one heck of an explosion.”
    Great. None of this was going to make getting to sleep tonight any easier.

CHAPTER FOUR
    â€œ THANKS FOR DINNER , Mom,” I said.
    â€œYou’re very welcome.”
    I stood up, picked up my plate and carried it to the kitchen.
    â€œI’m sorry I can’t help clean up,” my mother said. She looked up at the clock on the kitchen wall. “My shift starts in less than thirty minutes.”
    â€œThat’s okay. We can handle it,” Jack replied.
    â€œI’ve learned that you boys can handle most anything. Are you going to go to the Community Hall this evening?”
    â€œWe were thinking about it,” Jack said.
    â€œYou should. They’re going to be showing a movie, plus a couple of cartoons and a newsreel. It should be good fun.”
    â€œI guess we’ll go.”
    â€œI really think you should. It’s important for you boys to go out and spend time with other people your age, make some new friends. Maybe then you wouldn’t fight with each other so much.”
    â€œWe don’t fight!” Jack protested, before he realized that it was way too big a lie to get away with. “Well, not that much.”
    â€œNo more than we ever did,” I agreed. “We’re brothers.