Barbara Brooke

Always choose the adventure ... unless, it's chilly outside and there's a cup of warm coffee resting near a book and comfy sofa.

They__e close. Voices loud and fierce, Slapping faces with words. A scream _ A cry _ They__e getting closer.Did I lock the door? It__ too late to check. They__e coming. I barely move, barely breathe. Perhaps they__l go away. But they__e getting closer.The door slams against the wall. My eyes squeeze shut. This curtain is not a shield. They__e here. They__e come for me. I freeze.Metal rings clank together. My barrier is cast aside. Wearily, I look. Reddened eyes glower at one another _ But not at me. I wonder.A moment of silence _ Water streams down my face. Steam rolls around my flesh. I glare at the intruders And slide the curtain between us. I wait.He shrieks, __he took my glow stick!_ She howls, __o, I didn__!_ I scowl. __o tell your father about it.__hey leave. I inhale the lavender mist. Slather bubbles over my skin. Five more minutes _ And, next time, I shall lock the door.

Drama entered my home last week, but I ushered it to the door and tossed it to the curb.

I suspect that I__ not alone when it comes to altering my surroundings depending on how I feel at any particular moment: diving into a specific book, immersing inside a particular movie, devouring certain foods or humming to just the right song.

Toys have taken over my family room. I watch Mary Poppins, and no matter how many spoonfuls of sugar I eat, action figures won__ march into a bin with the snap of my fingers.

Why do I write? Because, I am able to create wonders with a click of my keyboard. I turn my computer on, and suddenly, I__ whisked into a world full of wonder and amazement. The universe bends to my will and defies physics. But when the afternoon arrives, I must return to my duties. I leave the comfort of my home and crawl through the elementary school carpool line. When I see the brightened faces of my children, my heart flutters, and I realize I can live with a few straggling toys _ as long as I can escape into the shower later.