Midnight Song

WARNING! THIS ONE’S LONG. Hey all. What follows is my first writing assignment. It was supposed to be a short story but ended up being a first chapter. It’s actually part of a story that has been floating around in my head for several years. My instructor liked it a lot. She didn’t make very many corrections. She just asked that next time when I’m supposed to write a short story, that I actually come up with an ending. I intend to finish this story but hopefully you’ll like this little part.

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Something strange had been happening to Anna. A noise would wake her up in the middle of the night. She often thought it might have been music, but she could never remember. Then she would lie in bed with her eyes wide open, thinking that someone was watching her, until she fell back asleep.

Tonight, though, she didn’t let herself fall asleep. She had stayed awake and waited. From her bed, she looked out the open window. She could hear the wind moving the trees. Then there was a flute, or something like it, from far away. It was a soft sweet sound that was getting closer and closer. She squeezed her teddy bear Harvey. Anna was pretty sure that fifth graders didn’t sleep with stuffed animals anymore, but she didn’t have the heart to put Harvey on the shelf. Now, she was glad to have him.

The song was directly outside her window. Anna sat right up, hoping to take the “thing” by surprise. The music stopped, but she didn’t hear any footsteps running away.

“Who are you?” Anna wanted to sound angry but she knew she sounded scared. “I know you’re there. I heard your song.”

No answer.

“Okay,” Anna said, “I’ll go get my dad.”

But before Anna could get out of bed, a whispered voice came from the other side of the window screen.

“Wait!”

Anna pulled Harvey up to her chin and hugged him close. She stepped up to the window.

“Did you like the music?”

Anna thought the voice sounded young.

“Who are you?” Anna asked.

“I’m a kid, just like you.”

“I can’t see you. Where are you?”

“Wait. The clouds are moving. When this big one passes, the moon will make it brighter outside.”

Seconds later the moon was shining on a boy Anna’s age, standing outside her window. He had a small flute in his hand. His hair was blonde and sticking up all over the place. Anna thought he looked like Peter Pan.

“What’s your name?” Anna asked.

“Alex.”

“My name is Anna.”

“I know.”

That seemed strange to Anna. How could this boy know her name? She didn’t recognize him from school.

“Anna, you don’t remember me?” Alex sounded sad.

“No. I’m sorry.”

“Well, it was a long time ago, but you promised me you wouldn’t forget. Remember? Right before you opened the gate, you promised me.” He was right at the window now with his hands on the screen.

Anna looked at the flute in his hand, then back at the boys face. She did know him, but she didn’t know how, and she wasn’t sure what he was talking about.

“No, Alex. I don’t know you.”

Alex sighed and took a step back. “I can’t believe you don’t remember.”

Anna didn’t like making Alex feel sad. He seemed nice, even though it was strange to be talking to a boy who had walked up to your window in the middle of the night. So she tried to give him hope.

“You do seem familiar but I don’t know why. Where do I know you from?”

“Everhush.”

When Alex said this, Anna got a funny feeling in her stomach that jumped up into her throat. Alex continued.

“It will take too long to explain now. I can tell you on the way. You have to come back with me. The trees are dying and the rivers are drying up. Some of us are starting to get sick and you’re the only one who can help us. Please, Anna. Everhush is fading.”

Anna knew he was telling the truth. She didn’t understand any of it, but she knew it was true. She also knew she had to leave.

“I’ll go with you,” Anna said. “I’ll meet you at the back door.” She slipped on her tennis shoes and grabbed Harvey, her teddy bear. After she left the house and quietly shut the door, she turned to look for Alex. He was sitting on the swing hanging from the giant tree.

“Will my parents be worried?”

“Don’t worry,” Alex answered, “Time has stopped here. Listen. No more wind, frogs, or crickets. They won’t even know you’re gone. Follow me now.”

“By the way,” Anna said, “That was a pretty song you were playing.”

“You should like it,” Alex said with a smile, “You wrote it.”

He began playing the song as they walked.

old fun is over, new fun begins

We evacuated to West Palm which hosted Wilma’s eye for a half hour or so. I’m guessing Motel 6 wasn’t up to code. We took all the blankets and pillows off the beds and made a nest in the tub.

We didn’t have to wait long for the roof to start peeling away from the building. Water started leaking in through the ceiling, through the fans, smoke alarms, and seams in the shower.

When the eye came through and things died down, Ed rescued us in his Jeep. There was obviously a lot of debris outside and somehow he got a bolt in his tire. But we didn’t discover it until we were safe and sound at their apartment. Their storm shutters didn’t close all the way so ten minutes after we got there we watched the trees fall over, tiles fly off the roof, and rain that was almost falling UP because of the wind that was now going in the complete opposite direction it had been 30 minutes before.

We didn’t have a car because we flew up in the helicopter. It’s a much longer story but Ed got a patch kit for his tire. Tuesday we went out to Lantana airport and one of the only hangars that survived was the one that helicopter N59FD was in. Thank the Lord. There were many planes flipped over and tossed into buildings. Also, dozens of smaller hangers were completely shredded.

Radar was out over southern Florida, so there was a plane flying at about 30,000 feet that was vectoring all air traffic. Plus you had to have permission to be up in the air basically, and you had to have a specific reason to fly down to the Keys. From the air it seemed like trailer parks suffered the worst. Traffic was horrible all over and you could tell what businesses were open from the long lines extending out from the doors.

The Keys didn’t really lose power and we didn’t eat until we got back down here. We did, after all, evacuate with no supplies. The big thing today was huge lines at the gas stations. Every station had an officer or two policing the lines. The rush on gas was people from Homestead and Miami coming down since there is no power where they are. Tonight we heard that power won’t be completely restored in Miami-Dade and Broward counties until November 21st. That totally stinks.

One month left of hurricane season.

Mike and I have decided.

Even though we complained wholeheartedly about Michigan’s winter, we’d much rather deal with 5 months of cold and snow rather than 5 months of imminent destruction by hurricane.

It’s over now and it’s fun to have a hurricane story, but sitting in that Motel 6 tub with the wind tearing West Palm apart and the walls around us bowing in and out was one of the scariest things I’ve ever experienced. Thank God for his protection and for putting people like Ed and Jeniffer into our lives.

I forgot to check my crystal ball.

When one evacuates for a hurricane, it is wise to evacuate out of the path of the hurricane.

Mike and Natalie, however, enjoy spicing life up a bit by evacuating in the “line of fire”.

We are settled here in our Motel 6 room in West Palm Beach with a half bottle of Gatorade and bag of Reese’s peanut butter cups. Apparently South Florida is expecting roughly 7 million people to lose power. I’m really hoping we are 7,000,001 and 7,000,002.

Oh, and “they” are saying Wilma is going right through West Palm.

If we have power tomorrow, I’ll let you know how it went.

Destination: Palm Beach

Okay. I’m being forced to talk more about Wilma.

Models are showing that one way or another it’s hitting us. Mike and I are leaving tomorrow morning in the helicopter. Hopefully, the furthest north we’ll have to go is Palm Beach. I did have the option of following him in the truck but I really don’t want to do that drive alone while everyone in the Keys is trying to leave at the same time, on the same road.

We’re taking the computer with us, so I should be able to give updates.

I’m very excited about the ride. Mike is such an excellent pilot and we’ll both have more fun being together. Alright, so keep praying and I’ll keep you updated.

In the… town of Bedrock….

It’s a good 3-5 days out yet and still the hot topic of conversation here in Florida is Wilma.

Did you know that “W” is the last letter they use when naming hurricanes? So we can’t have any more hurricanes even though there is a month left in the season.

So now that I’ve acknowledged the storm, let’s move on.

I’ve been complaining a lot lately here. Not because I’m a whiner… but it’s fun to take little things that irk me and write big, long, amusing, diatribes about them.

But now I’d like to bring up a serious topic.

Lost friends.

I don’t mean people you’ve lost touch with. I mean people who, through intentional or unintentional means, you have cut off from your life, and you wonder how it happened. I’m not talking about people who you had distance yourself from for your own personal well-being.

I know quite a few of you have at least one.

I have. Mostly because I can be very short-sighted sometimes and it’s easy for me to forget things that shouldn’t be forgotten. Although, hopefully, I’m a bit wiser today than I was yesterday, I still have to deal today with the choices I made yesterday.

I bring this up because soon I may have the opportunity to apologize for being a moron. And I’m really excited about it!

So, what I want to hear in the comments section is your story of a new friendship found within a lost friendship. Do yourself a favor and write your comment before reading anybody else’s comments. (It seems people lose the “comment-leaving” steam after reading other comments.)

******coming soon!! my first writing assignment!!!*******

Happy Birthday Nathanael!

Day by day, my little brother Nathanael is becoming not so little. He’s nineteen today. By the way Dude, I forget to tell you….. the card is in the mail. Seriously, it is. Make sure you follow the directions carefully on the card.

Let me give you my perspective on Nathanael.

I was eight when he was born, so I pretty much had life all figured out by the time he came along. He had a ton of hair when he came home from the hospital, just like I did when I was born. It was pretty cool to have something in common with him right from the beginning. Anyone who knows our family, knows that we like to laugh. Dinner is usually one of the funniest times (especially if Dad was in a good mood). We would all get to laughing and Nathanael would be howling right along with everyone and not have a clue as to what was going on. Which, of course, would make everyone laugh even harder.

We all put words into his mouth for every expression and sound he made. Ah. Good times. As he got older, we played video games, and I bought him a Gospel Gangsta’s cd. Laura and Nathanael fought all the time and I’m sure we all thought that would never end. Now I think they’re as close as brother and sister could be.

I missed a lot of time with him actually, due to my “crossing into adulthood” stage. When I left for Teen Mania the first time he was nine. I was pretty much away until Mike and I got married and this last time at home was the best.

He’s a very unique person. He’s a bit of a drama queen, but since everyone in our family has that gift, I can’t blame him. He’s taught himself how to play bass, keyboard, guitar and he absolutely kicks butt on the drums. He’s an optimist. His first impression sometimes is poor (the crazy hair and pajama pants) but spend a few more minutes with him and you’re pleasantly suprised.

You’ve come a long way, Nathanael, and you’ve even farther to go. There is so much to learn about who God is, who you are, and all kinds of good stuff.

Eat a piece of Dairy Queen ice cream cake for me.

Dear Hollywood,

I keep hearing stories about why people aren’t going to the theatres to see your movies. I’ve heard it’s because tickets are too expensive. I’ve also heard it’s because your movie ideas are recycled and unoriginal. I thought that I would write to let you know the real reason why people aren’t going to the theatres anymore.

It’s because normal moviegoing public have “movie stalkers”. My personal movie stalkers are three women. It doesn’t matter if I go to Miami, Florida City, or Tavernier. They are there. They come in to the theatre after me and sit in the row right behind me.

The movie stalkers talk loudly during the previews.

“Oooh! C.S. Lewis! I love C.S. Lewis! Have you ever read his books? They are so spiritual!”

“Wow. This looks so good! Look at how good this looks!”

Oh yeah. The lady in the middle doesn’t talk. She creates the space between the two talkers that justifies them speaking above or at normal conversation level.

I don’t say anything during the previews, because even though I’m technically paying for this as well, I’m really just here for the movie.

“Surely,” I think to myself, “they’ll stop talking once the movie starts.”

The particular movie I’ll speak of now is Flightplan. So the movie starts.

“What’s going on?” Asks the one to the right of the non-talker.

“She’s remembering stuff.” Answers the other.

Or another beautiful moment was in the middle of one of Jodie Foster’s lines one of the woman asks, “What did she say?” I didn’t know. Nobody knew. CAUSE YOU ASKED THE QUESTION BEFORE THE LINE WAS EVEN OVER!!!!

I tried the polite “Shhh.” that no one can tell where it came from.

“Now she’s discredited. They’ve discredited her. No one will believe her now. She’s been discredited.”

Then, of course, I tried the loud sigh accompanies by the exaggerated look back over my shoulder.

“Oh, I’d be reading him the riot act at this point. People should just keep their kids on a leash.”

I came so close to saying something about people doing the same thing with their tongues.

Mike turned around and asked them to stop talking. They did.

For ten minutes.

And folks, it’s not like they were talking under their breath. It was conversation about the movie that you have AFTER the movie.

I could have complained to management. I could have demanded they be removed, silenced or executed. I could have at least asked for my money back. But I was there simply to be entertained not to head up a revolution. So, I won’t be going back, Hollywood. It’s not your fault….

It’s my movie stalkers.

More Conversations You’ll Never Have In Michigan

DEBI. Don’t click the link below. It’s an article about the animal that God should never have created.

Have you heard? Not only does Florida have a problem with gator-guzzling pythons that shouldn’t even be here in the first place, but we here in the Keys are also dealing with Iguanas. They’re like the field mice of the Keys. Except they’re huge and they eat beautiful indigenous plants. The women at work were talking about iguanas today.

Woman #1: “Well you know how they got here don’t you? People get tired of having them as pets and release them into the wild. Now they’re breeding. It’s the same thing with the pythons.”

Woman #2: “When I moved down here fifteen years ago they said to leave them alone. Now they say to kill them.”

Woman #3: “Well, how do you kill them?”

Woman #1: “Humanely, of course.”

Woman #3: “I went online to try to find out a way to kill them and I couldn’t find anything.”

Woman #2: “Those things poop everywhere. They’ve been eating my orchids. If my husband leaves his boat to close to the dock, they poop all over the boat. Sometimes my cat will kill them and leave them at my door. It is. So. Gross.”

Woman #1: “Hey guys! You wanna get sushi today?”

Matinee Special

http://skast.dk/movies/keys.wmv

If you have a fast connection, help yourself to the above link It’s a new video that our friend Bo did of Mike flying the helicopter.

Beware! It’s set to an song from the 80’s. Proceed with caution.

This is for all the lonely people.

Thinkin that fall has passed them by.

Yup. It’s that time of year when the leaves turn brilliant shades of amber, gold and fiery red. When the corn has reached it’s full height and the neighborhood farmer takes the kiddies on hayrides. Everyone is hoarding candy for Halloween and wondering how commercialism sneaks Christmas up on everybody earlier each year. The air is cool, crisp and refreshing. Pumkin picking, apple picking, cider and donuts.

Or, if you live in South Florida, coconuts are falling from the trees.

I traded everything beautiful and seasonly typical in that lovely paragraph up there, to more 80 degree weather and falling coconuts.

Now I know what some of you are thinking.

**mocking whiney voice**”Oh Natalie! I feel so bad for you. How can you possibly survive with all that sunshine and warm air! And the palm trees too! Why it makes my skin crawl!”

What’s that saying? Don’t judge a man until you’ve walked a mile in his mocassins? Well, don’t judge a Natalie until you’ve lived in the north during your formative years then had to move to the crappiest part of Florida in your mid 20’s. (My apologies to all you Conchs.)

Don’t get me wrong. I won’t miss 5+ months of this.

But it’s still nice to have seasons. Sheila came up with some remedial therapy. (Sheila works at TIB too.)

She painted coconuts a bright orange color. Then I went over today and we painted faces on them and made our own jack-o-lanterns. Now she has a pumpkin patch. We were supposed to get together today anyway. We had volunteered to help out at a pumpkin patch party. But it got cancelled.

The pumpkins never got shipped in.