After The Storm (12/4/20)

After The Storm

Silence settled over the barren ruins of the town, a bittersweet kiss to the heads of the crushed buildings and the mourning hearts of the townspeople who owned them. Granite-gray clouds had calmed from their dark iron hues of anger, slowly blanket the sky and leave only the soft pattering of leftover rain. Within the rubble stood a trembling and disheveled Evangeline. Her blonde hair matted to her head, some wet strands twirled together after being snatched up by earlier harsh winds. Her puffy eyes, crazed and reddened, stared wildly to the sky in unmasked fear. Her head slowly turned, eyes glancing to the settling river behind her. The water seemed so calm, amidst the chaos of everything now, it was like it had been superimposed on the scene. It even looked unnatural to the dirt shore, now roughened up and dug about. Evangeline stared at the waters for a long moment, before sudden panic gripped her by the ribs and shook her to her core. It struck her like a revelation; she knew the answer at last.

Evangeline and her cousins stood in the soft grass, studying the bright blue waters before them. The river snaked happily, almost from horizon to horizon, and presented itself as a glowing aquamarine. The townspeople never went near the river, but the trio weren't quite sure why. It was such beautiful, clean water, and there was even a bridge over it just a few miles away. What's not to love about such a beautiful, refreshing river?

"Do you think we could stand in it? My feet are awfully sore from all that walking we've done." The first cousin asked.

"I can say the same here." The other answered, beginning to kick off her shoes. The other cousin shortly followed, and Evangeline watched as the two cousins stuck their bare feet into the river.

"It's cold!" The first cousin cried.

"Indeed it is!" The second agreed.

"Is it refreshing?" Evangeline's soft voice cooed, as she tilted her pretty head. The cousins both happily nodded. Evangeline thought for a moment, before kicking off her shoes and joining them in the blue river. The water rippled around their feet, and the girls laughed and kicked about. As quick as their joy had started, it ended in a loud confusion as a sudden rumble ran across the skies.

"What was that?" Evangeline murmured.

"I'm not quite sure..."
"Thunder clouds! Look!"

The three of them turned their heads to the heavens, and the second cousin was right. The pretty blue skies were now covered in angry iron-gray clouds. The dark clouds covered the sun, and rumbled over the lands as they moved in. The three scrambled out of the water, and returned with umbrellas to shield them and their beautiful raven-colored dresses.

"Why did it change so quickly?"
"It got that way far too fast."

"Something must be wrong, but how?"

A water droplet slapped Evangeline upon her hair, and even more droplets followed. Soon enough they spoke no more as a heavy rain coated the land and soaked them, the wind beginning to pick up. Eventually the wind was beginning to scream, whipping the girls' hairs into embracing strands and tossing them about. Evangeline's umbrella slipped from her fingers, and she let it fall upon the waters as she watched a light begin to form behind the clouds in the sky. Terror shook them, buzzing about the air like angered bees, and embraced them as the light seemed to churn behind the clouds. This wasn't the light of day coming through, but it was something else.

Evangeline screeched, before whirling around and fleeing from the unbothered river. Her bare feet pounded at the churned dirt and grass and occasionally helped her over a misplaced tree or piece of stone. She ran as fast as she could, searching frantically for a sign. Any sign. Any piece of glass or wood that could tell her where she needed to go. But there was almost nothing, nothing at all around to guide her.
"Where's the church!?" she cried, "Where did it stand!?"

The few townspeople that were about couldn't say, for they barely recognized the scene as well. The land was so warped and disfigured, there was no telling where something or someone had stood before. Evangeline's chest grew tight, and before she knew it she had fallen to her knees, sobbing and clasping her hands together tightly. Her hands held each other in scared embraces, and her already pale knuckles were somehow becoming even paler because of how hard she squeezed. She rose her fists to the heavens, as well as her wailing head, with tangled blonde hair crowning her despair.

"Forgive me, Lord!" she pleaded, "Forgive me for feeling waters that no human was designed to feel!"