Glitter

Storm at Sea

The loudness of it barreled through the room, bounding off the hard stone walls in great waves that made you tremble with its power. What scared Snap was the deathly still that existed as it happened. Cee was a thundercloud, bursting through the doors and bringing a dark mass that loomed over the crowd. The doors were almost soundless, but the abrupt change in the atmosphere drew the attention of anyone within a hundred miles.

Silence.

For the first time in her life, Snap was scared of her sister. Cee emanated undeniable power. She was unquestionably in charge, and right now, she was angry. No, more than angry. Queen Cee was furious.

“Queen Hycinthia, how do you feel about the recent activities of your sisters?”

Cee ignored the question with such intensity that the news reporter who asked it tried, unsuccessfully, to sink back into the mob of media people surrounding Snap and Jessa.  The mob that had hunted Snap and Jessa down like animals. To uncover the inner workings of  the royal family. The wanted to inspect the sisters’ lives like a bug in a cage. Disgust flashed across Cee’s face. And that gave Cee power.

The sea of cameras and microphones retreated as Cee, the Storm, advanced. They cleared a path, like a tornado’s wake, pointing straight to the spot where Snap stood, holding on to Jessa tightly, like survivors waiting to be rescued from a violent sea. Nobody dared pester the Storm. Almost nobody. Some admired the reporter’s bravery in standing up to the Storm. Snap disagreed. Stupidity is often mistaken for courage.

    One question. One. Stupid. Idiotic. Demanding. Heartless. Question. The Storm froze. Everything froze, like it was covered with a sheet of ice on the verge of shattering. And still, he grinned. A cheesy supermodel grin. He took half a step toward the Storm and-

    The ice shattered. Lightning struck. Trees snapped in half and church bells beat out alarm.  The Storm was on top of the grinning man. Grin faded to barely suppressed terror. The Storm whispered to the hungry ears, loudly enough for every person and microphone to hear, but quietly. The quietness made it more horrible. Because that’s what storms do. They come, destroy, and move on. They have to rage or even care to inflict pain, they just do. Then they leave you.

    Snap and Jessa cringed as the Storm drew near. Until the Storm reached out and embraced them. Rain fell, but it was warm, soothing rain. The eye of the storm. A barricade against the tempest. The winds still howled, but not at the two sisters. Salty rain ran down Snap’s cheeks. Together, the twins and the Storm made their way to safety past the dark, heavy doors.

    The Storm faded. Snap saw the calm and collapsed into Cee. Jessa followed. The three sisters stayed that way, embracing each other’s presences, for a long time.