My eyes snapped open, I was starring at the bare ceiling above my small mat bed made of grass and weeds. I looked out and saw a single dark cloud floating motionlessly in the dark sky. It looked so small, so alone surrounded by the millions of stars, but I knew that it would soon be joined my many more. I knew this, because this was the night of the storm. This storm came every year, it was a storm with awesome power. Our ancestors had claimed that the sky turned yellow with lightning and the winds could move mountains. Our tribe believed that this storm was a reward from the gods for lasting through the drought. I jumped out of bed and ran to my dresser. I pulled out some rough jeans and a soft T-shirt. They smelled of fire and dirt, for they had dried by the fire just last night. I looked back out the window, the sky was now darker and the single cloud was now joined by many. There was a flash as lightning jumped from the cloud, and a deafening boom split the silence of the night, the storm had begun.

I flung my jacket over my shoulders as I ran down the hall. I bounded down the stairs two at a time. When I reached the landing I heard a soft patter on the roof, then another, and another. Soon the was a barrage of thuds as the rain buffeted down onto our shingled roof. Running to the door I zipped up my jacket and stepped outside. The moment I did I was drenched by the rain. Another boom sounded as more thunder erupted all around me. I pulled my jacket tighter savoring it’s warmth and i walked out a little further. The freezing rain stung my skin as it came down. I looked up almost blinded by the falling drops. The clouds above me danced with lightning. The thunder almost sounded rhythmic as it boomed around me. Then came the wind, there was a huge Whooooosh, a the wind swooped down like a hawk, knocking me onto my back. I got up and extended my arms and felt the wind steady my as I leaned forward. I closed my eyes listening to the wind whistling through the field of wheat around me. I saw a bright light explode from behind my eyelids. I slowly opened my eyes to see a once tall, majestic tree bathed in a blanket of fire, sparks jumped all around me, crackling as the fire intensified. There was a loud crack as a limb fell from the tree and crashed onto the soft ground. I inhaled the fresh air, and my nostrils were filled with the intense smell of burning oak. I threw my head back, opened my mouth and whooped with joy. I stared at the almost dark sky streaked with lightning. It looked to me like the best picture in the world. I opened my mouth again. I could almost taste the electricity zipping around my tongue. Soon the storm calmed a little and I lay down under the overhang above my deck and slowly slipped into a deep sleep. listening to the sound of the storm.

I woke up starring at the rouge wood, with its knot and crevices. I slowly stood up and stepped onto the damp grass. It looked down and saw little droplets of dew still hanging of the small blades of grass beneath my feet. I looked at the charred remains of the tree lying on the ground in-front of me. I smiled, walked inside, already thinking of next year.