Verrenta

The day was bright with the typical scorching heat of the sun of summer. Verrenta stood outside admiring the great heat and warmth, when suddenly the sky darkened. Looking up she found the clouds huddling against each other and soon the whole sky was covered with the thick black clouds. Wondering whether she could reach them, she extended her hands toward the clouds but failed, not like she expected to be able to touch them to.

Soon the world, their homes and families filled with darkness, many people died of deficiency diseases and lack of oxygen as the plants were dying. The earth had turned into a complete desert without the sun, heat and rain and the plants and no oxygen or happiness. People grew dark thoughts and committed delinquencies which had no punishments as the first target was the police. Besides only some were having jobs and the others weren’t. The unemployed were killing and murdering people for money as they fell into poverty. Many prayed for them to see the light once. The heat though would be unbearable but it was the reason plants were there, they were living and all were healthy.

The only person immune from all these darkness was the 10-year-old Verrenta. She was studying, even though her school had closed down because of the students dying of deficiency diseases, the principal could no longer afford the money, and most of the students had dropped out. She didn’t stop learning though. Every day she would sit at her desk reading her school books or re-reading her old story books.

Everyone had lost track of time except the clocks as both days and nights passed without any light and the electricity too was gone. They were living at the mercy of the hand fans. All these did in no away upset this little girl, she would sit there the whole day thinking. She didn’t worry much about the food, which was in short supply as the crops were dying, and was in no way displaying any signs of losing weight. She remained the same.

There was a tiny voice which spoke to her, gave her company and then one day presented a task.

It was one of these days that she was on her desk studying and a beam of light shot out through the cloudy sky and landed on her hands. Her natural instinct would have been to gasp and run to her parents but she did none of that instead went outside and sat down on her porch as if waiting for someone. Her hands were in flames but the place she sat was lit with a sun-like appearance. She sat there gazing at the sky as people gathered around her to admire the light. They had been in dark since the last four months and the population had gone down at a 10x speed.

Startling all the bystanders another flame shot out of the sky and through the mist and landed on the ground in the form of ball of fire. It burst open and something…..someone, in orange came out. It didn’t have a face but flames were shooting through its whole body.

The throng began disbanding but soon the flames surrounded them. They were trapped and yet they were smiling. Some exclaimed pleasure as they felt this warmth after so long a time and saw brightness once more. Suddenly the orange figure spoke.

“I can make this stay but you all have to cooperate with me.” He spoke clear English but at each utterance fires escaped his mouth. It then turned to Verrenta, “You know what to do? Give your best and good luck!” He made the gesture of showing a thumbs-up and was about to disappear into the sky when suddenly darkness amplified, he skin became darker and the flames died of. There was a look of apprehension on Verrenta’s face as she stood up.

“Do you think that’s going to be easy, to re-connect the flames? Never, I won’t at least let that happen. It’s too much for me to take already. People, humans are forgetting to accept nature the way it is and they just take everything for granted as well trees and rain and sun. if there are no trees how do I even do my job. How will the earth remain fertile? As you can see I have prepared a punishment for the ignorant and you want to spill water on it?” The dark figure was identical to the flamed figure but it spoke with grey ash coming from its mouth.

“Well it depends on how focused Verrenta is and will be.” The flamed figure assured and shot for the sky.

“Well then let’s see how well you can protect your people from my wrath!” With that he sped off toward the sky and the sky darkened.

She took her position and motioned for the others to depart. The road in front of her house cleared and the clouds directed their thunder and lightning at her. She ducked several times before encountering the blasts. She remembered her task and shot for the sun, Oh please! It needs to connect please he’s trusted me with the job and I shall not disappoint him.  Nonetheless, it was blocked by the clouds as they thickened and huddled closer. They blocked her frequent blows and didn’t let any of her beams reach the sun.

If the beams would even touch the surface of the sun, then they would probably be able to see the sun again and live their everyday life.

All were praying at home as she fought and ducked. Her parents were shaking with fear as some neighbors held them tight and commiserated with them.

She was getting tired of not being able to reach the sun. However, something changed as the clouds came to a sudden halt and began drifting back, she snatched her chance and gave all her power to connect the earth with the sun once more.

Then it caught her eyes, she was stunned at the act. They are pulled off by a …vacuum? How odd?

Soon the beam touched the sun and the clouds parted. Some were already sucked into the vacuum and those left, got away as the sun revealed itself. Soon everything was back to normal. The trees returned to their beautiful shape, height and appearance.

All the same, as the parents approached Verrenta she burst into flames and nothing remained of her but ashes on the ground. The mother was on the ground with the father too confused to move but his hands were on his wife’s shoulders.

“What ……. My daughter……………Vera…. Vera dear what………?” all gasped and came to console the parents.

Soon the ball of fire appeared and landed beside her ashes.

“I am sorry to all but for the good days to be back, you had to sacrifice something. She would be remembered for sure as without her this would never be possible. Besides, your daughter was aware of all the consequences. She had consented to do what I asked her to. She was a positive girl and saw a god reason for her death too, so I expect her parents to be as strong and positive as her. Thank you.”

He was about to depart as someone approached him and maintained his distance to prevent being blasted.

“Um… can I ask why the clouds went into the vacuum, I thought that they were in the atmosphere and quite far from earth…so” he looked confused.

“Sir when you are agitated, no matter what you do, your mind wanders away to the thing that would be at stake. So they never saw this coming and they came too close to the earth and thus were destroyed.” He gave a tight a smile and flew off.