When the daylight has faded

Autumn Storm (#power)

Mid-morning. The sun is sending her misleading autumn rays down to the little village Helia lives in. This time, she thinks to herself, I'm not going to fall for this trick, love!

She slips into her winter coat and grabs a scarf, remembering yesterday's goose pimples on her skin, telling her that summer is over and the yellow fire in the sky has become a fake, deprived of its August power.

Helia grabs her bag and races outside to meet her good friend and workmate Tempest.

"Morning!" Helia shouts, but her words are whipped away by the cyclone that hit her as soon as she stepped out onto the front porch.

"Grab the lamppost!" Helia lipreads her friend's urgent advice. Before she can comply, though, a particularly powerful gust of wind bowls her over like a plastic skittle. She hits the ground hard but manages to wrap one arm around the thin trunk of the young apple tree that her parents planted just three summers ago.

"Hold on, Helia!" Tempest shouts as the storm quietens for just a moment. A few seconds later, Helia feels Tempest's arms around her waist. She grabs Tempest's right hand with her left.

"Let's move, quickly!" Tempest's voice drips urgency. "We're running late already. Mr Misers will fire us if we're late."

Hearing the panic in her friend's voice, Helia catapults herself away from the tree. Tempest is right. Mr Misers is not known for his understanding and generosity. But there aren't a lot of jobs going in the little village and being in Mr Misers's bad books will ensure that the few jobs available will be available to someone else.

Helia gives the ten big guys, standing strong and wielding heavy, menacing gadgets, a dirty stare, not feeling the least bit intimidated by the toy army in her street. Unfortunately, the feeling is mutual.

Just before Helia and Tempest manage to round the corner and leave the danger area of typical autumn storms, the guys train their threatening, ear-splittingly loud machines onto the two unarmed girls. The ten cyclones unite and become a twister of epic proportions, lifting the girls' bodies up into the air, where they seem to hover in place for a second like magic, before they are thrown full force into a massive hydrangea bush in front of them.

Stunned but unhurt, the girls climb out of the bush, shaking leaves and dried-up petals out of their hair.

The storm has stopped.

"Guys," one of the young men shouts with glee. "Pack up your air bazookas. Mission accomplished. No more trash on the streets. The boss will be proud."

Walking like Arnold Schwarzenegger in his prime, he swings his leaf blower up and down on his way to his vehicle, giving the girls an evil grin.

Tempest and Helia look at each other. Silent communication. Then an equally evil grin appears on their faces simultaneously. Like little monkeys, they throw themselves back into the bush, grabbing dirt and shrivelled-up brown leaves with both hands.

Singing Autumn Leaves are Falling Down at the top of their voices, they make it rain all over the clean pavement, before running off towards Mr Misers and his little shop.