Afternoon Run

LOCATION: The basement.

MOMMY IS AT THE COMPUTER MAKING A BLOG ENTRY CELEBRATING THE HATCHING OF TWO OF OUR CATERPILLARS INTO BUTTERFLIES. MOMMY IS RELAXED AND ENJOYING A HOT CUP OF COFFEE. THE KIDLETS ARE PLAYING OUTSIDE, THE BIRDS ARE CHIRPING, THE SUN IS SHINING. IT IS A BEAUTIFUL DAY.

GOOSEYGIRL (casually entering the house): Mom? Where are you?

MOMMY: I'm downstairs.

GOOSEYGIRL: Look at this pretty flower mommy.

MOMMY: Oh, that's nice.

GOOSEYGIRL: I haven't seen this kind before. It is purple and smells good.

MOMMY (who is always looking to turn things into a learning opportunity): Do you see the stamen?

GOOSEYGIRL: Yeah, there's the boy part and look here's the pistol. That's the girl part.

MOMMY: That's right.

GOOSEYGIRL: I can't believe I found this.

MOMMY (who's turned her attention back to the computer to look for butterfly graphics for the blog): Where did you find such a pretty flower?

GOOSEYGIRL: Oh, by the soccer goal near the snake brothers are playing with.

MOMMY BOLTS FROM THE COMPUTER, RUNS UP THE STAIRS AND OUT THE FRONT DOOR. SHE'S MAKING GOOD TIME THROUGH THE FRONT YARD IN HER HOUSE SLIPPERS. SHE IS QUIETLY THANKFUL SHE ISN'T STILL WEARING HER PAJAMAS. AS SHE CLEARS THE TREES, SHE SPIES HER TWO BOYS SITTING ON THE GROUND STUDYING SOMETHING INTENTLY. AS SHE GETS CLOSER SHE CAN HEAR THEIR CONVERSATION.

ROCKETMAN: Does it have a round head or a triangle head? If it is a triangle head it is poisonous.

MOMMY (in a high pitched slightly hysterical voice): Boys! What are you doing?

BIRDMAN: Oh, I think it's just a rat snake mom, see.

THE SNAKE SUDDENLY BOLTS FOR THE PILE OF STICKS NEAR THE SOCCER GOAL. MOM LEAPS THREE FEET VERTICALLY IN THE AIR. HER HEART IS BEATING FAST AS SHE TRIES TO GET HERSELF UNDER CONTROL.

ROCKETMAN: Let's go get our reptile book and see if we can find it.

GOOSEYGIRL AND BIRDMAN: Okay, let's go.

THE THREE CHILDREN CASUALLY WALK TOWARDS THE HOUSE TO GET OUT THEIR FIELD GUIDES IN ORDER TO POSITIVELY IDENTIFY THE SNAKE THEY FOUND. MOMMY IS STILL GASPING FOR BREATH.