I woke up that morning half awake not wanting to escape the comforts of my bed. I shifted my weight to my other side and further encased my self in blankets. While I laid in my bed I couldn't help but notice the sound of wind had died down leaving only a faint lingering whistle. I peaked my head up from the cover listening for any remnants of the storm but all I could hear was the gentle whistle of wind and the soft pitter patter of rain on my windows excitedly I threw back the covers and raced through the hallway hoping to tell my parents the news only to find my mother fixing breakfast while my idiotic younger brother stabbed at his waffles.
" Your up early, well early for you" mom said still fixated on her cooking
" Yeah I've never been much of a morning person, guess today was just one of those early days". I said taking a seat next to my brother
" Ha!Mom's sayin your lazy" he said
"Hey Noah did you know stupid is contagious"
" It is?" He said with a dumb expression on his face
" yeah its an air born virus theirs been a recent outbreak so you should really close your mouth or you'll spread it".
" Really? Wait are you callin me stupid".
" Yeah,whats knew"
"Clair Emily Baker do not call your younger brother stupid" my mother said giving a sharp,piercing glance in my direction".
"I didn't call him anything I just.... alluded to it".
" Clair Baker you shut your mouth right now,and apologize to your brother"
" Yeah Clair apologize" He said
" sorry" I said quietly fighting the urge to punch him in his stupid face
" What? I couldn't hear you ,what did you say again"? Said Noah stupidly. I was quiet for a second trying to weigh the consequences of just telling him to shut up.
" Clair. " My mother said sharply breaking my concentration.
" Alright,Alright Noah I'm sorry for calling you stupid even though you deserved it.Are we done now."
"Clair!" My mother turned towards me finally looking away from her cooking
" I thought I raised you better than this I thought you were more mature."
" I am mature it's just....
"Oh really because right now your acting like a child." I could tell by moms expression she was furious with me.
" Yeah Clair we don't start arguments we stop them." Noah begins chiming in trying to mimic my mothers signature catchphrase which she used on me every time I said something she didn't like.
"That's right Noah and your sister will do well to remember that." Noah sticks his tongue out at in a gesture that made him look more idiotic then he already is I clench my fist pressing my nails into my palm. In a act to lower the tension in the room I change the topic.
"So where's dad"
"Oh I told him to buy grocerys once the storm died. We were starting to run low on food but he's probably out there buying chew. Her personality seems to have taken a complete 180 from what it was before. Shes strikingly calm after only a couple seconds ago being furious.
"I always tried to get your father to quit using tabacco,but he always comes back to it in one way or another but I guess chew is better than actual smoking after all the whole house doesn't smell like cigarettes anymore still, it ruins your health that's why i'm going to live a lot longer than your father
" God please no"
"What was that Clair"
"Nothing mother" Just then my dad opens the door he's holding 4 grocery bags in each hand and is clearly chewing something I can only assume to be tabacco
" Hey honey got you those grocery's you asked for" my father announces triumphantly. Mother smiles sweetly at him
" Thanks dear"She hands my father and me plates of bacon eggs and hash brown.
" What is it like out there, I asked as he grabbed a seat next to mine.
" Well the streets are still pretty flooded , still windy but not as bad as it was and there's a light drizzle but that's about it ,Earl from the shop said the roads will clear up in a day or two so we can start driving then."
" Does that mean we have to go to school?!" Noah said whining.
"as soon as those roads clear up,sorry little bud but i didn't make the rules."
" then who did?" Noah asked even whinier than before
" Truant officers" dad replied.
" Did you hear about Mr. Murphy's house." said Noah eager to change the subject. Just hearing about that house made me shudder it was the oldest house in Joyswood even older than the church it stood at the corner of the street a tall looming Victorian monument of beautiful decay it stood out from other houses which were all practically the same with the exception of different coats of paint.All the plants near the house were dead even the grass and tress,the house itself was very large in size. It had a dingy gray color with a black roof that was slowly caving in. Mr. Murphy refused to change anything in that house which was partly the reason it was in such bad shape. Mr. Murphy's wife had died many years prior to us first coming to Joyswood sometimes I see him sitting in his rocking chair on his front porch with this longing look in his eyes and I think he's waiting for her to come back. Mr Murphy was always a kind man but he could never love anyone as much as he loved that house not even his own kids, I think that's why he never sold it. I turned to my brother who had successfully turned what used to be a waffle into a fine paste drenched in syrup that he was shoveling into his mouth I winced in disgust.
"I heard that it got hit by lightn'in, burned down and Mr. Murphy died." said Noah excitedly. Father began to chuckle
" What?" Noah said disappointed with Fathers reaction.
"Mr. Murphy didn't die and his house didn't burn down Murphy was staying with a friend out of town house when the storm struck and the house only suffered minor damages.
" Wait Mr. Murphy has friends, well that's surprising." I said
" Of course Mr. Murphy has friends dear the people of Joyswood love him." mom said
" Well that's just Joyswood but I mean outside of that"
"What are you talking about?" she asked
" I just think.... Mr. Murphy would have a hard time fitting in anywhere else besides Joyswood." I said, Mom looked puzzled for a moment before deciding to drop the subject all together. After a couple moments of silence I decided it was time for me to make my exit.
"Hey dad now that the storms calmed down I feel like I need some fresh air after being cooped up in here for 3 days and...."
"Clair of course you can go outside now go before your youth passes you by".
I shove the last few bites of hash brown and grab my coat from the hanger before running towards the door
"Goodbye" I said waving to no one in particular I then swung the door open and walked outside.
"Wait be careful out there." Mom said
"Wow I've never seen that girl so happy to go outside". Father said
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