Thorn

Thunder and Lightning

Icicle like rain drops pounded into my entire body. The wind played with my hair as Baxter galloped through the endless mountain terrain. The sky began to fill itself with electricity and thunder started to rumble and roll. I remember my mother telling me a story about thunder when I was younger. At the time I was frightened of it and one night the thunder was exceptionally scary.
~Flashback~
Lightning flashes in the the sky and the thunder booms loudly. I am five years old and hiding in the corner,shivering. The rain rapped on the thin roof of the house My mom and I were hiding at. With every strike of lightning, fear clenched my heart and the thunder boiled my ears. Tears began to flow from my eyes and then I felt a warm hand on my shoulder. It was my mother. She looked at me with her chocolate eyes and said to me: "Do not fear the storm my beautiful Rose. There is nothing to fear except fear itself."
I stopped crying but I still shook every time the thunder exploded in the distance. "Did you know that the thunder is just God bowling with his angels. The rolling sound of the thunder is just the bowling ball rolling down the lane." She said knowingly.

"But.....but what about the lightning. What has that got to do with bowling." I inquired.
"That is the fireworks of celebration every time God or the angels gets a strike." She looked at me again with he eyes and that was all I needed to feel safe. It was not what she had said but the way she said it and the way her eyes put me in some sort of trance.
~End of Flashback~

Remembering my mother's wisdom I trudged on through the rigid mountains.

After awhile the rain came to a halt and the wind died down. The fog thinned out and I could see the path as well as a fleeting black figure. I clicked my heels on Baxter's sides and began to chase the mysterious figure. It scurried
off the path into a dark cave. I knew that Baxter would not be able to fit in the cave, so I jumped off and tied him to a nearby rock.
"Wait here buddy. I'll be back." I kissed his nose and started running to catch up with the mysterious figure. Water dripped off the glowing ceiling and the walls shimmered. It was fairly quiet until I heard a loud crash near the left of the cave. I ran over and found what looked like a boy huddling behind a large rock massaging his ankle.

"Who are you?" I asked leaning down so I could see his face.
Startled, he flinched and started to get up in attempt to get away. I put a hand on his shoulder and forced him back down.
"I am not going to hurt you, I promise." I said this softly to try to soothe him. He looked up at me and immediately my heart melted. He looked like he was no older than me.

"I...I am Abe Musselia." He stuttered.
My heart skipped a beat. This was probably Allegra's brother. I swallowed and told him mine.
"Mine is Ro...I trailed off, unsure if that name truly fit me anymore. Then I thought for a moment and continued. "My name is Thorn. It's nice to meet you." I smiled warmly at him and reached for his hand so that I could help him up. When he took my hand, my heart melted like an ice cream cone on a hot summer day. He smiled a weak smile and stood up. Then he began to wince in pain.
"What's wrong?" I asked with a tone of worry.
"My ankle, I think...I think I twisted it. I can't walk very well."
"That's okay. I'll help you walk. Where is it you were going?" I was highly interested and had been waiting to ask that for a while now. He hesitated then replied ever slowly.
"My sister, Allegra told me to travel to The Land of the Just. She should be here soon, she just had to pick up a girl......his voice trailed off and looked at me. "You...you were the girl. I'm sure of it. I've seen pictures of you before but her name was Rose, not Thorn."
My eyes travelled to the cave floor and admitted my secret.
"Yes, I am Rose, or at least I was. Listen, I need to tell you something." I paused unsure if I should actually tell him the truth about Allegra.
"What, what is it!?" He urged me.
"Allegra...Allegra said she would catch up with me. She'll be here soon. She did say,however, to continue to the Land of the Just." I knew he would find out one day, but I didn't want to tell him just yet.
"Oh, well I still can't walk." He said troubled.
"It will be okay. I know some healing magic."
His eyes lit up and looked a little more comfortable around me.
I took his ankle in my hands and dug out sprig-well and ground crystal and began to massage his ankle with it. Then as he started to relax, the rain started up again. Abe shook with fear as I once did and shivered.
"The lightning and the thunder frightens me." He whispered.
"It used to scare me too." I smiled weakly.
"Really? How did you overcome your fears?" His eyes were still filled with fear but awe was slowly rising in and sharing the space.
"My mother told me that the thunder is just God and his angels bowling. Every time the thunder rolls, it is a bowling ball crashing down the lane." I said knowingly.
"And what about the lightning?"
"The lightning is fireworks that are set off every time they get a strike. You see, there is nothing to fear except fear itself." I smiled at him and surprisingly he returned it. Then we fell asleep to the drumming sound of the rain.