Chapter 5

CHAPTER 5 "Hurricane Katrina is now a Category Five storm, folks," said the man on the radio. "That's the strongest there is. Winds a hundred and seventy-five miles an hour. Waves will be twenty feet high. It's aiming right for our beautiful city. Right for us. This is the storm we've been fearing. It's time to leave. Time to get—" Mom switched off the radio. "Okay," she said softly. "I heard you. We're leaving." "Who are you talking to, Mom?" Barry asked.

She looked surprised to see him. "Sorry, baby!" she said, turning and kissing Barry on the cheek. "That man is getting on my nerves." She had three coolers arranged on the floor and was filling them with food for their car trip. "Are you worried?" Barry asked, brushing some flour from Mom's sleeve. She'd been baking all morning. "Not at all," she said, but Barry could see she was fibbing. Mom always baked when she got nervous. And she'd packed enough muffins and cookies in those coolers to feed the Saints. "We're almost ready, right?" she asked. Barry nodded. He'd helped Dad board up the windows. He'd carried the porch furniture and Cleo's princess house into the shed. "Need anything else?" "Find your sister," Mom said. "She hasn't been herself all morning. I need you to work some Barry magic on her." Barry found his sister crying in her bed. "What is it, Clee?" he asked. "My princess house!" she wailed. "That lady took it!" "What lady?" "Katrina!"

Barry tried not to smile. In that three-year-old brain of Cleo's, Katrina was probably a big fat vampire lady flying through the air. "Your princess house is safe in the shed," Barry said. "And Katrina isn't a lady. It's just a bunch of clouds. We're not afraid of clouds, are we?" Cleo looked at Barry with her huge teary eyes. Barry always got a soft feeling in his heart, like the purring of a little cat, when he looked at his sister. Good thing he wasn't a superhero. One look at a crying Cleo and all his powers would be drained away. "We're having an adventure!" Barry said. "You can't cry on an adventure!" Cleo gave a big sniff. "Will Akivo be there?" she asked. Of course Cleo knew all about Akivo. For weeks, anytime Barry told Cleo a bedtime story, he made Akivo the star. Who rescued Snow White from the evil stepmother? Akivo! Who saved the three little pigs from the big bad wolf? Akivo! Now Barry put his face closer to his sister's. "I think Akivo will be waiting for us in Houston

tonight," he said. He hated tricking Cleo, but it wasn't really a lie. Akivo was always appearing in Barry's dreams. Maybe Cleo would dream about him too. "To retect us?" "That's right," Barry said. "He will protect us." Cleo gave another big, messy sniff and then nodded bravely. "I won't cry," she whispered. She held out her arms so Barry could pick her up. He pulled her close. She put her head on his shoulder and let him carry her to the car. Ten minutes later, they were on the road.