The gentle pitter-patter of rain hitting the window pane soothed Dotty. She sighed contentedly as she emerged from her bubble bath and slipped into a soft flannel BATHROBE. Amanda had taken the boys on an overnight trip into New York, leaving her blissfully alone for the weekend. It had been some time since she had the house to herself and she planned to make the most of it.
Padding into the kitchen, she heated some oil in a deep dutch-oven. A nice bowl of fresh hot popcorn and an old, sappy, romantic movie topped her list of things to do. While she waited for the oil to come up to the right temperature, Dotty wandered into the laundry room. One by one, she checked the pockets on the boy's JEANS for any unwanted additions to the wash, tossing the assorted empty candy and gum wrappers into the trash. A pile of baseball cards and action figures also emerged from assorted pockets. She'd let the boys argue over what belonged to whom when they returned.
The sizzle and snap of the oil made her rush back into the kitchen. She dumped kernels of dried corn into the hot oil. They pinged along the sides before settling into the bottom of the pot. Popping noise filled the air along with the warm, buttery aroma of the popcorn. Her stomach grumbled and her mouth watered in anticipation of the salty treat. Scooping the feather-light snack into a bowl, she then drizzled melted butter and salt over the top. She gave the nuggets a good toss, grabbed a glass of milk and hurried into the family room. Her movie would start in just a few moments and she didn't want to miss the beginning.
Snuggling into the couch, Dotty relaxed and sighed over the handsome leading man. She just loved a man with sexy DIMPLES and Rock Hudson was as sexy as they came. Deeply engrossed in the movie, she didn't notice the weather change from a gentle shower to a torrential downpour. The booming thunder scared her and she jumped knocking the near-empty bowl off her lap. The lightning strike sizzled and illuminated the room enough for her to notice the un-popped kernels scattered over the floor.
The next thunder blast shook the entire house, and rattled the windowpanes. Lightning flashed white-hot before the echo of thunder completely died away. The room plunged into darkness. Dotty picked her way around the furniture. Thunder boomed, lightning flashed again. She spotted fat CANDLE sitting on the mantle. Blindly she reached for it, and trailed her fingers along the top looking for the fireplace matches. The small flame bathed the room in flickering light.
Candle in hand, Dotty opened the front door to see if the entire neighborhood lost power. She stepped onto the small porch just as a bolt of lightning hit the giant oak TREE across the street. A huge limb snapped off and barely missed crashing down atop of the sleek, sliver sportscar driving down the street by mere inches. Satisfied no one was injured, Dotty went back into the house and went to bed.
End
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