I closed my eyes, made a wish, and blew out my candles. It was my sixteenth birthday, and my mom had made a special homemade cake. In my family, turning sixteen wasn’t that large of an occasion. Three of my friends had been invited but only two of those friends showed up.
I had a peaceful night. I slept well and had a nice dream about New York City, like always. Sometimes it’s all I ever think about. It makes me happy. I hate it here in Kansas. It is so plain and boring.

The next morning, a storm awoke me from my sleep, though I’m used to this kind of thing. Kansas is the worst for storms...probably the most interesting thing that has ever happened here. I went down to the kitchen to find that my mom had fixed breakfast with pancakes, sausage, and eggs. I was thinking about some houses in New York I had viewed online as I sat down at the table. Yeah, I like to dream. Doesn’t everyone? The sound of my mom putting a plate full of food down on the table brought me back to the present.
“Oh, sorry...” I replied quietly, causing my mother to give me a strange look.
“What are you thinking about? Whatever it is, it must be intriguing,” she laughed, though I could tell there was a nervousness in her green eyes, probably thinking it’s about a boy or something. She’s never been comfortable thinking about me with a boy.
“Well, I was just thinking about some houses I saw online in New York....”
“You’re a strange kid,” she replies cheerfully, probably glad that it wasn’t about a boy.
“Mom, I’m sixteen now. I’m not a kid, and it’s not my fault that New York just happens to be ten times more interesting than this run down country farm.”

She started to say something while washing the dishes, but instead, she sighed. “What? What were you going to say?” I questioned.
“Nothing.” she replied in a quiet voice.
Just then, the back door in the kitchen flung open. The papers on the desk started flying across the room. The whole house started shaking. I glanced out the window that was now halfway bolted on seeing as the wind had blown it off. Before I could even scream the house was in the air and spinning round and round. I ran to my mom and held her tight. It dawned on me at that very moment that I was in the middle of a tornado. I couldn’t see anything now. I had fallen on the floor and furniture was flying across the living room.

This was the end. We would not make it. There was no way. I closed my eyes and heard someone that was not my mom’s voice whisper in my ear, “Don’t worry, Dorothy, you may not be safe, but you got your wish, you won’t be in Kansas anymore.”