-Eric 

                              Lightning

 The twins, Jamil and Rashad, were bored.  They had
 been at their Grandmother’s house in the country
 for almost a week.   There was plenty to do when
 it was sunny, but this day it was dark and rainy. 
 They sat in the upstairs bedroom looking out the
 window.  Past the tall willow tree in
 Grandmother’s yard a thunder cloud was in the
 distance, heading toward them.  They watched the
 lightning flashes get closer, and heard the thunder
 getting louder and louder.The lightning and thunder
 were fascinating.
 
 Jamil thought for a minute.  “In Science class
 Mr. DeVarno always said that lightning is attracted
 to things that are highest off the ground.”
 
 Rashad nodded in agreement.  “He also said metal
 rods attracted it, too.”

 The lightning was striking closer and closer. 
 The thunder shook their home.

 Jamil turned to Rashad.  “I bet you I could get
 lightning to strike this willow tree in Grandma’s
 yard.”

 Rashad didn’t believe him.  “How you gonna do that? 
 You can’t make lightning strike where you want it.”

 “Betcha I can!”

 “What’ll you bet me?”

 “Tonight’s your night to pick what we watch on TV. 
 If I get lightning to strike that willow tree, I get
 to watch what I want.”

 Jamil wanted to watch the Lakers in the Championship. 
 Rashad wanted to watch “Bloody Death 3” on the Horror
 Channel.  Rashad hated basketball, especially the
 Lakers.  Jamil hated horror movies.  They scared him
 so he couldn’t sleep.

 Rashad liked the bet.  “You can’t do it!  You’re on!”

 Lightning flashed and lit up their room.  Thunder
 followed like an earthquake.

 “Let’s go!” Jamil said. And they jumped up and ran
 downstairs and outside.

 “What are you gonna do?” Rashad asked.

 Jamil ran around the back of the house.  Rashad
 followed.  Jamil grabbed a ten foot long metal rod
 that was lying against Grandma’s house.  They had
 played Ninja with it earlier in the week. 

 “When I get halfway up this willow tree,” Jamil said
 to his brother, “hand me up this rod.”

 Jamil was an excellent climber.  He climbed halfway
 up the willow tree in a flash.  He looked down to
 Rashad, who held up the rod and handed it to Jamil. 
 The lightning was flashing all around them.  Thunder
 boomed.  Jamil took hold of the rod and carried up
 further into the tall willow tree.  Through the
 willow branches he held the rod straight up into the
 air. The top of the rod was five feet higher than the
 top of the willow tree.  Jamil wedged the rod between
 the trunk and some branches.  It did not move. 

 Rashad looked up at him and yelled, “You’re crazy! 
 This will never work!  We’ll be watching ‘Bloody
 Death 3’ tonight!” 

 Lightning struck nearby.  Thunder shook them. Jamil
 started to climb down the willow.  But halfway down,
 something happened. He started to tingle.  The hair
 on his head started to stand up with electricity. 
 Jamil was suddenly frightened. He climbed down
 another five feet, and then, like an action hero,
 jumped the rest of the way out of the tree.  As he
 hit the ground with a thud and rolled past Rashad,
 a bolt of lightning struck the metal rod on the tree. 
 There was an instant and deafening clap of thunder. 
 The boys screamed, the tree exploded with fire and
 sparks, and Grandma’s willow split down the middle. 
 The twins ran like lightning themselves into the
 house and watched the tree, split in two parts down
 its trunk and burning in the rain, through the window.

 Grandma whipped their butts with a switch, but Jamil
 and Rashad watched the Lakers that night.
                                            

                                                                    Lightning           

            They sat in the upstairs bedroom looking out the window.  Past the tall willow tree in Grandmother’s yard a thunder cloud was in the distance, heading toward them.  They watched the lightning flashes get closer, and heard the thunder getting louder and louder.  The lightning and thunder were fascinating.            Jamil thought for a minute.  “In Science class Mr. DeVarno always said that lightning is attracted to things that are highest off the ground.”            Rashad nodded in agreement.  “He also said metal rods attracted it, too.”            The lightning was striking closer and closer.  The thunder shook their home.            Jamil turned to Rashad.  “I bet you I could get lightning to strike this willow tree in Grandma’s yard.”            Rashad didn’t believe him.  “How you gonna do that?  You can’t make lightning strike where you want it.”            “Betcha I can!”            “What’ll you bet me?”            “Tonight’s your night to pick what we watch on TV.  If I get lightning to strike that willow tree, I get to watch what I want.”            Jamil wanted to watch the Lakers in the Championship.  Rashad wanted to watch “Bloody Death 3” on the Horror Channel.  Rashad hated basketball, especially the Lakers.  Jamil hated horror movies.  They scared him so he couldn’t sleep.            Rashad like the bet.  “You can’t do it!  You’re on!”            Lightning flashed and lit up their room.  Thunder followed like an earthquake.            “Let’s go!” Jamil said. And they jumped up and ran downstairs and outside.            “What are you gonna do?” Rashad asked.            Jamil ran around the back of the house.  Rashad followed.  Jamil grabbed a ten foot long metal rod that was lying against Grandma’s house.  They had played Ninja with it earlier in the week.              “When I get halfway up this willow tree,” Jamil said to his brother, “hand me up this rod.”            Jamil was an excellent climber.  He climbed halfway up the willow tree in a flash.  He looked down to Rashad, who held up the rod and handed it to Jamil.  The lightning was flashing all around them.  Thunder boomed.  Jamil took hold of the rod and carried up further into the tall willow tree.  Through the willow branches he held the rod straight up into the air.  The top of the rod was five feet higher than the top of the willow tree.  Jamil wedged the rod between the trunk and some branches.  It did not move.              Rashad looked up at him and yelled, “You’re crazy!  This will never work!  We’ll be watching ‘Bloody Death 3’ tonight!”  Lightning struck nearby.  Thunder shook them.            Jamil started to climb down the willow.  But halfway down, something happened. He started to tingle.  The hair on his head started to stand up with electricity.  Jamil was suddenly frightened.  He climbed down another five feet, and then, like an action hero, jumped the rest of the way out of the tree.  As he hit the ground with a thud and rolled past Rashad, a bolt of lightning struck the metal rod on the tree.  There was an instant and deafening clap of thunder.  The boys screamed, the tree exploded with fire and sparks, and Grandma’s willow split down the middle.  The twins ran like lightning themselves into the house and watched the tree, split in two parts down its trunk and burning in the rain, through the window.            Grandma whipped their butts with a switch, but Jamil and Rashad watched the Lakers that night.