Guardian of the Forest

1

 The thunder rumbled through the sky and lightning flashed, quickly lighting up Acorn Street. I grabbed my thick brown boots and tied them onto my feet, I grabbed my thin jacket and shrugged it on.

"Bennett Johnson don't you dare go out in the woods!" Mom called from the front porch. My mom, dad, and sister were sitting in the lawn chairs watching the sky, my other sister was hiding in her room because she was afraid of thunder. Wimp. They claim it's beautiful. Mom was watching me through the open front door. She had her hands on her thin, suspender-wearing hips, she wore a casual white polka dotted shirt tucked into her waistline. Her long, light brown hair was pulled behind her ears so I could see her dyed blonde bangs and her scolding brown eyes. My own brown eyes darted about the play room, trying to think of an excuse.

"Mom I can't find Isla! She's still outside. I have to find her!" My mind was blank in my panic so my only option was to tell the truth. Mom glanced at the lightning-less sky, I saw her shoulders move in a deep sigh before she agreed.

I nodded my head frantically then yanked open the slider and was instantly wet from the crying sky. As I dash across the yard to the forest, I remember what my sisters, Mary and Grace, told me about thunderstorms.

"The thunder is only God bowling, he's probably getting a strike. The lightning is just God with a flashlight, shining it around. And the rain is God watering the Earth like we water our garden. There's nothing to be afraid of."

I snort at the memory, Mary has always been startled by thunderstorms. I duck between an oak tree and a maple tree and enter the eerily quiet Whispering Woods. It's called that because there are so many trees that the leaves brush together and make a whispering sound, the animals are gossiping.

"Isla! Isla! Here kitty, kitty, kitty!" I call, there's no answer, everyone's avoiding the storm. I walk around some more and call her name, there's a hoarse meow in reply. I turn to my right and Isla comes out of the trees slowly, rubbing on the bark as she walks on her stumpy legs towards me.

"Oh Isla I was so scared!" A booming rumble covers her answering meow and I grab her before she can run away and wrap her against my chest in my arms. Suddenly, a blinding zap of lightning appears in the sky right above the woods, I duck down low and know mom is going to be mad, no one could have missed that flash. I feel a shock at the back of my neck and instinctively jump up and away, Isla hisses. Another roll of thunder breaks the silence and I turn around to run home, forgetting about the weird shock. My dark brown hair is sticking to my forehead and I have cat hair stuck to my hands when I enter the house. Mom rushes at me as soon as Isla is padding towards the stairs.

"Oh my gosh Bennett! Did you not hear what I told you?! That lightning strike hit the forest and you were still out there! What were you thinking?" I frowned,

"The forest wasn't struck. It must have struck somewhere far away, there would have been smoke and fire if the woods had been struck." Mom ignored me and pulled me to her warm chest,

"Don't ever scare me like that again!" She mumbled over my shoulder.

I walked past Mary's bedroom door, inside I can hear pop music blasting from her speakers. I swear the pictures taped on her door are shaking. I bang on the door with my fist,

"Turn it down!" The music quiets slightly,

"Why are you snooping around my door Bennett?" She accuses,

"Anyone could hear your annoying music Mary!" I yell back then slam my door. I feel my bed jerk as I sit down, Isla is looking at me with an annoyed face before settling back down into sleep.

"I wish I could be a cat like you Isla. You seem pretty good at ignoring people."