TATER

He squinted into the gust as he eyed the horizon, watching  the blackness slowly enveloping the landscape before him.  It was three in the afternoon or thereabouts, and the daylight was rapidly extinguishing to dusk.  Moments ago, they were playing kick the can in the hot afternoon sun, pausing to run a few laps through the sprinkler when the heat and humidity overwhelmed them.  It started as a soft breeze, and a momentary gust, and then started to bluster more steadily.  It was a cool respite to the 100 degree day, that was welcomed at once by the ragtag group of kids  assembled for their favorite summer game.  He was barefoot, as he always was, May through September, and had just finished plucking another damn grass sticker from his toe when he noticed the change in light, and looked up.

He was amazed at the darkness of the storm clouds, like the bruises his father sometimes left.  Blackish purple in the center fading to a gruesome green and yellow at the edges.  He imagined God had punished the sky for some transgression, and slapped the smile off it with the back of his hand.  The thought made him giggle and shudder at the same time.  He didn't know where the hell these thoughts came from, they just popped in his head at times like photographs, clear as day, and crazy as a dream.  He watched the shadows the clouds made on the ground where they had killed the sun, as they rolled towards him.  Thunder starting to make itself heard, growing steadier and louder.  He could see the bands of moisture in the distance, like blue sun rays shooting down from the clouds.  He imagined them to be cold and sad, the perfect antithesis to the summer day he had been enjoying.

He could hear something in the distance that sounded like a car horn stuck on, or a cow's death cry.  He couldn't for the life of him figure out what it was.  He looked out again at the impending storm, and started to get a case of the butterflies.  Never had he seen a storm bank so immense and deep.  Dark as death.  He could smell the rain now, and it was getting a little too close for comfort.

He looked around the yard, spotted his little brother, and took him by the hand.

We have to start home now.

Can we just stay and play in the rain?

Not this time, this don't look like a shower.  This looks pretty bad.

Five more minutes?

For what?   Everyone's gettin' their stuff and headin' home.  Come on now, let's git.

His brother let out a sigh and took his hand, allowing himself to be pulled along.

He turned to check the storm's progress, and started to see things bouncing on the grass in the distance.  He picked up his pace and urged his brother to hurry up.

What is it?

Hail!  It's pretty big too.  We need to git under somthin quick.

Their house wasn't yet in sight, and he was starting to get worried.  He picked his brother up in his arms and started to run towards the grade school.  He could see the overhang of the entrance not 40 yards away, and knew it would protect them from the hail.  He sheltered his brother in his arms the best he could, and ran as fast as the extra burden would allow.  He heard the hail falling and striking off the street, homes, cars, and finally felt the blows like fists hit his head, shoulder and calf.  He careened into the entranceway of the school none too soon, and was bent over panting as his brother watched the hailstones bouncing, with a look of horror.

They're big as golf balls!

Hurt like em too.

Mom's going to be mad we ain't home yet.

Yeah, well, we're  tryin, right?

tryin ain't gonna do us much good if she tells daddy.

Don't you worry about him, he don't hit the baby of the family, just me.

I ain't no baby!

You look like one.

Do not!

I'm just teasin you, calm down.  We need to git back before the lightening starts coming down.

He hated lightening.  It was the finger of God waiting to punish him with the dancing jig of death.  He knew it was his fate to be rendered a smoking pile of rags, singed hair, and carbon.  He watched for a break in the hailstorm, it never lasted more than a few minutes, and they were going to have to make a dash for it.

To Be Continued...