Candace, our teen-aged baby-sitter,
had fallen asleep in front of our TV set,
with a bowl of popcorn spilled all over her;
and Mom's sofa and carpet, too.

A storm raged outside.

BA-BOOM!!!

Mindy and Jamal shuddered as thunder rumbled through the night sky.

"When is Mom and Dad coming back?" asked Mindy.
"Soon," replied Jamal. "They just went over to check on Gramma.
Her phone is down. They'll be back soon. We don't have to worry."

BAM! BOOM! CRACK! SIZZLE!
Went the storm.

"Ooooo, Jamal. I don't know, that I know about that. I'm worried."
"Well...to be honest to you, Mindy...I don't know that..."

For a quick second lightning flashed a creepy looking figure in the living room window.
It looked just like a fiery red dragon.

Thunder boomed. Jamal gasped. Mindy screamed.
Candace flopped to a more comfortable position on her pop-corn bed;
with her arm dangling down to the floor like a wet noodle.

Zzzzz...sputt-putt..zzzzzzzz.

The TV droned on with this old-time rock-and-roll show,
about this rubber-legged guy playing guitar. He was like an ice cube.
He was square; but he was cool.

He was telling this girl that she ain't nothin' but a hound dog.
And every girl in the audience was cheering him on.
Candace was one of his spaced-out girl friends.
She said his name was...Melvis Messly; or something like that.

Just then...

The window went black, and the red dragon disappeared.
There came this scratching sound at the door.

"It's at the door," Mindy announced with a shiver.
"What'll we do now, Jamal?"

There came a jiggling of the doorknob.

"I'm out," replied Jamal.

Ignoring Candace's irksome snoring we leaped on the sofa and hid behind her.
She responded with a bubbling gurgle.

"I don't feel safe here, Jamal.
"Me either."

At that Jamal dove behind the sofa.
Mindy bounced on top of him.
She hugged him tighter than she'd ever hugged Barbie.

"Oh! Don't let it get me, Jamal," she cried.
"OW!" cried Jamal.
"Ow what?'
"It's those stupid jax that you misplaced yesterday.
"Yes. And here's my ball too."

"Who cares about you silly old ball?
I've got one of your jax stuck in my..."

"HUSH! Listen, Jamal. Can you hear what I hear?"

We heard footsteps.

"It's in the house," said Mindy, "What'll we do, Jamal? It's coming."
Shhhh. Maybe it'll get Candace, and not look back here."

On came the lights.

"Mindy. Jamal," called Mother.
We crawled out.

"MOM," Mindy exclaimed, "We saw a fiery red dragon."
"And it tried to get us," Jamal added, "lucky for us you guys came.

"Where did you see it?" asked Dad.
"Right there," Dad, Mindy replied, "just outside the window."

Mom went over and peered out the window into the thundering and lightning.
Then she turned, looked at Mindy and Jamal, and laughed.

"I see your fiery red dragon too." she said after looking outside again.
"You do," Mom?" asked Mindy'
"You do," Mom?" asked Jamal.

"The fiery red dragon that you saw was the shadow of my rosebush;
swishing and swaying in the fiery wind storm."

"Are you kids still afraid," asked Dad.

"Who said anything about us ever being afraid?" asked Mindy.

"Not me." said Jamal.
"Not me." said Mindy.
"Not me." said Candace sitting up,
rubbing her sheepish sleepy eyes,
and fanning popcorn from her hair with her fingers.

Everybody laughed save for Candace.

She yawned.