Nonsense
An Atypical Fire Drill
Kids say the weirdest things
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The children had gone through fire drills before. They knew what to do so the evacuation of the school building went very smoothly without incident. It was as everyone got out into the school yard that panic began to set in.
Why was the sky purple? And why was there a murmuration of thousands of birds in the sky just above the school yard? And what was that rumbling sound?
The children asked but the teachers had no answers. Some of them were frantically searching for answers on their smart phones but the phones proved to be not so smart. Soon all the teachers had joined all the students in staring up into the purple sky. Everyone could feel the vibrations of the rumbling in their feet.
Soon the school bells went off and everyone filed back into the school building. Mrs. Rothmeyer, a fifth grade teacher, turned to Mr. Denton, a fourth grade teacher, and whispered, “Maybe we’ll all be safer inside.”
When the school bells rang at the end of the school day children poured out of the school like water pouring out of a colander when draining noodles. Siblings Stacy and Brian went directly to their mother’s car parked along the curb with all the other parental cars waiting to pick up children.
“Hi there, kiddos,” their mother said as she watched her children get into the back seat of the car. With all the doors shut she started the car and pulled out into traffic.
“So how did your math test go, Stacy?”
“I think I did okay. I won’t know my grade until tomorrow.”
“What about you Brian? Did you ace the book report?”
“I got a C minus.”
“Oh Brian. You’re just not trying hard enough.”
“It’s better than the D I got on my last book report. I thought you’d be happy.”
“Oh Brian. I guess it is better but I want to see A’s. You need to get serious.”
“Mom?”
“Yes Stacy?”
“Did you see all the birds and the purple sky?”
“What? What the heck does that mean?”
