Rain, Rain, Come Again —First Refined Version

Lightning flashed brilliantly and was followed by the magnificent crashing of thunder. The three children, David, Ellie, and Reva, could barely hear themselves over the pouring rain. A warm glow from an orange lamp gave the room a cheerful and snuggly feeling. Outside was as dark as evening even though it was only nine ’o’clock in the morning. Standing at the windows, they peered through the frosty panes, hoping for sunshine. David walked slowly to the dining room and plonked himself on the seat. Ellie folded down on the rug in the centre of the living room and let out a sigh. Rubbing her chin, she contemplated piecing puzzles on her own or convincing David to play checkers with her. Little Reva still stood at the windows, amusing himself by drawing stick figures on the misty panes. As such, the children rode out the boredom until there was a terrifying crash that sent a startled Reva running to Ellie.

David unconsciously leaned forward, his eyes following his baby brother from the window to his sister’s arms. He smiled and shook his head at the bawling toddler. Walking over to him, he tossed him into the air again and again, turning his brother’s wailing into whimpers and then silence. Thereafter, he joined his sister in a game of checkers. Noticing the boredom of the toddler, he quickly jumped onto the sofa.

“All aboard; there isn’t a moment to lose.”

“But Captain, we set sail in a fortnight,” said Ellie, catching on.

“The winds are powerful. We can’t wait until then.”

“I’ll round up the crew.”

“Be quick, or our ship will be run aground.”

“Are we going to Picnic Harbour?”

“Yes, this will be the worst storm Longface Isle has ever had.”

“We have a fine ship. She’ll pull through.”

The ship was a three-seater sofa with a decent number of pillows arranged across it. David threw an Ankara comforter over a selfie stick, pretending it was the ship's mast. Adorned with family pictures and bric-a-brac, the room was quite snug even in a dreadful storm.

The children hurriedly packed the essentials; as you surely know, it is essential to have some sweet treats and snacks for any worthwhile voyage, so there were three bars of chocolate, three wraps of toffee, three egg sandwiches, and three mugs of delicious hot chocolate.

Already, violent winds were blowing. With the news of the intensity of the wind, David and Ellie pushed against the imaginary force, taking slow, laborious steps forward. Reva caught on and joined in. Ellie carefully arranged the snacks on a stool at the end of the sofa. Lifting his baby brother into the make-believe ship, David placed him in between himself and Ellie. Excited, little Reva giggled and screamed, no longer minding the darkness and thunderings caused by the storm. They meandered the vast ocean unobstructed until, suddenly, they struck a giant iceberg. The storm outside seemed to be playing along with the children, because just as David announced the crash, it thundered loudly.

Quickly, the children tossed the pillows onto the rugs. David considered tossing the treats off the ship, but Reva’s eyes got as big as saucers, and his lips started to quiver. So, much to everyone’s relief, he noticed the ship was now safe, and the snacks could stay aboard. To celebrate, they each had a toffee, which cheered Reva up. It wasn’t long until Ellie spotted Picnic Harbour. They threw down the anchors and leapt safely to shore to enjoy their treats. It seemed as if the real storm was playing along, for all storms ended at the same time, much to the children’s delight.

For laughs

David asked his mother, on a cold and freezing day, if they could have ice cream. She answered in the affirmative. When he asked how they would be getting to the ice cream shop, she replied, “Oh honey, the same way you got to Picnic Harbour.”