Belinda Says Hay: “The Tornado“

Hello. It's Belinda.

Did you have a big storm at your place on Tuesday?

We sure did here in Pittsburgh.

I had no idea it was coming. Neither did Little Fang.

It all started late in the afternoon. I had just "logged off" for the day.

Finished my hay reports early. 

I was relaxing on my sleeping rug, chewing a little orchard grass and thinking about dinner.

Little Fang was tidying up her exercise pen. As much as she can, poor thing. She has some medical issues that I'm not allowed to discuss.

She was also talking to the English. By talking I mean calling his name every few minutes.

He didn't answer. I assume he was napping in his sleeping box. None of my concern.

All of a sudden I heard my roommate walking fast across the ceiling. 

Then she was running down the steps to us.

"There's a big storm coming, bunnies!"

She was carrying a radio. She set it on the washing machine and turned to look at me.  

"This radio runs on batteries. We might need it if we lose power."

Just then her phone made a funny noise. Like a duck quacking, but the quack got stuck.

She looked at her phone and read the screen.  

"Oh boy. Oh boy," said my roommate. 

She rushed to the storage closet under the steps. It used to be my office but that's not important right now.

She opened the door, reached inside and took out a big blanket.

Next thing you know she climbed onto the dryer, facing the window behind it. Which isn't safe in my opinion but you can't tell her what to do. She's like the English in that "regard." 

Anyway she hooked the blanket to a rod above the window. 

She turned and jumped to the floor. The room was so dark.

A stone hit the window.

Then three stones.

Then someone tossed a bucket of stones at the glass.

"Don't worry bunnies. That's just hail."

She walked across the room, toward the English. He was still inside his sleeping box. 

I want to look out the window, said Little Fang. 

I told her to be quiet. I was crouched beside the furnace. Against the wall.

That's when the whistling started. Wind blowing through the dryer vent.

"Here we go," said my roommate. She was sitting on the floor by the English's pen. 

The whistling got louder. It wasn't "cheerful" like the little tunes my roommate whistles. This sounded like the wind was mad. Mad and in a big hurry.

"You're a brave rabbit." She was talking to the English.

Tell her to open the door, said Little Fang.

I made a face at her.

The wind was so loud. I wondered if the window would blow in. 

My roommate was smart to cover it with the blanket. "Good thinking."

I want to look at the rain, Little Fang said.

That was the last straw. 

Come on! I snapped. There's a tornado outside!

As soon as I said it I wanted to take it back.

First of all, I didn't know if it was a tornado. I saw the Wizard of Oz but that's all I know about "twisters."

Secondly it upset Little Fang. She ran right into her sleeping box. Which my roommate saw. 

"It's OK. We're safe." 

Here's the thing. I think my roommate was trying to convince herself. Her voice sounded like she took a big breath but forgot to breathe out.

All along, the whistling of the wind was getting louder. Slamming noises too.

I've never heard anything like it if you want to know the truth. And I've been living on the bottom level for a long time. 

You won't believe what happened next.

Everything stopped.

No more hail smacking the window. The whistling died down like a balloon going flat.

Something beeped upstairs. The refrigerator hummed.

"Oh good, the power's back," said my roommate.

"Well, let's go see what happened." 

She stood and rubbed the back of her neck. She kept saying "my heart" and "oh my heart." Breathing like she ran up a big hill.

I didn't move a muscle. 

My roommate walked upstairs to the kitchen. I heard her move through the dining room. Then the living room.

Then the squeak of the front door opening.

"Wow!"

Her voice was muffled but loud enough to hear. 

"Oh wow!"

That was enough for me. I couldn't help myself.

I ran upstairs and made my way to the front door. It was wide open.

My roommate was on the stoop.

I looked outside.

We have a lot of trees in our neighborhood. Some of them are extra tall.

For example, the tree beside the red brick house across the street.

It's twice the height of the roof.

Extra wide too. With lots of leaves on the branches because it's springtime.

Well that tree was gone.

You expect to see those branches and green leaves but it's just sky.

I don't know why I'm writing all of this in my blog.

I guess I'm still a little "shook" from all the rattling and blowing. Plus the tree.

By the way my roommate told me it wasn't a tornado after all.

It was something called a "derecho."

Either way I'm not a fan.

How is everything where you live? 

Let me know how you are in the comments. Also if you have a favorite tree.

Sincerely,

Belinda
Spokesrabbit, Small Pet Select
Inventor of the First Chew holiday
Word for 2025: "Ask"
Belinda@smallpetselect.com

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