Something In A Storm

Something in a Storm

     It’s going to happen. I just know it. The air is electric, super charged, and sparking all around me. The breeze brushes up against my skin causing my arm hair to rise up. How strange. I’m looking in to the distance over the trees at the end of the meadow and there is a wall of blackness moving in while covering the grey misty sky.

    If it’s cold, I can’t feel it. My senses are focused on the advancing cloud. Is that what it is? Not like any cloud I’ve ever seen before. Nothing passes through it. It blocks out all light behind it. Moving at a leisurely pace, it seems in no hurry, but still will be over me soon.

    I should be frightened, but I’m not, and don’t know why. Instead, anticipation is coursing through my body. Sizzling from my toes to my fingertips. It wants to connect. I want to be whole and be wired in again. I find myself walking towards the advancing darkness.

   “Blake! What the hell are you doing?”

    The voice cuts through me. I stop walking.

    “Get back here, are you crazy?”

     Turning, I see her. She’s bundled up in a jacket with a look of concern. I don’t know why, there’s nothing to fear.

     “Shelly, this is incredible. Can’t you feel it?”

    “All I feel is cold, very cold.”

     “Feel the fire, the electricity. It’s crackling all around us.”

     “You’re talking all weird. That storm or whatever it is looks dangerous. We need to get out of here, Find some shelter now.”

     “No, there’s something there. It’s waiting for me. I need to see it. Don’t you sense it also?”

     “The only thing I’m sensing is that you’ve flipped out. Standing out here in the open with those thunderclouds moving in. You might as well be holding a long metal pole and waiting for the lightning to strike.”

     “No, no. I’m perfectly safe, it means no harm.”

     “Means you no harm?” She’s incredulous. “You’re talking as if that thing, that storm, is a person or something. It’s just a brainless act of nature, and a dangerous one at that.”

     “Have you ever seen anything like it before? It’s beautiful. How can it be dangerous?”

    “We’ve got to go. You’re not yourself. Not seeing things clearly. We’ve got to get inside now!”

     She tries to grab me and move me towards the house only a hundred yards away. I’m stronger and break away from her grasp still moving towards the approaching wall. Defeated, she gives up with tears in her eyes as a light rain starts to fall. I love her but still have to go. There’s an urgency to stand under the cloud.

   “Look, Sherry. I know you don’t understand. That you think I’m crazy. I love you, but I have to do this……” My voice trails off, I don’t know what to say. How to explain the unexplainable.

    “Don’t, please don’t. You’re going to die. Please don’t.” She crying now. Helpless to stop me.

    It’s really pouring down now, her blond hair is soaked. Blue, bloodshot eyes plead their case, but I can’t stop. Heart broken and forlorn. I can’t bear it anymore, tears are streaming down my face, but I have to go. I don’t understand any more than she does. The calling is thundering in my ears.

    “I love you, I’ll be fine, you’ll see” I croak out as I turn and run. There’s no looking back now. Something in the storm is telling me to hurry.

    The rain is coming down like a shower at full blast while a wind is rising fast. I’m running now, There is a sense of urgency as it’s getting darker all around me.

   The wind suddenly shifts. It’s coming from behind me. How can that be? Blowing towards the approaching wall instead of away from it. The force of the gusts become almost enough to blow me over. I stop running and extend my arms for balance as I am falling, but instead I am being raised off the ground. At first terrified, but slowly an amazement takes over.

    I’m actually flying or so it seems. Not on my own accord but rather from the force of the wind behind me. It raises me further and further off the ground towards the blackness ahead and now well over the meadow. Then above the tree line at the edge of the meadow. Higher and higher, but my fear of heights hasn’t kicked in. I’m euphoric like when I remember the dreams I had in childhood. Soaring above everything, then into the blackness before me.

    Suddenly all is black, I can’t see, but know I am still rising up. Still flying. There’s a little fear now because of the void and sudden loss of direction. Just the strangeness and impossibility of it all is almost overwhelming. But there is no choice involved now. I can’t stop what is happening even if I tried my best. Even if I wanted to. And now a voice inside me saying it’s all right. Saying this is how it should be. How it needs to be. I’m feeling calmer.

    Then, I am out of the blackness and into almost blinding light. It’s like those “out of body” and near death experiences I’d read about. But I’m not floating or gliding anymore. There’s a solid surface under my feet although my eyes are still having to adjust to the brightness after the dark. The calm continues. A feeling of safety, like a sedative, and still the hidden voice telling me not to be afraid. I’m lethargic and feeling slow to move but not concerned. At peace even though I don’t know where I am.

    Within what seems like a few minutes, although I can’t tell, Shelly is suddenly there. She is freaked out, like the calming voice hadn’t spoken to her or if it had, then she wasn’t buying it. I moved to her and hugged her tightly.

   “It’s alright, I’m here. We’re alright, we’re alright.”

    “But…… but….” Her voice is trembling and she’s shaking. “Where are we?”

    “I don’t know, but we survived. That is I think we survived unless this is the afterlife”

     “The afterlife, you mean heaven? This doesn’t feel like it. Where is God?”      

     “All those stories about things like this and the bright light and calm feeling like you are loved, seem to point to heaven. Maybe this is the waiting room?”

      Now, I got a little smile from her, although she is still trembling a little. God, I love her.

      We hear them before seeing them. It’s a scraping noise like something heavy dragged on a metal floor. Then we see them and I realize we aren’t in Kansas anymore, or heaven for that matter.