The Midnight Snack

The Midnight Snack

Suddenly, a brilliant flash of lightning lit up the room, followed by a deafening clap of thunder. The storm had arrived. Emma awaken from her sleep by the noise. The rain began to beat down wildly against he rooftops and windows. Lightning flashes through Emma's bedroom like a giant spotlight. Whiskers jumps into her bed and curls up besides her. “You're not afraid of the lightning are you?” ask Emma, as she strokes her orange tabby cat along the soft fur on his back. Emma stomach begins to growls madly. All she had to eat earlier in the day was a pack of cheddar crackers and a diet Pepsi. She had a migraine headache at work and didn't feel like eating anything else. Emma turned over on her side to try to go back to sleep. Even though she began to get hunger pains, she didn't feel like getting up to go to the kitchen. There was another clasp of thunder louder than the first one. This made Emma jumped so hard that she almost knocked whiskers on to the floor. “I'm sorry Whiskers,” said Emma, as she began to laugh. There was no going back to sleep tonight with this loud thunderstorm brewing relentless outside. Each flash of lightning was followed by a rumble that seemed to shake the very foundation of the house. Emma sat up in her bed watching the rain pouring from her rooftop. She begin to think about the decadent chocolate fudge cake that she had left over in the refrigerator. Emma sat on the side of her bed and wiped her eyes. She took her feet feeling around the side of the bed for her house shoes, but she had forgot she had left them in the living room in front of the sofa. Emma took her pink fluffy bath robe that was draped across the sofa and put it on. She shivered as her feet touch the cold floor. Emma made her way up the long hall way to go into the kitchen. The clock on the wall ticked softly, its hands inching towards midnight. The kitchen was bathed in a soft, golden glow from the overhead light, casting long shadows across the tiled floor. The house was silent after the thunderstorm was over. The only noise that could be heard was the occasional creak of settling wood and the hum of the refrigerator. There was a flash of light from a car that shined across the curtains in the living room. It was her neighbor Mr. Chen coming home form the hospital where he worked as a physician.

Emma tiptoed into the kitchen, her bare feet making no sound on the cool tiles. She had been tossing and turning in bed, unable to shake off the craving for a midnight snack. The kitchen, usually bustling with activity during the day, now felt like a secret haven, a place where she could indulge her late-night whims that was her one irresistible pleasure.

She opened the refrigerator door, the light inside spilling out and illuminating her face. She scanned the shelves, her eyes landing on a slice of leftover chocolate cake. With a smile, she reached for it, her fingers brushing against the cold plate. There was a cartoon of cold milk next to a bottle of water. Emma grabbed the milk putting it in the crook of her arm.

As she turned to close the fridge, she heard a soft rustling sound. She froze, her heart pounding in her chest. Slowly, she turned around, her eyes scanning the dimly lit room. There, in the corner, she saw a pair of glowing eyes staring back at her. “Whiskers, you scared me!” she whispered, letting out a relieved sigh. Her cat, Whiskers, padded over to her, rubbing against her legs and purring softly. Emma chuckled and bent down to scratch behind his ears. The cat purred as she wrapped her long tail around Emma's legs.

“Looks like we’re both up for a midnight snack,” she said, breaking off a small piece of cake and offering it to Whiskers. He sniffed it curiously before turning his nose up and walking away. Emma laughed softly, taking a bite of the cake herself. She opened up the milk cartoon and took a couple of sips of the cold milk to wash down the cake.

She leaned against the counter, savoring the rich, chocolaty goodness. The kitchen, with its familiar smells and sounds, felt comforting in the quiet of the night. She took another bite, feeling the tension of the day melt away.

As she finished her snack, she glanced at the clock. It was past midnight now, and she knew she should head back to bed. She rinsed her plate and set it in the sink, giving Whiskers one last pat before heading back to her room. Emma threw the empty cartoon of milk into the trash can. The thunderstorm was over and droplets of rain could be seen along the window panes in the moonlight.

The house was still and quiet once more, the kitchen returning to its peaceful slumber. Emma knew she was going to have to double up at the gym to burn off the empty calories from the cake. It was worth it to satisfy her craving. Finally her stomach could stop rumbling so that she could get some much needed rest. She walked back to her bedroom with Whiskers following close behind her. The cat took his place on his kitty bed that was next to the TV stand inside the bedroom. Emma pulled off her robe and stretched arms upward yawing loudly. Emma pulled back the comforter on her bed to slipped underneath the smoothness of the silky sheets. A contented smile on her face as she starred across the room. She looked out her bedroom window as the moonlight shined brightly in the night sky like a beckon of hope. Emma sighed softly closing her eyes. She could hear Whiskers snoring lightly in the corner. The midnight snack had been just what she needed.