Monday, March 19, 2012

Lightning, Massachusetts

  The lightning splattered as it struck the ground, shedding beautiful, deadly, fractal patterns onto the concrete. For half a black the pavement looked like an enormous snow flake traced by a giant. Super imposed electrically, burnt magically. The storm's scar left the whole town feeling special, as if they had seen rain falling in a way no one else had before.  Perhaps they had. From that day the people were just a little different. A little prouder. They changed their town's name from "Olde Town" to "Lightning", that is Lightning, Massachusetts. A place that had been around since the state had been a colony, but now reborn with a new name; brand new.

   With a new name the people themselves decided they would become more exciting as well.  No more being satisfied with the quiet life; each person made an unspoken resolution to become ever so slightly more. Racel Newberry started wearing a thunderbolt pin in her hair. Mark Finnegan at the age of 62 took up wake-boarding. He knew nothing about it, but it sounded exciting and found he enjoyed it immensely.  Lisa Brucket, who had become increasingly agoraphobic since her 20th birthday, was coming out more and found she liked flying kites, especially yellow ones. Richard Zacharias took to running each morning. He was up to 8 kilometers, he hoped to be ready for the marathon in October. The list went on, people adding something to their lives no matter how big or small.

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