Chasing lighting

Jessika looked at the sky, the clouds became grey and later black. The wind was blowing in her face, she closed her eyes feeling the wind in her skin and her long black hair was dancing like the leaves in the trees. She closed her eyes because she wanted to listen to the wind that announced a storm, branches were falling .."Is this a tornado?” she asked to herself. “Is it? Or maybe a nightmare?” . Jessica couldn’t find the answers to her questions but then…drop by drop the sky started to fall, splash, splash, big splash! The rainstorm began so she ran into the woods looking for shelter and she found an old cabin that looked empty and in ruins.

The abandoned cabin was dark and damp, it was not very warm, it seemed deserted. Not lamps, no light, no fire in the fireplace, just the light of the lighting. She thought she saw a shadow but didn’t pay much attention until she heard a cracking sound

-         Who is there? – she asked – Hello?

Jessica was scared but putting a brave face she just pretended to think the noise came from a mouse or a lost dove. She heard the same cracking noise coming from the shadows of what it seems to be a living room long ago.

-          Hello? I am just looking for shelter… - Jessika felt she was talking to the walls, - was she? -

-         Shhh – whisper a voice

-         Who is there? – she was getting very nervous

-         Quiet….

The voice came from a sofa in the dark living room, it belonged to an old man. “Listen carefully” – he said, “the rain is screaming trying to get our attention…this world needs cleanse”

-         Do you think the rain can wash all evil away?

-         Maybe not all but everything is possible with rain.

-         Who are you? – Jessika finally asked

-         My name is Charles, this used to be my house – the old man explained – and who are you? What brings you here?

-         I am Jessika, I live in the house on the other side of the woods and, even I enjoy looking lighting and listening thunder through the distance, when its close I prefer to hide from the storm, but... mister Charles, tell me more about this place… - Jessika was a very curious young woman.

-         There were nights that rained but we didn’t get scared, it meant my mother will tell us a story while she placed wood in the fireplace. My father was outside getting wood but came back just in time to the big finally of the story we used to create together. This house was made of wood, as you can tell. The candlelight made us believe we were in an enchanted castle and my brother Thomas, and I used to make shadow figures with our fingers – Charles smiled – do you know that game? It’s an old one…

-         I love that game – answered Jessika getting more curious than before and carefully, she asks the big question- "what happened?"

Charles lost all expression in his face and became very quiet, barely breathing.

-One night it was raining, it was actually raining for five days and five nights and on the fifth night the house’s ceiling started to drip and the carpet covering the floor stated to show some puddles, Thomas and I just played jumping in the puddles until one lighting came so close to our house that burned the tree at our yard where we used to climb and swing. Then, I saw the look that my mother and father exchange with anguish, terror and anxiety. They knew the time has come for the Darkness creature to destroy our home and that started to happen… more thunder, more lighting. I hid myself on a big chest in my room and heard a great roar of wind and glass. I heard screams. The Creature of the Dark Clouds was destroying everything. When the silence came back, I went outside my room and my house as I knew it, and family, were no more… - Charles stop for a whole minute of silence while a tear, a lonely tear, came from one of his eyes.

Jessika listened very careful, even the silence, and waited to hear the rest of the story. Charles told her he likes to imagine that their family scaped the lighting and they are somewhere else and one day they might come back that’s why he didn’t move.

Jessika was puzzled, the story had a glimpse of an extraordinary world, and the reality was so cruel. She observed around and found a bottle in the top of the fireplace with a note inside. Jessika took it and read “Dear Charles we miss you, we are gone but close by and we are certain one day we will meet again. In the meantime, here is a piece of advice Don’t forget to look for greener grasses after the storm, with love, mama”

-         I have been hiding for years waiting for them…- Charles murmured

-         Maybe you need to go outside…

-         With this rain? No way!

-         The rain will stop, it always does – Jessika replied

-         If we could just contain all the rain and thunder and scary lighting on a safe container…

-Oh – Jessika stopped, she had an idea – maybe in this bottle? - the idea made Charles smile, like he was a little kid again.

Jessika and Charles put rocks, pieces of wood, a sparky dust and the water, lots of water and just when the lighting was close, Jessika went to find it so it can be captured inside the bottle that became bigger…and bigger. Then… a thunder roared in the sky and bright lighting that made possible to Jessika to see Charles, or at least she thought so…an older man, grey hair, wrinkle face, always sitting with his eyes half open…and his voice was soft and sad. Jessika and Charles wanted to capture the lighting and thunder so they went to the window to face it, but they did not realize it will stroke the cabin. After the second lighting all went black, darker than the deepest shadow. After, complete silence invaded every corner. Jessika lost consciousness.

When Jessika opened her eyes, it was morning. The storm was gone along with Charles and the lost cabin; she was in a meadow or valley close to her old house. She was alone.

-What happened? Where is Charles? Is he ok? – Jessika asked herself. She went to the woods to find that lost cabin and she couldn’t find it, was all gone?

Maybe not.

She found a bottle, the same bottle that was in the fireplace, the same vessel that captured the storm – or part of it -The bottle had rocks, leaves, water and shinny particles. Jessika shakes the bottle, and a note came from it. Jessika felt the old paper and its secret message; it was from Charles! The bottle saved the note and his voice, and it said:

“Jessika, when your time comes don’t be afraid to get hit by lighting, it is an intense way to go to the other side of life. Remember, storms come and go but the stories remain, despite the devastated effects of the thunder and lighting, I got hit by this majestic force. I found peace. I was able to see the greener grasses, a clean forest and a rainbow with my family in the other side was waiting for me. Finally, I was able to see them and hug again! You were right… it was time to go out. One day I will see you again too. If you want to hear my stories and tell me yours, just look for the storm at the distance, and take this bottle too…. I will be there waiting, with affection, Charles Dumas”

Jessika heard someone coming from behind her, it was her friend Kyle who was looking for her since last sunset.

-         There you are! Are you ok? It was a nasty storm!

-         Yes – said Jessika slowly like savoring the feelings trembling her heart – I think I am ok. I was just thinking about lighting and thunder…the next storm I will try to chase them.

Kyle looked at her puzzled but he didn’t dare to ask anything, he just took Jessika’s cold hand and guide he to her aunt’s house

-         You are not supposed to be alone Jessika – said Kyle with a sight.

-         I wasn’t alone – Jessika replied remembering in her heart the hidden cabin and her new friend Charles

Then she picked up her blind stick and walked with Kyle to the town that was nearby . Her beautiful blue eyes were just seeing the memories of the storm or, were they dreams? Kyle kept guiding her slowly and Jessika was in silence thinking …“Was all a dream? Or is this reality the dream? Seems that every universe and time meet when the lightning and thunder kiss and a perfect storm surprise us all”

 Jessika holds tight the warm hand of Kyle and closed her eyes. She felt a cool breeze caressing her face and blowing away her dark long hair, like the leaves in the trees dancing.

“See you in the next storm” Jessika heard Charles voice in the wind and that made her smile and cry, and the wind wiped off her tears. Just the smile remains.

The end