Scared

     I have twin sisters who are ten and a half years younger. One night I was assigned to babysit while my parents went out.  I think Joyce and Jeanne were about three or four, so I would have been a young teen ager.

     In my town was a copper smelter. At certain times of the day, there would be a very loud whistle coming from the smelter, telling the workers that it was time to change shifts, or eat lunch, or go home.  Those times were 8:00, 12:00. and 4:00. 

     The night I was babysitting, I was still up and it was getting close to midnight. I didnt have anything to do and was standing in the living room. Suddenly, I heard the smelter whistle blow. It was so unusual, that I didnt identify it as the Whistle. It kept blowing and blowing. I started to worry. Maybe it was something bad. What should I do? Should I get the babies up and take them to the basement? If I did, they wouldnt go back to sleep and Mother and Daddy would be mad at me. I stood frozen for what seemed to be forever. Then I ducked down and sat under the piano. That is when I realized that it was just the Whistle. Mother and Daddy soon returned home, and by that time I was sitting on the couch.  They were all smiles, didnt mention the Whistle, so I never knew why it blew.