The Long, Dark Weekend

The sky turned dark gray and the wind began to howl. Big rain drops hit the roof very hard. Sam sat on the rug with his dog, Barnaby. His mom told him that a big thunderstorm was coming. They heard a loud siren near their street. It was time to go to the basement to stay safe.

Suddenly, the bright lights in the kitchen went out. The whole house became very dark and quiet. Sam's dad found the big black flashlights in the drawer. They walked down the stairs carefully. They could hear the wind shaking the windows. Everyone sat on the big sofa and waited for the storm to pass.

The next morning, the power was still off. Sam tried to turn on the TV, but it did not work. He could not play his video games. There was no hot water for a bath. Mom and Sam played board games on the floor. They ate cold cereal and peanut butter for lunch. It felt like they were camping inside their own home.

By the third day, the sun finally came back out. The rain had stopped and the sky was blue. Sam went outside to look at the yard. There were many small branches on the grass. He helped his dad pick them up and put them in a pile. It was hard work, but the fresh air felt good.

That night, something exciting happened. The kitchen light suddenly blinked and stayed on. The fridge made a loud humming sound again. Sam cheered and gave Barnaby a big hug. He was happy to have the lights back. He also knew his family could handle anything together.