The Storm Period In Carok Mara
by Mael Jerez
It was a rainy day in the town of Carok-Mara. The storm that started yesterday at 11am hadn’t gone away, and it was 10 am the day after. A tornado had struck the town only a week before. It seemed that the town had been in a period of stormy weather. Some officials said that this terrible storm could turn into a hurricane in a day or so. So did GBS’s weather forecast. And News 11’s forecast, too. Many were scared. The whole town was in panic. Mayor Joe Dameria had told the town to calm down in his most recent press conference, even though Mayor Dameria had shown tiny shades of panic himself. Everybody was not prepared. They had gotten used to the august heat. Nobody expected this. Everybody was terrified.
As the dark grey rain clouds covered the sky, more residents panicked. Some went to churches to pray to god that the hurricane rumors hopefully were not true, and some just ran around the town, saying “GET OUT OF THE TOWN, PEOPLE!!! I DON’T KNOW HOW TO SWIM AND I DON’T LIKE THE TASTE OF SALT WATER IN MY MOUTH!!!” But one boy was more scared than any other Carok-Maraian. And that boy was Michael Watworth. Little Michael was only 6 years old, and he was terrified of storms of all kinds. From snow to tornados, from hail to wind, even rain!
But he wasn’t scared for no reason. He was scared for one reason, and it was a pretty big one.
His dad had served in the army for 3 years, and they were brought in a year ago by President Jiden to help fight a hurricane. He was building a barrier to help stop the hurricane before it came. But the hurricane came faster than expected, and when Michael’s father climbed down his ladder, it was too late. Michael’s father drowned in the brutal water. By the time he was taken to the hospital, he had already passed. It was a sad day for Michael. His dad was supposed to be home on military break, but due to the storm, he had to return to base. Michael hadn’t gotten the news until November last year. And ever since then, Little Michael hadn’t set one foot outside when it was stormy, snowy, or rainy.
Michael’s mom kept on telling him to calm down, telling him it would all be all right, but Michael’s friends at school told him he would just have to face his fears. Michael didn’t know which side to choose. His friend’s reasons just sounded right in his head, but his Mom was always right. He decided that he would have to just man up and face his fears. He knew it would be very risky, but he had no choice. (In his mind, anyway.) The next day, it rained, which the Watworths had gotten used to, even though it had only rained yesterday. After Michael’s chocolate chip waffle breakfast, he knew what he had to do. He was going to face his fear.
He ran up the stairs and got dressed. Then quietly, he went down the stairs. The clock at his home’s entrance said it was only 10:37 am. He started to think in his mind if he really wanted to take the challenge. But nothing could stop Michael from doing what he felt was best for him, even though it really wasn’t. He lay one step outside, then another. He was already feeling scared. Then, he started to run around. He was actually starting to have fun. He rolled around in the mud, getting all icky and muddy. But he didn’t care. Michael knew that his mother would be mad. In his mind, he envisioned a spanking when he got inside. But all he cared about right now is that he got over his only fear. (Ok, maybe not his only one, he still has 3 fears, and those 3 are: the dark, monsters, and blizzards.) 10 minutes later, he saw a man running around, saying “IT’S HERE!!! IT’S HERE!!! THE HURRICANE IS HERE!!!” Michael freaked out because he thought that those rumors were fake. Then he thought that a random troll couldn’t stop his fun time in the rain. So he continued getting muddy. Then, his mom came out and said “Getting over your fears, huh?”. Then Michael said “Yep”. Then Michael’s mom said, “Get inside now!!! The hurricane is going to hit any second now! I’ve prepared ourselves a ‘bunker’ in the basement. So, get in now!!!”. Michael freaked out for real this time. The hurricane rumors really were true. He ran inside as fast as he could and locked the door.
He didn’t even bother taking a shower, because he knew there was one in the basement. He got all his important things: his dog, his favorite clothes that would last him a week or two, and four blankets. His Mom had brought down store-bought pre-cooked breakfasts, lunches, snacks, and dinners. They were well prepared for the hurricane. Michael was back to being scared. His Mom tried to calm him down, but it was no use. Poor Michael Watworth was crying his eyeballs out.
After crying for 20 minutes straight, Michael took a nap. (More like a sleep period.). He didn’t wake up until 9 am. He went upstairs. The hurricane had passed. Luckily, his house was not hit by it. The storms were finally gone. The storm period in Carok-Mara had finally ended.