Garage Nonsense

This last weekend ushered into our area a storm the likes of which is only known in nightmares. I thought the wolf was huffing and puffing to blow my house down. I was up during the night, but I'm guessing I wasn't doing what all of my neighbors were doing. Because once I fall asleep, storm or no storm, I sleep very soundly. And when I am rudely awoken from my slumber, I do not participate in logical reasoning. Which is why at 3 A.M. things around this house got a bit strange.

I heard from my soft, comfy bed a strange noise. A noise different and louder than the constant thunder. So I shot out of bed and ran into the front yard. But then I was confused because the noise was not in the front yard. So I ran back inside and figured out that the sound was my dog. He was howling and barking from his bed out in the garage. Since he was recently attacked by a bulldog that lives down the road, I decided that he must be under attack at that very moment. Vowing to rescue the poor creature, I ran to the mud-room, but then I stopped in my tracks. Because what if it wasn't the bulldog? What else could it be? Right then I reasoned out the possible scenarios Arrow might be experiencing out in the garage and decided upon 3 likely situations:

1. Bulldog attack
2. Thugs from the mafia killing my dog
3. Horrible slimy monster from the otherworld eating my dog

I began to sweat worrying about how I might fend off such frightening creatures. Then I developed a brilliant plan. I reached for the doorknob on the door between the mud-room and the garage, took a deep breath, told myself to be brave, and then swung the door open. Then immediately swung it shut. Then open, then shut. Then open. Then shut.
"What are you doing?" the scariest voice ever heard by humans said from behind me.
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" I yelled back, because repeating monsters when they talk to you seemed like good idea.
"I'm checking on Arrow," my logical third child said calmly.
"DRAKE?" I shouted even as I told myself to calm down for pete's sake.
"Yeah?"
"Oh, I was just opening the door quick so I could see what was going on in the garage and whatever was in there would know that I know they are there."
"Okaaaay... but why don't we just go in there and see what is wrong with Arrow?"
"Um, good idea."

So I opened the door, ran fast as lightening to our jeep, got inside and locked the door.
"I think he is just scared," Drake said from way across the garage by Arrow's bed. "Mom? Where are you?"
"In the Jeep! You should get in!"
"What are you doing in there?"
"Flashing the lights on and off!"
"I can see that, but why?"
"So whoever is hurting Arrow will go away!"
"Okaaaay...," again with the long okay. "He is just scared because of the storm."
"Well, hug him," I said, offering my first bit of helpful advice of the night.
"Yeah, I did. I'm going to bed and you should go to bed too," Drake told me like he was the boss of me.

"Did you sleep though that storm last night," Mike yawned the next morning as I was just beginning to stir.
"Yeah, but Arrow was up at 3:00."
"Really? What was wrong?"
"I don't really remember, but I opened and shut the door."
"You did what?"
"Um, well, I'm not sure why I did that, but he was making a lot of noise and I was worried about him and thought someone was hurting him so I ran down to the garage and it seemed like a good idea to open and shut the door over and over."
"Why would that seem like a good idea?"
"Well, now it doesn't really seem like that good of an idea, but Drake was there so we went into the garage to check on Arrow."
"Was he okay?"
"I didn't see him."
"Was he gone?" Mike asked, worried.
"No, but I was in the Jeep so I could flash the ..."
"Flash the what?"
"Um, I mean, maybe you should just ask Drake about it."
"I can't wait to."