The earth and sky were at odds again, and it seemed that the sky had a personal score to settle with the ground.
Frigid rains poured down from the blue grey shroud were twinkling stars and the warm white moon should be. Each drop trembled until they were so filled with cold fury, that they fell from the atmosphere, pelting the ground in a sharp staccato that echoed gunfire, as if the very earth was an affront to the heavens.
The wind, sharp as swords and knives, whipped around in anger, snatching up everything in its path. The tempests howled and screamed in malicious glee at the destruction left in their wake.
The skies were itching for a fight to relieve its anger, perhaps to exasperate the earth as well.
Not that the skies had much luck.
The sixth sense that all animals seem to have had perceived the oncoming wrath and acted accordingly. They promptly found food and shelter, some even heading west in droves. People, however, cannot come and go as they please or flee when nature decides to impose its volatile will, as animals do, so life went on in the city. Few noticed the disappearance of the city wildlife amongst their daily activities.
They did notice the heavy clouds rolling in over the city to the low thrum of thunder accented by cracks of pink lightning. Driven by instinct, many city dwellers found themselves raiding grocery stores, corner stores, or really whatever store they could visit for food, snacks and entertainment during the storm.
When the beast was finally unleashed, not a soul was in sight, save for the occasional drenched businessman scurrying home that had waited too long to call out of work. Tall buildings and work places swayed in the wind. Even the houses that lined the streets curled inside for protection from the monster; eyes shut tightly like a small child in fetal position.
Except one.
In the heart of the city on a roof to there was a single figure to be seen. Someone who had the audacity to challenge nature and brace the storm.
With heads cluelessly buried indoors, no one caught sight of the anomaly.
No one else but I.
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She was as much a part of the storm as the torrents of rain, arcs of lighting and biting wind.
Bangles, bracelets and anklets chimed and jingled in time as her body flowed to the ancient song with words long forgotten, arms outstretched and silent feet beneath twisting skirts the color of the moon's tears. She hummed along as she swayed, intense eyes that reeled in anyone who dared to look within were surrounded by smudged black eyeliner.
The darkness rippled and shifted in her wake. Her very presence demanded attention.
And anyone who saw how I looked at her knew.
They knew that I was hooked.
*-*-*-*-*-*
"Why are you here?"
Onyx locks swung precariously to the side as she tilted her head towards the small overhang I stood beneath, the stray fringe framing her face accentuated the muted smirk before she answered,
"Why, I'm dancing of course."
I remember sighing incredulously as I watched the hypnotic silver bells hugging her hips gyrate. How was I supposed to respond to that kind of answer?
"Don't you think you should rest,"
Was what I finally decided on, after moments of silence and a great slosh as she leap across the rooftop with a sort of grace even swans and deer would covet,
"I can walk with you, if you'd like?"
"I'll rest when I'm dead."
She chortled, as she smiled unabashed,a single nimble finger crossing her neck in one long fluid movement in childish parody of a slash across the neck before continuing unperturbed.
I growled lowly under my breath. Here I was suffering the worst storm of the year, drenched to the bone, and seconds away from chattering teeth, all for one harebrained girl on a roof. I took a deep breath before taking a different approach.
"Aren't you afraid you'll catch a cold? The weather's bad enough that pneumonia is a given."
She didn't falter at all.
"I'm not afraid of anything."
It was then that I snapped and yelled irritability,
"I'm trying to have a serious conversation with you!"
"And I'm subtly trying to avoid it!" she tossed over her shoulder without so much as a glance as the scowl I sported.
If I was upset before, I was definitely angry now. Her blatant disregard for her safety or my kindness in seeking to make sure she was alright in this monster of a storm really pissed me off.
"Don't you feel lonely living in your own little world!" I shouted at her venomous dripping off my words while I fought to be heard. Thunder rumbled in the background as if in agreement to the aberration from normality.
It was then that she stopped abruptly. Her bells and charms still jingled as if they couldn't comprehend that their wearer had come to a standstill. The wind wrenched and heaved the ringlets of hair about her in a frenzy, sometimes completely hiding her face before it reappeared moments later. Light glared behind her, illuminating the space between us. Intense eyes stared into mine for what seemed to be years, searching for answers.
"Don't you feel powerless living in other people's worlds?"
She was either wildly naive,
. . . or dangerously intelligent.
And in that moment I hated her.
I hated her because she made me question everything they had ever told me.
