2018 365 Day Writing Challenge

January 1st: The Weather

Prompt #1: What is the weather like?

Sara sat at the edge of the cliff. Ash-grey rocks, scarred red and cream with the memories of the acid rain lay below her. Grass the colour of sand curled and crackled under her fingers, dying slowly in the blistering heat. All the leaves had yellowed and fallen from the trees, once strong but now withering under the scorching summer wind. Dust blew into her silver eyes, bones whiter than fresh snow cracking, too dry now to even refer to as 'bone-dry'. The river had dried up, and even the rainforest in the distance was now struggling to survive.

Sara took a deep breath, glanced down at the small town in the valley. Everything was dying – she could feel it in her bones. If she could cry, all of her regret would be flowing out of her at that moment. She had seen the children of the town, seen how they had loved to play in the woods, on the mountains, and, every day, she had held the rain off, saying to herself, Tomorrow. Then it will rain. And every morning, she would look down at the children and wouldn't be able to snuff out their happiness, and the skies would stay clear for another day.

Now, even the weeds had died because of her soft heart.

You are a seraphim, she told herself, You are a warrior of the skies, and of balance. Now balance is no longer here, because of you.

Dust was everywhere – as far as the eye could see, everything was a muted tone under a thick film of death and decay, save the bright blue sky. It beamed down at her like a young boy's smile, as if inviting her to take control.

With a smile, Sara stood, raising her chocolate arms to the sapphire dome above. Power flooded through her fingertips. She could feel everything in the wind, and hailed down clouds to restore life to the broken land. They gathered above her, dark and threatening, bringing rainfall and redemption.

The rain washed the dust out of her short hair, ran down the tattoos on her arms. She could feel the life seeping back into the earth. Balance.

In relief, Sara lifted her kingfisher-blue wings and flew towards the clouds, fading into the blue of the sky.