“Boom!” thunder roared loudly and a flash of fork lightning tore across the night sky. The violent winds were thrashing in the treetops.

” Owwwwwwwww..” I grumbled disappointedly as I listened to the rain lashing against the windows. My friends and I had planned to go to the playground to have some fun that night. All was going fine until late afternoon, when the tumultuous clouds started to roll in from the west with increasing tread. We kept our fingers crossed, hoping would not rain. However, our hopes were dashed when a curtain of rain beat down from the heavens.

” Why must it rain today?!” I fumed, somewhat angry with the sky. Feeling bored at home, I switched on the television. I jabbed the remote control buttons frantically, trying to find an interesting television programme.

All of a sudden, the lights started to flicker and there was a power failure.

“Ahhhhh!!! What’s wrong?!” I shrieked, frightened and shocked. My house was completely engulfed in pitch darkness. I could not even see five inches in front of me. I waved my arms furiously, trying to find my way. Utterly panic-stricken, my stomach constricted into a tiny knot of fear. My teeth were clicking like a bagful of marbles while my knees clacked back and forth. Overcome with fright, I experienced a feeling of weakness then I blacked out.

I woke up in my bed sobbing, drenched in sweat and paralyzed with fear. The first thing I saw was my mother staring at me anxiously.

“Are you okay, dear? Why were you on the floor?” my mom questioned me worriedly. She was obviously very concerned about me. However, I did not utter a single word. Instead, I gave her a big bear hug and let the tears flow down my cheeks.

” Don’t leave me alone again, Mama!” I sobbed. My mother patted my shoulder gently and told me it was all over. Somehow, her words and touch were so reassuring. I calmed down immediately. Afterwards, my mother taught me what to do during a black-out like this. She also told me that panicking in emergencies will not help. It was a frightening experience and I never wanted to relieve it again.