The Storm

Untitled Part 4

The journey we made was a total of three short blocks, but in that moment, it felt triple that. As frightening as it was to be outside in these conditions, the lack of light made it that much scarier for us all. A wave of relief came over me when I realized that we had made it to the house safely. The only image I allowed to stay in my mind was me and my siblings sitting on the board, shivering not only from the cold but from fear as well. 

We trudged through the dirty water, climbed up the stairs, and quickly tumbled into the house, seeking shelter from the horrors that filled the air on the other side of the door. Our friends welcomed us with open arms, giving us towels to dry off, and I finally allowed myself to exhale and relax. The scariest part of this ordeal was not knowing what state our house was in, and the fact that we would not know until after the storm passed. 

I looked at my dog, who was shaking in my dad's arms. I could only imagine that he was as scared now as he was on every Fourth of July. I closed my eyes to think back to those days, sitting on my favorite striped towel to protect myself against the sand underneath me, surrounded by all my friends and family. We followed each colorful streak of light as it made its way up into the endless sky, flinching with each boom, even though we knew it was coming. We'd run to the lifeguard chairs that our parents always told us not to go near and climbed to the top, hoping to get a better look at the beautiful fireworks that were lighting up the night. Smiles were painted on everyone's faces as they jumped and spun around to the music, sparklers in hand. We'd sit around the bonfire, and I couldn't help but worry about my dog, who associated the sound of the fireworks with the thunder that he was always so frightened of. I forced my eyes open, the smell of the bonfire still lingering in my nostrils.