Short story: The Stormchasers

a tornado on the inside

Adam Marek is an award-winning British short story writer. His short story ‘Stormchasers’ was suggested when I searched best 'British short stories' on google. He loves to explore the interzone between fantasy and reality. The theme of the story is the tornado as a metaphor and symbol. It’s about a mother her mental illness, that’s something you don't normally talk about. it's not discussed harshly in the story, but you get an idea of how she must feel and how it affects her environment. Throughout The the story Adam Marek vividly describes the atmosphere outside and inside. It’s really well written. The story isn’t to hard to comprehend.

The father and the son Jakey are fascinated by tornados. They watch a TV program called the stormchasers and documentaries about tornados. They know everything about tornados. Jakey sees that it is really windy outside. Leylandcipres bow to each other and snails are being blown across the patio. Jakey is scared of possible tornadoes but the father says let’s go look for tornadoes. He says tornadoes in England aren’t dangerous and that they would be lucky to find one. The father and son have a great relationship.

While they are getting ready the wind is playing the chimney like a flute. It sounds like a ghost. I think it’s the wind telling them to get out of the house. The father packs lunch and Jakey goes to put on some clothes. He puts on a yellow sou'wester and macintosh that the father had bought for him when he was born. The father and Jakey are ready to leave. They go and say goodbye to the mother. She has been in bed all day because she got her 4 wisdom tooth removed. She replies briefly with no when Jakey asks if she needs anything and tells jakey to just go away. She doesn’t want Jakey to see her like that. You can tell she doesn’t feel great at all. She doesn’t want to talk to anybody.

The boys leave and start looking for tornados. They don’t have any equipment so they just rely on their Jakey’s instincts. Jakey has cornfield-blond hair just like the father, the mum has black hair. Sometimes she says 'Yet another thing he got from you, not me,'. She is also talking about how Jakey is happy and nonchalant just like the father and the mother the complete opposite.

The storm is chaotic and hard to drive through because of all the rain and wind. The further they drive ,the calmer the storm becomes. The storm became calmer and calmer the further they went from home. Eventually it stops raining and they it becomes sunny. They are okay with not having seen any tornados and they decide to go back home. The drive back home is peaceful. They get home and the mum isn’t in her bed. :‘ the coffee table is on its side against the wall. One of its legs is broken off. The TV is face down on the carpet. The mantelpiece above the fireplace is bare. All the photos and pinecones and holiday souvenirs are on the floor. Some are smashed on the slate tiles in front of the wood burner. On the walls, the pictures are all at angles. Jakey's toys are tipped from his box.’ The mum made a complete mess out of the house. It’s like there was a tornado in the house. She had a mental breakdown or a psychosis or something even worse. She is sitting in the middle of the living room

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