Another result of my creative writing class. The assignment was to write a story which focuses on setting. I thought it would be boring at first, but then I got this great idea here. It turned out to be the best short story I've ever written.
Thunder and Lightning
The sky was grey and threatening. A large shapeless, colorless mass without definite end or beginning covered everything above like an unreachable, unfeasible blanket. The universe seemed to hang low that morning, the sky of cloud seemingly sinking to close the gap between earth and space.
But despite the grey, moody abyss above them, the people that inhabited the small town situated near the beaches of the ocean waters went about their day is if it were any other. The over cast weather did little to reduce the tropical climate of the setting and the inhabitants payed little heed to it as a result.
People bustled in and out of stores or stood around in bunches talking with each other or working in their yards. A group of children kicked a ball around in a green, grassy field; happily completing the scene of a serene, peaceful village.
But at the edge of the field, unseen to the human eye, two figures materialized from out of thin air. Both held a supernatural quality to them, yet still quite human and young in appearance. But no one seemed to notice them as they floated unnaturally above the ground.
"Humans are such simple creatures." Lightning spoke, her voice high and rapid as the syllables danced off her tongue.
Her long, dark hair was tapered around her sharp face and was streaked with daggers of white. Yellow sparks of electricity danced flirtivley in the pupils of her eyes as she watched the children play.
"See how easily they are satisfied in their ignorance."
"Indeed." Thunder nodded, his deep voice rumbling with the dreary sky.
His presence was less tangible than his sister's. Dark hair billowed over cloudy eyes and faded back into the foggy atmosphere.
"Strange how they are so careless today. Do you think they are even aware of what is coming?"
"That notion has a very low possibility, brother." Lightning sneered. "Man lost his touch with Nature too long ago to feel the unbalance. They'll never know it's coming until it's right on top of them."
"Sad, but true." Thunder agreed. "But it is not our place to judge the order of things. Ours is to merely play a part in it."
His sister nodded in agreement and the two ghostly apparitions faded away without being seen or heard by anyone.
As the day melted into evening, the people of the village began to notice the increased swaying of the palm trees in the wind and the ever darkening sky. The crowds in the market slowly began to dissolve as individuals wandered back to their homes to find shelter from the upcoming storm. Dark arrived and so did heavy rain that pelted the roofs of the small houses with a fierce determination.
The sun took one more glance at the wind beaten village before retreating behind the horizon to a warmer, calmer part of the planet. And with the darkness came the presence of an invisible beast as it roared and raced over the ocean's surface to the beach where it pounced on the small village with all its ferocity.
The winds suddenly picked up at an alarming speed, faster and stronger than any usual storm. Palm trees bent and swayed dangerously under the beast's power as the vengeful rain cut savagely through the wide leaves.
The rain and wind continued mercilessly for hours. Lightning struck in the sky, ever presently answered by thunder and the two echoed each other through the storm like a game of tag played across the dark, rolling clouds. If it wasn't for the high, whining squall of the storm, one might almost hear the sound of laughter as the two elements danced through the sky.
The wind raged on; harder and faster as the night grew colder and the rain stronger. Weakened foundations of the houses creaked and groaned under the unyielding winds. Tree branches snapped and some of the poorer built homes fell to nature's power; collapsing in on those who were seeking shelter within its walls.
The fiercely pelting rain was no more merciful as it flooded over the dark earth and raced down the mountain slope to the village; taking rivers of mud with it and crushing everything in its wake. The rushing monster poured into the village, devastating and destroying it even further.
Chaos and destruction reigned supreme that night with the small town at the mercy of the beast's powerful attack. But it eventually grew tired and bored with the frail little town and was no where to be seen as the first raise of the sun peered over the tattered horizon.
Light slowly seeped over the weary shambles that was once a serene village. The people there now were no longer happy and carefree. Cries of grief and agony met the dawn from sobbing forms kneeling over lifeless bodies sinking in the bloodied mud. Stricken individuals wandered aimlessly around in shock from the previous night's horrors while the most fortunate did their best to tend to the wounded.
Amid the jumble and turmoil, imperceptible to the flesh, floated two human like manifestations as they watched the disorder one night had caused.
"Mortals are such frail creatures." Lightning lamented, though she watched a small crying girl standing alone in the street with indifference.
"Yes." Thunder replied as he observed an old man; bloody, dirty and sloppily bandaged take his last breath of air before life left his broken body.
"And with an existence so fragile, one would think they would take better care of it."
Lightning smiled humorlessly and shook her head. "Silly creatures."
And the two vanished, leaving the troubled town to a place far over the sea where no human foot would ever tread and where the great beast rested from its endeavors until it regained its strength and could once again reign cruel havoc on the world.
