Day 310: Sally Storm

Sally Storm
by
Matt Zurbo

 

One day Sally decided she was a storm.
(Angry little girl , small cloud over her head.)

These things don’t just happen.
(One big girl pushing Sally, who is falling backwards over kneeling girl behind her.)

It took a lot.
(Girl wrestling dog for her homework.)

And then some.
(Girl chasing leaving bus, bullies on bus, laughing.)

But she decided: “Enough’s enough. I’m going to blow roofs off!”
(Sally stomping, furious, down footpath.)

At first she went somewhere private, as if out to sea,
(Sitting on swing under tree in paddock, grumpy expression.)

and found her heart swaying like a breeze,
(Same image, clouds rising behind her.)

then gathered all her memories and weight, and might,
(Looking up from swing at now HUGE back and grey clouds.)
and rose!

Oh, she rose,
(Walking, clouds almost growing in her wake.)

and rained!
(Beginning to dance, while surrounded by clouds and rain and lightening.)

“I am a storm!” Sally thundered. “BOOM! RUMBLE!”
(Girl dancing with wind and rain. Bullies in wet weather clothes one with umbrella, teasing, laughing.)
“Get out of it,” the bullies laughed. “You’re just a crazy girl, dancing in the rain.”

“CRACK! BOOM!” Sally thundered, for every moment she was picked on,
for each time she felt alone,
for every time she wanted to cry.
(Lightening passing Sally, knocking over one or two of the bullies.)

“RUMBLE! CARACK-A-TOOM!” 
(Sally, standing in the rain, with a smile on her face. A bully or two, running away in the background.)

(Sally, eyes closed, arms waving in the wind, rising to meet the greys and rain of the storm. Trees swaying, things filling with water.)

(Sun rising through patchwork clouds.)

The next day, vegies grew like never before.
(Sally walking past overflowing vegi gardens.)

(Sally walking, plants growing in her wake. Fish jumping in dam, frogs jumping.)

The air smelt clean.
(Sally walking down street, everyone behind her in their yards, happy, birds in full birdbaths, flowers and plants all overgrowing.)

Fresh.
(The biggest bully is behind Sally, leaning her way. But other, scared bullies are holding big bully back. Sally is walking on, oblivious to them, rain over her, birds flying beside her, into her winds.)

“What if I was a storm?” Sally thought.
(On edge of hilltop, watching storm and birds go on without her.)

“What a good way to love the world….!”
(Sally, arms out, head tilted back, on ride, with light and dark clouds swirling behind her.)

 
The End.
(Sally walking, pointing to small cloud that is raining on grumpy bully girl who is walking in front of her.)