Red Light, Green Light

July 2003

We stand barefoot in the wet grass.
Me periodically shaking my head to get rid of the long wet  tendrils of blonde hair that had once again managed to snake their way back over my shoulder and onto the front of my knee length nightgown, you immitating me by dramatically flinging your head from side to side.

We just came back outside after taking our  showers. It was finally dark, and cool enough to go out.

"Green light!" Our little sister calls from across the grass field, where she stands on the sidewalk, leaning up against the black metal railing in her oversize Scooby-Doo T-shirt.

We both take off running.

We get about 10 feet before you trip and stumble, grabbing my nightgown and pulling me down with you, oblivious to the fact that we had strayed over to the hillroad side of the field.

"We're going down the hillroad!" You yell as we tumble across the grass.

"I'm gonna eat you!" I scream back as we both roll down the hill and between to parked cars out into the street, before jumping up and running back up the hill before our mom sticks her head out the window and yells at us for being in the street.

"Start again!" We yell, and our sister sighs before agreeing.

"Back to the other sidewalk!" She calls, and we both retreat back to just in front of the sidewalk on the opposite side of the field.

Just as I lean down to itch at one of the many mosquito bites covering my legs, our sister calls out,

"Green light!" And you take off running, leaving me chasing after you.

"Red light!" And we immediately stop, and you look over your shoulder and grin at me.

"Nuh-uh, I eat you!" You boast at me.

"Well...I'm lima beans!" I retort.

"Green light!" I let my legs fly across the grass, overcoming you by a step or two by time our sister calls stop again.

"I eat you. So...MMM" And I stick my tongue out.

"Green light!" She calls again, and we both bound forward, only to be stopped mere feet from the railing, our finish line.

Stretching my arm out, I try to reach the railing, but my arms are too short. Mimicking me, you also try to reach, but your arms are even shorter than mine.

"Come on, Mahryna!" We start coaxing her to call green.

"Green light!" She says, and we both race forward, slamming into the railing at exactly the same time before flipping over the stomach high railing and landing with a soft 'oof ' in the neighbors plush green grass.

"Get off of the grass! Mahryna, time to come inside!" Our mother yells from the second floor living room window, and we make our way back into the middle of the feild as our sister heads inside.

"Hey, Jenn?" You ask me.

"Yeah, Billy?"

"Let's go down the hillroad again."

We grin and link hands, before rolling down the hill again, careful not to go spinning into the road, but instead crash into the big tree trunk instead.

"Mom is going to be so mad we have grass in our hair again." I say, laughing.

"So we take another bath later." You reply.

"Yeah." I simply answer.

"Let's do it again." And you link your arm around mine as we lay down on the hill and push ourselves over the edge.

Author's Note

I was eight when this happened, making my brother Billy was seven, and my sister Mahryna was five.
I actually vividly remember this day from some reason, and one night it just popped to the front of my mind.
This is my first try at a second person POV. Thoughts?

Reviews

[Marie Anzalone]

This story, to me, was filled with the joy of being alive. Thank you for making me smile. What a wonderfully fun memory to hold on to.