The Storm

• Abbygail Healey, Grade 1, Kandos Public School -
• Short Story
• 2018

Finalist in the 'Horizon of Dreams 2018' competition

BANG! The lightning outside our house continued. Zig-zagging across the sky. Crash! Went the thunder, Pitter-Patter went the rain. The raindrops looked like they were racing down the window. I ran to my mum frightened.
“Don’t worry, you will be safe inside,” she says.
I run back to the window to continue watching the rain. It was dark outside, and it was scary.
“ARGH!” I scream, it suddenly went dark. I feel something touch my leg, “ARGH!” I scream again, then I realise it is only my cat when it starts to purr and jumps into my lap.
“Charlie, it’s okay, I am here now!” my mum says from behind me, she nearly has to yell so I can hear her over the thunder.
The lightning zig-zags across the sky again, this time I am not scared, I am fascinated, it is like an artwork, I decide that tomorrow I will paint an artwork like this.
The power comes back now, the black-out is finished. But the storm continues on. Now, these balls of ice are falling out of the sky, small at first, about the size of a five-cent coin.
“It’s snowing, it’s snowing!” I shout.
“No, Charlie. It isn’t snowing, this is hail,” my mum says to me.
“Well, I still like it all the same,” I say. I hear my mum laugh behind me.
I watch the storm, fascinated at how storms can be scary and pretty at the same time.
After a while the storm stops.
“Charlie, come have a look outside,” my mum says, walking to the door. I follow her outside.
The ground is covered with hail, it look like it has just snowed. I am glad I am wearing my snow jacket and pants.
“Mum, can I go out into the hail?” I ask.
“Come put your boots on first,” she says. I go up to her and she puts my boots on. I walk to the edge of the verandah.
I take a deep breath in and step. I fall on my face. It is cold.
“ARGH!” I scream again when I get up. I start to cry, but then I realise it is really cool. I stop crying and walk some more, falling onto my face about every second step, but I don’t mind.
I spend the rest of the afternoon walking around in the hail and looking at all the damage the storm had done to the farm. I am glad that we had our house to shelter in, and that the cows had their barn and the horses had their stable.
I love storms.