The Storm

She reaches out and takes hold of the sturdy rubber boots, setting them next to her on the red cedar bench. “Doesn’t anybody around here think I have a life?”  She mumbles as she begrudgingly shoves her right foot into one of the boots. “Don’t worry, Lauren will do it.” She says more loudly this time, hoping her mother will hear her displeasure through the thin glass on the door leading from the porch to the kitchen. Sitting on the back porch, dressing to do her brother’s chores. She closes her eyes and wishes she were anywhere but here, on the back porch of the house she has lived in all her life. The wind picks up a bit, coaxing a melodic twinkle from her mother’s wind chime. As Lauren glances around the yard she sees the faint light in the stable window. Just as she is coming to terms with the idea of feeding the horses, she hears the familiar sound of drops hitting the rusty tin roof of the porch. She sighs, her spirits slightly dampened by the oncoming shower. She reaches for her raincoat, but it is not in its usual spot on the hook, so she grabs her brother’s “I’m doing his stinking chores anyways.” Ugh! And stinking is no joke, the raincoat smells like he’s been rolling around in the muck with it on. She sighs as she zips up and pulls the flashlight out of the pocket of her brother’s old raincoat. She defiantly flips up the hood and heads down the short concrete staircase into the back yard.

Seeming to take Lauren’s descent as a cue, the wind blows fiercely, as if attempting to shake some unseen treasures from the treetops. She draws her arms closer to her chest, now thankful to be wearing her brother’s raincoat, smelly or not. Streams of water cascade down the back of the coat that is easily 3 sizes to big for Lauren. She clicks on the flashlight and hardens herself to the cold drops that immediately start beating against her coat. The weeping cherry trees that line the fence leading to the stable have lost their petals to the wind, and now seem more ominous than cheery as their branches sway eerily in the shadows. With the stable door in sight, and her apprehension of the shadows growing, Lauren quickens her pace.

As she gets closer to her destination, Lauren can hear the animals stir. They are most likely complaining because dinner is late today. The whole sky lights up in an instant, still in awe from the flash, there comes an ear splitting crack. The sound was enormous, seeming to come from nowhere and everywhere, all at once. Lauren finally reaches the stable door. She sighs as she closes the door behind her and shakes the rain from her coat. For once, she is glad to be in the stable.

 

Reviews

[Zoe Marie Ross]

This is a great start, lots of descriptive words that help conjure the imagery. Sounds as if her brother is lazy, and the sibling, Lauren, has to do everything. I think every child/teen has felt like that. Well done!