East Rock Ultimate Storm Wand Break (anecdote)

Ultimate ended. The turnstiles were impassible via car; we 4 parked before hiking toward the statue on East Rock. The thick tree-top canopy turned dusk to night. This is what Oz would have looked like if the wicked witch had won. 

I figured a disturbing joke might break the tension in this small party of Ultimate strangers. They didn't laugh, just became silent... Hoping for redemption, I recited Fall’s End. “...leaf departed,” I finished, their tension snipping complements eased the mood. Pleasant chit chat. Greg read The Cremation of Sam McGee from his wand. I cast light from my wand, and put my hand on his shoulder to guide his walking path while he read.

In less than 45 minutes, we summited in view of the spotlit statue. A couple noticed us, and we noticed them; they hastily rode away. Then we noticed ominous flashing clouds of an encroaching northwesterly. "Psssh, that's like forever away!" we mutually thought. And sat hypnotized by New Haven’s speckled horizon. Greg and Zach tag-teamed through their first reading of The Chaos for 15 minutes.

Sandra suggested a group photo for solidarity, I primed my wand for a 30-second delayed photograph spell; balancing it on a raised vegetable enclosure. Greg and I stood on the edges of the frame, both of us casting light on the party from different angles (I had to borrow Sandra's wand for this). The picture was sufficient, but the engineer (man) in me wanted better (more). Why not add a flash?

The reason not to use a flash was photon magic wobbled the thin metal off its perch. Instead of taking a group picture, my wand recorded a frame of the foreboding sky as it free fell. *Crunch*

The touchscreen, now like stained glass, still functioned. I conjured a 'music from nowhere' spell: Awesome Mix Vol. 1. We jogged in cadence, lightning brighter, and thunder louder. My phone didn't wet though because we were fast, and never saw the rain.