CONTEST: 1995, Thunder and Treadmill

 It was 1995 and my parents had just moved us to a new city.  Along with it came all the requisite “new” things: new school, new house, new friends, new weather?  Damn did this town have some crazy ass weather.  On one particular night I woke to the crack of thunder and saw two small eyes staring directly at me.  “I’m scared,” a tiny voice peeped.  As the oldest of three, I was the stand-in parent, especially at night time.  “It’s okay, I will”- BANG- holy shit!  That is definitely going to hit our house.  “Come on, I’ll take you downstairs to Mommy,” I said bravely as I grabbed her little hand and yanked her behind me. 

           

Phew, I got us safely to my parents room, pulled down on the handle.  Locked?   I knocked.  “Mom?”  She couldn’t hear us over the storm raging outside.  I looked down at that terrified little face and pondered my next move.  I glanced down at the floor and there in front of us was a perfect image of my mother projected onto the high gloss tile floor.  “Wow, you can see mom there, just like a movie.  She is awake,” I said.  “Oh look,” said my sister as she stared down at our mother, “Mommy is exercising on the treadmill.”  “But we don’t own a treadmi-oh-god! You know what, why don’t you just come sleep in my bed for tonight.”

- LA