Number Thirty Nine ©

Sa watched the storm unleash its unprovoked, unchallenged fury upon him.

Lightning struck down the trees standing tall around him. The rain drowned the grass and soaked his clothes. He felt a hundreds pounds heavier. The clouds blocked all moonlight.

The humidity smuggled water into his heart and lungs. His skin was stretched tight, twisting itself around his muscles and bones.

The wind thrashed twigs at Sa like shrapnel from an explosive.

The lightning heated the air, his body wanted to sweat.

He proceded to walk straight ahead. Through the dark. He felt like someone was following but knew that wasn't true.

Who else would sacrifice everything just to find the eye of the storm? Just to sit there serenely among all the chaos. Who else would lie down just to feel the water rising over their face, as branches fell on top of them? Who else would climb a tree and wait for lightning to strike it down, just to experience the fall in perfect darkness? Who else would sing and dance as noisily as they could just because they knew no one could hear? Who else.

Sa embraced the violent winds. He embraced the heated rain and the mad thunder.

He had never felt so comfortable. He wasn't scared, he was so safe and so complete.

Everytime the lightning flashed, the whole sky pregnant with infinitudes of stars was revealed.

Sa sat on a broken tree stump. He realized all the other animals are probably taking shelter too, underground, in caves, under bridges. Sa might have been alone.

He dug his feet into the mud until they were sunken above the ankle. He let himself become entrapped. He stuck out his tongue and tasted the rain.

He drew pictures in the mud with his fingers by the flickering lamp of the storm. He used his elbows as ultra large brushes and his knuckles as medium sized ones. His fingertips were just the right size and sufficed for everything else.

He leaned in and smeared his face in the mud. He didn't want the storm to end.

He got out of the ground and traveled with the storm "It will last forever" he thought, "if I don't leave it."

He wondered if there were ancient cultures who lived in storms. Who traveled with them and ostracized those who left. Maybe the chief would meditate in the center.

Sa felt the winds were weaker in the direction he moved. So he turned around and ran another way. It was so dark, he was lost and confused. He spun in circles as he ran. He had no sense of location whatsoever. Why did his body keep spinning, why did his neck keep swaying and his chin keep bobbing? He waved his arms out wide and his feet took him somewhere.

He thought his eyes were open but it was too dark to tell. He could see just the same when he closed them.

Sa laughed. He saw birds dancing in the sky defying the storm's will, as lightning struck all around them but, missing each time. Other animals must have seen the birds too because he felt a giant wave of courage sweep by. Critters emerged from the ground and acted as if everything was normal. Earthworms and creepy crawlies stuck out their heads. The lightning was too afraid to actually hurt anything with feelings.

The storm wanted beings to believe it was boss but, beneath its front, it was full of warmth.

Maybe this was the secret an ancient culture did discover.

Beings like Sa were last to come out and expose themselves to the storm. Their appearance declared brazenly that they want to see the true face of the storm, "Show me your soul", they declared.

The lightning ceased, the winds fell, the rain stopped. The clouds receded into the depths of the heavens. A single star was chosen from the whole existence and brought glory and light to the world.