Sometimes it feels like she practices a new drill every day. Fire drills, earthquake drills, active shooter drills; she can tell you what each alarm means and how to respond.
When the rest of her class feels panic, she gets a twinge of excitement. It’s her favorite part of the day.
Her teacher explained the concept of ‘Chekhov’s Gun,’ but she already understands. The world is full of potential energy. The gun placed on the mantlepiece will someday be fired. The emergency is always waiting, in the future.
And when the alarm rings, she will rise to meet her destiny.

“File:Mircom Fire Alarm HornStrobe (crop).jpg” by Ben Schumin is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.

My very short story collection, The Mountain’s Shadow is available now from Amazon and Smashwords!

Everyday Drabbles © 2024 by Hugh J. O’Donnell is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0