A Mooch Perspective On Thunderstorms

Snnzzzz, drool, snnnzzz, drool, snnnzzzz….

A low rumble ripped through the night, rattling the glass window panes and causing the rafters to shudder. 

‘Wha…?  Whazzat?’  Mooch lifted her head off the pillow and looked around.  A sudden, blinding flash of light caused her eyes to narrow.  ‘Agh!  What was that?  Aliens!! Aliens are coming to get me!!’ 

The room popped with more flashes of light.  Mooch automatically began to tremble.  ‘Okay, okay, calm down.  It’s not aliens.’

Thunder rumbled through the earth, shaking the house.

‘Oh, no!!! Not again.  It’s another one of those scary storms.’

Another flash of light danced in the night sky, lighting up the bedroom.  The windows rattled, the rafters shuddered.  Mooch glanced around.  She was too afraid to get off her bed.  The crazy lights, the scary sounds, and then suddenly…the sound of water pouring loudly onto the roof.

‘Oh, God, what do I do? What do I do?’

As she lay there trembling, drool formed on her lips and dripped onto her folded paws.  ‘Eeks!! There it is again!  That terrible, scary flash of light.’

She whined softly.  She wanted to run hide, but she was too boofy to get under the bed.  Maybe she could get in bed with mom and dad.  Yeah.  That was a good idea.  Get in bed with mom.  Wake mom up.  Mom will know what to do.  She always knows what to do.

Mooch cautiously eased out of bed, then ducked in terror when light flashed outside the window.  After the loud rumble passed, she hurried to mom’s side of the bed and nudged the hand draped over the mattress.

“Ngh!” A grunt came from the figure curled beneath the blankets.

Mooch nudged the hand again, then whined softly.

“Ngh!! What’s wrong, Mooch?” mom’s sleepy voice whispered through the darkness of the room.

‘What’s wrong?’ Mooch whined and whimpered.  ‘What’s wrong?  How can you say that?  Can’t you hear that rumble? The sky is on fire, the earth is cracking in half, we’re all gonna diiiiiiiiee.’

“Mooch, it’s Florida.  You’ve seen these storms before.  Settle down, it’s okay.  Go back to bed.”

‘Back to bed?  Back to bed?  How can I sleep at a time like this?  How can you sleep at a time like this? The world is coming to an end!’

“Mooch, how old are you now?  Eight?  For eight years, you’ve survived the flashing and the rumbling.  You’re safe inside.  Nothing’s going to happen to you.  Go back to bed. It’s okay.”

Mooch trembled so hard that she shook the bed she leaned against.  In an effort to get mom to pay attention to her, she rested her nose on the mattress and stared into mom’s face.

“Oh, God,” mom groaned.  “Stop drooling.  I’m gonna have to change the sheets.”

Mooch trembled and drooled harder.

“Ugh!” mom moaned.  “Mooch.  Really.  It’s okay.  Go back to bed.”

A particularly loud boom shook the entire house.  Wind lashed rain against the windows.  Shadows of trees dancing in the wild wind darted across the walls.  It was all so frightening, so terrifying.  How could mom and dad sleep through this?

Mooch jumped on the bed and nestled tightly against mom’s side.

“Oh, God,” mom grumbled. “Just what I need.  Okay, fine.  You can stay, but don’t drool.  If you drool, you’re out. Understand, dog?”

Mooch trembled.

Mom lifted her head off the pillow and looked at Mooch, then nudged her.  “Stop drooling.”

Mooch dutifully licked her lips.  ‘I’m not trying to drool, mom, honest.  It just happens.’

With a groan mom rolled over and pulled the blankets closer.  “Lick your lips, Mooch,” she mumbled, already drifting back to sleep.

Mooch dutifully licked her lips and stared at the window, waiting in terror for the next flash and rumble.  At least she got to be close to mom.  Mom wouldn’t let anything happen to her.  Mom took good care of her.  Mom took good care of everyone.

‘I love you, mom.’

All mom heard was a whining dog.  Still, she muttered.  “Love you, Mooch.  Go to sleep.  Everything will be okay.  You’ll see.”

And it was.  Just like mom said.  In the wee hours of the morning, the rain stopped, the flashes of light stopped, the earth stopped shuddering.  Everything went back to normal.  The best part, Mooch got to sleep next to mom and dad.  All night long.  That was worth smiling about.

Copyright 2008 C. D. Blizzard

C. D. Blizzard is the author of the novels Blackwater, Broken, and Profile.