“Oh my gosh, Kelsi you have to get this one!” Screamed my eldest sister, Kaiya. She handed me a pastel pink, blue, and yellow fluffy sloth. I held it in my small hand and hugged it close to my chest as I glanced into my sisters’ pleading blue eyes. Kaiya loved sloths. My cousins ooed and awed as I stared into the plushie’s black shimmery eyes, and adorable sewed smile. August 16, 2019 in Sunriver Oregon. A day I will never forget.

“Ok! I like this one. It's really cute!” I giggled. I strode out of the cozy, cabin style store with my head held high. I lifted my newly acquired friend into a flimsy plastic bag. Then, I triumphantly placed the bag onto the handlebars of my childish bike. I was almost too dazed in my happiness to notice the small bits of ice soaring down to earth from the heavens. I snapped back to reality when I felt the firm shake of my brother's hand on my arm.

 “Kels, we gotta get back. There's a storm.” He stated. I shrugged his hand off and looked to my left. My cousin stood behind me in pure terror, frozen.

 “Ximena don’t worry, it's just a little thunder.” I teased. 

“Plus,” piped in my younger cousin, Kamilla. “Boys are 10 times more likely to get struck by lightning than we are! So, don’t worry!” 

“That makes me feel so much better.” She sarcastically groaned as she looked around at her father and younger brother.

 “Come on kids! Time to head home, Mother Nature doesn't look so good today…” My father yelled. I hopped onto my bike, and steadied the handrails that were made uneven by the weight of the stuffed animal. As I rode down the bumpy dirt paths surrounded by sage, twiggy trees. I felt a gust of wind as my brother, Keegan, flew past me. He was standing up and pedaling hard. Not long after, his girlfriend, Sam, followed suit. I always liked to be in the front, so this didn't sit right with me. So, I twisted my hand and changed my gears to first, stood up on my bike and started to fly through the trees. Everything was a blur. I kept my eyes on the path and soon enough, I couldn't see anyone behind me. I slowed my pace and glided through the trails. The hail was coming down harder now, and there was a noticeable change in the air. The sky had started to- “AHHH!” I screamed, as Keegan and Sam pounced out from a thick tree and scared me right off my bike. We all crumbled onto the damp concrete in laughter. “Kelsi, you have to stay behind and scare the parents!” Keegan suggested.

 “Oh my gosh, yes! That’s going to be so funny. You guys go ahead, I'll wait for them, they shouldn’t be long behind…” 

“Ok! You know where to go, right?” 

“yeah! Of course I do, I've done it a million times.”

 “See you there then!” Keegan shouted, as he slid down the hill. So I waited, and waited, and waited… Still waiting. Where are they? I couldn’t have gone that far ahead of them, could I? I’ve been waiting for at least ten minutes, they should be here by now. I looked down at my newly brown shoes that sunk into the earth at a rapid rate. I glanced around at my barren surroundings. Not a car, animal, or person in sight. I was in deep concentration, when I felt a sharp pain on my skull. Ow! What was that? I raised my eyes to the sky, and felt my body tensen with fear. The sky was a deep, green, purplish color. It looked like a witch stirring a cauldron. The sky moaned with ferocity as lightning cracked across the stratosphere. I snuck out from the shelter of the surrounding trees into the main, uncovered path. I held out my pale hand to protect me from the ravenous wind, ripped my bike from the ground that was slowly claiming it, tore the mud from its bars and mounted it. I Mounted the vulnerable, miniscule, metal, vehicle in the middle of a raving lighting storm. I felt like I could feel the electricity radiating from my bike. In a terrorized state, I broke out into a sobbing cry. Screaming for anyone that could help me. 

“Keegan? Keegan!” I started hyperventilating in a panicked frenzy. 

“Kelsi? I’m over here!” I let out an extremely relieved sigh and searched for the face to match the voice, but I struggled to see through the tears that stained my cheeks, and the rain that whipped into my squinted eyes. I crawled my way to the nearest path where the trees tried their hardest to shield me from the rugged terrain. 

“Keegan,” I whimpered, “I don’t know which way to go.”

 “It’s ok Kelsi, just go straight.” He spoke. His words were clear and calm. I instantly felt relief. I took a few deep breaths to clear my senses as I looked down the long hill in front of me. It was a clear gravel path with tremendously large trees on both sides. The suburban, small neighborhoods in the distance looked like small pawns surrounded by the large landscape. The wind screamed all around and the sky had turned a deeper, more menacing, swampy color. The hail fell with such force and noise I mistook it for trees falling. Mistook it for trees falling. Trees falling. Oh no. It all happened so fast. An ear bleeding crack as the white lighting struck the base of the gargantuan tree closest to the edge of the path. The tree was set ablaze for a split-second before it was silenced, like an animal after slaughter, by the wild rain. The tree started to collapse onto the street. Almost in slow motion, I looked at the massive tree soaring through the air. I saw the soon to be landing pad of this monster that was occupied by the ant-like figures of Sam and Ximena. The tree fell. Silence. I let out a terrible scream as the dust rose. My brothers eyes became glossy as he processed what just had happened.

 “Kelsi, go with your uncle.” He commanded

“Keegan what happened? Are they ok?” I stuttered. Are they gone? If I would have gone down with them I would have been like them too. Or would I? I can’t think straight, I need shelter. Before I knew it I was shoved into a baby trailer connected to a bike as I forced my eyes closed until I could only see the colorful swirls behind my eyelids. The hail was pounding on the thin fabric covering around me. Like a rabid wolf in a small cage. Still, I wasn't concerned with my own safety. Sam and Ximena were dead. I was awoken from my dream-like state by the sudden halting of motion that sent me jolting forward.

 “Kelsi, come on. Get inside we’ll get your bike after the storm is over.” uttered my Uncle. How is he so calm? His daughter was just savagely killed! I was ushered into the garage where I heard the pounding of the rain. I burst out in tears and mourned for my friends. 

“It's ok Kelsi calm down, I got your sloth thing.” Snickered… Sam. I opened my eyes and saw Sam and Ximena. Sam was covered head to toe in dust. Her blonde coils were darkened and tangled by the occasional twig. Her bright eyes shined at me holding up my new memorabilia. Ximena was standing beside her. Her eyes wide and tear filled. She was clutching her blanket with both hands and shivering. They were ok. That day I learned: when there is a storm in the middle of the forest, it might not be the best idea to ride alone on a metal bike when you don't even know where your house is.