July 2008 QUOTE OF THE MONTH: "In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks." - John Muir, Submitted by Dana Dizon, Richmond High School

Inside the Puddles
 
By Celina Kasprick
Alhambra HS
Martinez, CA
I listened to the clouds squeezing themselves out of existence as I pulled on my goulashes and heavy coat. I ran for the door but looked back as I closed my hand around the handle. Momma was quite ready yet. She was still digging through the closet in a desperate search for umbrellas. For longer and longer she shoved aside boxes and coats and I practiced my jumping to occupy myself. She yelled at me once and I stopped. Then, as if they had only been hiding out of fear of the tremors my feet had been causing, momma withdrew two umbrellas. I grabbed mine hastily and scampered for the door. took momma less than a second to reach me with her long strides.

She opened the door. It took me barely three seconds to dash outside and jump into the first puddle I saw. Grinning in satisfaction of my achievement, I moved on to the next. My umbrella was slowly becoming obsolete as I drenched myself from the bottom up. Momma walked behind me, trying not to get wet herself, but still close enough to watch me in amusement.

Then I saw it. The mother of all puddles. I was almost as big around as I was tall and it had to be at least a million feet deep. I ran, my face split in a wide smile. It got closer and closer, practically opening its arms to me. Why, even its eyes looked inviting.
Wait. Eyes? Puddles don’t have eyes... I approached the puddle at a walking pace and bent over to peer into it. Two eyes stared back at me, a mouth smiling kindly. A hand reached for me. I reached back, desperate to touch the creature and make a friend. My fingers were a millimeter away from the water’s surface, the creature doing the same, inviting me into its inky black world.

“Honey?” Momma’s voice made me turn to look at her. I looked back. The creature was gone. I pouted and stood up, the loss of something amazing hitting me full force.
Then a nanosecond later, my feet were in the air again and they came crashing down, soaking momma behind me and even resulting in my whole front becoming soaked. I grinned. Goodbye, little puddle creature.