Lightning

This was written in response to a group’s ‘Swat’ challenge.

The last crash of thunder left Dennis in darkness but for the screen in front of him. He quickly saved his work, shut down the computer and went in search of his partners.

Although the storm had been gearing up most the afternoon, the rain hadn’t begun to fall yet. The unexpected power failure was just another sign of how bad it was going to get.

Realizing neither of his lovers was inside had him glancing out the living room window. Two bodies were suddenly silhouetted against a flash of lightning. Dennis pursed his lips in exasperation and headed for the door.

Grabbing hold of Skyy’s arm, Dennis spun him around and landed two hard swats on the seat of his pants. “Inside! Now!” he ordered. It took half a dozen similar swats to get Dusty moving at an acceptable pace.

“Ow!” Dusty turned on his senior partner as soon as the door closed behind them. “How come I got six smacks to Skyy’s two? Hard seems fair,” he griped as he rubbed his rear end.

“I’ve observed in the past that motivational swats result in quicker reaction time with Skyy than they do with you,” Dennis sternly pointed out.

“You know, Den, standing out in lightning doesn’t mean we’re going to get hit by it,” Skyy informed the older man. “And getting cold or wet isn’t what causes colds, sore throats or flu.”

“No, but being out in a storm will get you both spanked,” Dennis reminded his Brats.

“You’re clipping my wings here, Den,” Skyy vehemently complained.

“If I’m not mistaken, creatures who fly seek shelter during a storm; they don’t meet it head on.”

“But it’s so much better out there than in here,” Skyy looked out the window longingly as another clap of thunder rolled off into the distance after another fork of lightning criss-crossed the night sky.

Dennis felt himself relenting. “I guess the veranda roof will offer enough protection from the elements.”

“And we’ve got a comfy glider to share while watching the rain that has just started falling,” Dusty stated, liking Dennis’ change of heart.

“I’ll get a couple of blankets out of the hall closet,” Skyy offered, excitedly running off on his self-appointed errand.

“I guess watching the storm outside beats being stuck inside in the dark,” Dennis mused. He hoped he wasn’t setting a precedent he’d later regret and then thought, ‘What the heck!”

The End