The change
Wendy loved wild weather. There was nothing better. She loved watching the clouds race across the sky. Bumping into one another before swirling into one. She could sit and watch it all day.
For Wendy had no other place to be. Scorned from society and cast aside by her parents. She belonged no where; but felt loved despite this.
Wendy had been traveling for as long as she could remember. It had started when Wendy was a young child. At first she didn’t understand. Why was she the only one who could see it?. Surely they could see it too?; but they never could. Chastised for her silly behavior and childish ways; she just stopped trying to explain.
So whenever the wild weather whipped up again; she knew there was a change coming. Sometimes it was slow and subtle. Other times it was fast and ferocious. You never knew what was coming next. The only thing you knew for certain is change is constant. You could always rely on it to come.
This time something was different however. Looking around her; everything appeared normal. People continued on their way. Scurrying to and fro. Traffic flowed before slowing to a halt. Lights changed and car horns beeped. Birds chirped and squawked in the nearby trees; whilst trees groaned under their immense weight.
Nothing seemed out of place; but as she looked up at the sky once more she knew that change was coming. Perhaps this change would be slower than normal. Perhaps it would sneak up on everyone and catch them by surprise. If she couldn’t see anything then surely this change was different from the rest?.
For as long as Wendy could remember she had always been able to see change. This is what had gotten her into so much trouble. With each change came different colours, sounds and scents.
Wendy remembered the first time she had seen a change. She had been sitting at her desk drawing when she felt a blast of icy wind sweep by. Looking around she couldn’t figure out where it had come from. Mother had kept all the doors and windows closed; for a storm was due to arrive. Yet she could feel the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. The temperature of the room rapidly dropped. Ice beginning to form on the window sill. Outside the clouds grew dark. Continuing to grow in size. The sun now blocked from view.
That’s when she saw it. It was attached to mother. Like a thin veil encircling her whole body; mother was covered in a dark black cloak. It penetrated her clothes leaking black bile throughout her body. Surely she could see it?.
Wendy pointed at the darkness surrounding her; the thick veil growing in size and darkening in colour. Yet mother just scolded her for being silly. There was nothing attached to her; and with a sharpness she had rarely seen in her mother she was sent to her room and told not to come out until she could behave. Wendy didn’t understand if she could see it why couldn’t mother?. Surely she couldn’t be that blind?.
The darkness clung to her clothes and skin like a heavy lead weight. As the day went on mother grew wilder and wilder. Nothing Wendy did was right. She spent the day in and out of her room; scolded for nonsense and bad behaviour.
At dinner they sat at the table in silence. Her mother sulking in the corner; her father avoiding her mother’s gaze. Something wasn’t right and she knew it. The darkness had seeped further into mother. Her skin becoming the darkest shade of black Wendy had ever seen. Yet she seemed unaware of this. Father apparently hadn’t noticed this either. Could only she see this darkness??…..
Looking down at her own hands and fingers nothing had changed. They were still the same pink, beige hue. What could this darkness possibly be?; and why was it only attached to mother?. Aside from her fathers untidy hair and worn out face nothing had physically changed with him. He was still the same man that had left in the morning for work. Wendy couldn’t understand.
As the night went on it got worse. Mother could be heard yelling at her father behind closed doors. Wendy hadn’t heard her mother like this before and it scared her. She longed for the darkness to go away and her real mother to come back.
In the morning Wendy crept out of her room. Not wanting to disturb her mother she crept past the lounge room. A makeshift bed had been setup on the couch. Walking into the kitchen she found her father making breakfast. Hugging her tight he told her it would be alright. Her mother just needed rest. So they sat beside each other in comfortable silence eating their bacon and toast. When they finished her father scooped her up in his arms; before helping her to get ready for the day.
It wasn’t long before mother awoke. She looked worse than what she had yesterday. The veil surrounding her had grown in size and her features had now become distorted. Wendy could feel the icy chill blowing from her body.
All the hairs on her body rose. Yet mother or father didn’t seem to notice. Instead father gave her a kiss before leaving for work without a word spoken. Not being able to bare the close proximity to her mother Wendy fled from the house.
That’s when she noticed it again. That thick dark veil wasn’t just surrounding her mother it was surrounding the old lady next door. As she tended to her garden the thick, dark veil covered her back. Clinging to her like a heavy weight. Looking up; her face scowled against Wendy’s. Wendy ran away as fast as she could but it was everywhere; people near and far were covered in it. The thick sludge oozed from some whilst it lightly encircled heads and feet. Not everyone looked the same but the darkness certainly did.
That’s when Wendy noticed her. It was slight at first but grew brighter and bolder as she drew closer. A woman not much older then her mum was surrounded by a beautiful white light. It sparkled and shone in the sun. Bathing her in a light that covered her whole body. Moving effortlessly against her strides. The darkness recoiled from the sight of it. Wendy noticed the lady stop and express pleasantries before moving on. For some reason the darkness receded. Growing lighter and thinner.
Some of the people surrounded by darkness continued to grow dark. Recoiling slightly as the lady walked by; before returning to a thicker and darker state. That’s when Wendy realised this lady could help her mum. If the darkness didn’t like this light then surely the darkness surrounding her mother would go away?.
Wendy ran like the wind to catch up to her. As she approached the lady she could feel it. It was overwhelming. A warmth unlike any she had ever felt before overcame her. It was like someone had placed a fire beside her heart and gave her a bowl of hot creamy soup. The woman radiated beauty and light from every inch of her. It crept out from her body like thin golden vines. Wrapping Wendy in its warmth and hugging every inch of her. She couldn’t help but smile. Looking up she took in everything about this woman. Her eyes were a gentle sky blue, her smile warm and inviting.
Wendy explained what had happened. The woman smiled and nodded before following her home. Upon arriving Wendy felt it before she saw it. The darkness had consumed everything around it. Anything that was in its path had been destroyed. Charred remains were all that were left. Opening the door reluctantly; they stepped inside. Her mother appeared from around the corner. Wendy could feel a rage so intense and deep that she shuddered.
The kind woman took her hand and immediately she felt relieved and comforted. For some reason she knew she was safe. Not understanding how or why she looked up at the lady. Golden vines had once again began to flow from her. The vibrant golden white light touching her mother’s darkness and growing in warmth and vibrancy. Like a magical cloth it erased the darkness surrounding mother.
Soon; it was no longer visible. Her mother’s soft brown eyes came back to life; her brown curly hair flowing from her face.
Wendy could feel the change as well. The burning anger and rage had dissipated. Leaving behind a beautiful warm glow. Like a soft meadow surrounded by warm light. Thanking the lady her mother turned to her and scooped her up in her arms. Wendy was no longer afraid. The cold, dark light had gone and she knew her mother had returned.
The woman left and Wendy thought that that was the end. Little did she realise it was only just the beginning….
Days grew into weeks and weeks turned into months. Everything was back to normal. That was until it shifted again.
Another change had come.
Wendy was out the back swinging on her swing when she noticed it. At first it was slight but then it became more evident. Clouds began to speed past before slowing to a halt. Then everything stopped. The sun seemed to freeze and the birds vanished from thin air.
This time a slight wind blew through picking up fallen leaves and tossing them into the air. Then it left as quickly as it had appeared. The sun unfroze; warming the back of her dress. Birds began to sing and the smell of honeysuckle wafted through the air. It was the most unusual thing Wendy had ever seen.
It wasn’t until after dinner that she noticed the change. Mother was sitting in her chair whilst her father sat beside watching the news on tv. The gentle roar of the fire in the background and the sound of clicking and clacking as her mother’s needles worked through the wool.
All of a sudden her mother’s voice cut through the noise. She had wondered where her father had been after work. He was meant to be home before dinner but hadn’t gotten home until much later. Her fathers voice chiding her mother’s. He had worked back late and had told her this. They couldn’t leave until everything had been unloaded from the docks.
The hiss of her mother’s tongue surprised Wendy the most. Looking up she jumped in surprise. A dark green light had enveloped her mother. At her feet a green serpent rose from the floor. Hissing and darting it’s tongue in and out. It’s diamond shaped eyes resting on Wendy. Green scales glistened against the light from the fire. Wendy couldn’t help it. Crying out she begged for them to get rid of it. But they couldn’t see any such thing and once again she was scolded before being sent to her room.
Later that night she heard her parents arguing again. Her mother didn’t believe that her father was working back late. It was another woman. This was the last time that she would put up with it. Screaming at him to leave; Wendy heard doors being opened and closed before footsteps bounded down the hallway and out the front door. Just as quickly as it had entered it had left once again.
Only this time it took someone with it. After that night her mother and father separated. Her father said he couldn’t bare to live with the jealousy anymore. So on every weekend Wendy would wander up the road and travel by bus to stay at her dad’s for the weekend.
So began the change. It would spring up like a jack in the box or silently slither past. Sneaking up on its victims and taking them by surprise. No one seemed to see it. Instead; Wendy was chastised for her behaviour and scolded for being silly. Eventually she began to hide the changes she noticed. She didn’t bother to try and explain anymore.
With each change came a new feeling and colour. It clung to people or slithered around them. Wendy began to understand the different changes.
Despair and depression clung to people like a thick black coat. It edged them towards damnation and hopelessness. It’s heaviness weighing down the world. When jealousy arrived it slithered around like a green serpent. Couples would argue and break up. Marriages would end up on the rocks and just as quickly as it had arrived; it would leave.
The changes weren’t always bad however. The one change Wendy anticipated the arrival of was love. It blossomed more brightly than any. Red velvet roses emerged from its depths; it’s scent leaving a warm mark on the heart. Mother’s were more loving and affectionate. Husbands and wives drew closer together and happiness lifted the vibrations of everyone around.
Yet no one else could see it. Wendy seemed to be the only person that could. Over time her mother grew tired of her ways and sent her to liver with her father. Much to her surprise; Wendy couldn’t have been happier. She had witnessed so many of these changes within her mother that she couldn’t keep up. They seemed to be attracted to her. Like they couldn’t get enough of her. The sounds would change from dark guttural sounds to heavy fast paced beats. Acrid rotten smells emanated from behind before being replaced with the heavy scent of mould and rotting meat.
Depending on what came next would determine how her mother would react. The darkness consumed her; leaving her hidden in her room for days whilst greed would leave her desperate for the heavy weight of coins against her skin. Wendy didn’t know what would come next but she always dreaded it.
The one thing that she always clung on to was the last words of that beautiful woman. Bending down to Wendy’s height she spoke of changes occurring and people reacting in different ways. They wouldn’t always be pleasant and if Wendy wasn’t careful she would take on their burdens as well.
The woman told Wendy that if she looked up at the sky she would know when a change was coming. The change wouldn’t always be the same and you would never know what would come next.
All she knew for certain was that these changes didn’t affect everyone. Some were left unscathed.
Before she left the woman held out her hand. Inside was a pure white crystal. It shone brightly against her pink beige hue. The woman told Wendy to always keep it close to her. Whenever she came into contact with someone going through a change she was to imagine a bright white light surrounding her. This light covered her entire body. Not an inch of it was left unbathed. When she imagined this light surrounding her; it would protect her and keep her safe. Her only goal was to help others going through a change.
Whether it was jealousy or anger, depression or loss. Each person deserved to have someone stop and offer kind words and love. With this it could help ease their burden and allow them loosen the change.
It didn’t always work for everyone. Some people were so consumed by change that no light could ever penetrate through; but it didn’t stop Wendy. As she grew older and wiser she reached out more and helped those in need. Some laughed in her face or walked away in disgust. Others appreciated the small kind gestures. Some places she travelled through accepted her like their own; others cast her aside like trash.
She grew to understand that not everyone could be saved. Some didn’t want to be saved; others just didn’t know how.
So when she looked up at the sky watching the clouds race past and feeling the wind tossing her hair. She knew once again that a change would occur.
It just wasn’t a change that she’d ever experienced before.