Rainy Day Adventures

Kit Maxwell was living a wonderful life. It was summer time and every day, as soon as she had eaten her breakfast and finished her chores she would run outside to play, all day, in the sun drenched meadows and cool shaded apple orchard near her home. Adults some times wondered what she found to do all day. Kit thought that maybe adults lost all their imagination! If that was true she didn’t intend to ever grow up! She loved playing with her imaginary friends, dreaming up daring adventures, stalking prey in the tall grass, or waiting for a suitor to come rescue her from the branches of a tree. The rocks, twigs, and branches were her toys. Wild creatures her favorite companions. As the sun was setting, Kit would make her way home, from her adventures, to bathe in a tub filled with iridescent bubbles. And then Mama and Papa would pray over her and tuck her into bed where she would dream sun dappled visions of new adventures.

One day, when Kit woke up, the air was filled with the sound of crashing thunder. Gloom filled her usually cheerful room. Lightning pierced the gloom for a second with a knife sharp shaft of light. It was immediately followed by the booming roll of thunder. Kit got out of her bed and knelt in front of the window. She could barely see the yard through the rain until the lighting flashed again and for just a moment she could see the apple trees whipping wildly about as if ghosts had possessed them in the night. She stood up, made her bed, and dressed in a t-shirt and overalls. The chill in the air made her decide to add a sweatshirt, socks, and sneakers. Then she went down the stairs for breakfast.

After she had finished eating Kit stepped, as usual, to the back door and was getting ready to turn the knob and head outside when her mother’s voice stopped her. “Not today Kit!”

“But …”

“Kit … you may NOT play outside during a thunderstorm. It’s not safe. You will have to find a way to entertain yourself indoors today. If you can’t find something to do though, I’m sure I could find a few chores for you to do.”

Kit sulked her way up the stairs to her room where she sat and pouted at her collection of dolls, doll houses, toys, books and puzzles. They were okay but not nearly as much fun as playing outside. She tried to play for a while but she was just plain bored. After a bit she decided to see if she could figure out something else to do. She stepped out into the hall and almost immediately noticed the pull cord for the attic stairs. She’d been in the attic once or twice with Papa to get boxes. Other than that she’d never been allowed up there. She was almost certain that if she went up there she could find an adventure. It was IN the house where Mom had told her to play. And while she had been told not to go up there before … Mama hadn’t said not to today!

Kit jumped to see if she could reach the pull cord. Not quite. She jumped again. Mama called, from the bottom of the stairs, “Kit! Stop that! We do not run and jump inside the house!” Shoot! Now how was she going to do this. Struck by a sudden inspiration, Kit crept quietly down the stairs into the living room where her grandpa’s old cane was leaning against the fireplace. She grabbed it and headed back up the stairs. It took her a few tries but finally she snagged the loop of the pull cord and pulled the attic stairs down. Cringing at their creaking noise she hoped her Mama hadn’t heard. She set the cane off to the side and scampered quickly up the attic steps. She pulled the string at the top to turn on the light from a bare bulb hanging above her head. Then she turned and pulled the ladder up behind her.

Kit turned and surveyed a dust covered adventure land!

***

Your turn … tell me something that you want Kit to find in the attic and I will work your suggestions into future installments of Kit’s story.