Roaring Thunder

Waking up to a blast of roaring thunder is a new experience, and not a very pleasant one. Rubbing my eyes as I opened them, I took in the view before me. The room, which was dimly lit from the light of the lamp, became brightly lit from the thunder outside, which seemed to seep through the closed curtains and illuminate the room for a few seconds before disappearing and repeating the pattern. Knowing I would not be able to go back to sleep in these conditions, I quickly got up, freshened up, and headed to the kitchen.

Walking down the hallway with the roaring thunder echoing in the house, an eerie atmosphere was created, and the cold didn’t help either. Just as I reached the kitchen and sat down, the lights started flickering before the power went out. The rain started pouring heavily, hammering against the window panes and further lowering the temperature. I searched for an emergency flashlight and, in the process, bumped into a chair, causing my toe to hurt badly. With tears pricking at the corner of my eyes, I quickly turned on the flashlight, grabbed the pack of candles and matches, and headed to the living room. I placed the candles around the room and lit them. The room was now illuminated with a golden, warm glow.

I took out the First-Aid box from the cabinet below the bookshelf and searched for a pressure bandage. Taking it out and placing the box back, I sat on the sofa and took care of my poor toe. Securing the bandage gave me some relief from the throbbing pain, and I remained sitting on the couch, trying to decide what to do. The room temperature was starting to go up, and the warmth surrounded me in a comforting sense.

Looking for a snack, my gaze fell on the center table, where a box of candies and dried food were placed. I grabbed the one with dried food, opened it, and was hit with a colorful assortment. Biting into a dried apricot, I was hit with a chewy, mildly sweet texture. Next, I took a small handful of cashews, which had a crunchy, salty texture that was totally different from the one before. So, I continued since I had nothing better to do, and the various different tastes were causing my taste buds to go on overdrive.

A handful of round raisins went into my mouth, washing away the taste of cashews. Following it with a date, I was hit with an extremely sweet caramel texture. Finishing off with some roasted, salty peanuts, I put the lid on and placed it back on the table. Looking through the candy box, I picked a single coffee candy. I love them, but I try to avoid eating or drinking coffee when I earned that caffeine is responsible for bad breath. However, sometimes it’s okay, like right now. Heading to the kitchen and washing my hands again with the cold water, I headed to my closet in my room.

Grabbing a spare blanket, I returned to the living room. Setting the cushions, I laid down and covered myself with the blanket. The warmth from the candles and the tick-tock of the grandfather clock played a lulling rhythm, causing my eyes to get heavy and my muscles to relax. Before I realized it, I was drifting off. Closing my eyes, my senses focused on the sound of the clock, which soon became distant. And just like that, I was pulled into a deep slumber; a dreamland. Have you ever slept in your living room? Did thunder ever bother you?