Royal Lightning

Every night at midnight, the purple clouds came out to dance with the blushing sky. As the clouds rolled by, pink, most people would stop and think. They said their prayers in the dark of night, to avoid a fearful plight. Magic though free, was rare to find. It was almost absent from everyone’s mind. Yet, as the purple clouds danced with the blushing sky, people prayed and chanted, wanting to keep death away in their sleep, hoping to not die.

Though magic was seemed to be gone for years, it still was rumored amongst one’s peers. Like women enticed with the stars and fate, adventure would befall a boy named Jake. In his heart he went through hell, as he could not confess his love to Isabel. So, with wit and action, he made a plan, to come forth to her, as a man. One day, near dark, when the clouds did swell, Jake had something sweet for Isabel.

“Isabel,” he spoke, “today I awoke. Tomorrow, I hope to do the same. Yet, no matter how many times I arise, I can’t get you out of my brain. You’re a free woman, but I want you for me. I will not force you. I respect your liberty. I want you to love me, don’t you see? I want your love to come forth like a natural well. I want your love for me to be beckoning forth, with an abundance should it swell. Isabel, don’t love me out of obligation. I’d hate to do that to you, your love should be free from all forms of conformation.”

Like the clouds the words hanged there. Like the clouds the words thickness applied to the air. Like the clouds his words were made bare. Like the clouds words were given to his words, an exchange that was fair.

Isabel began to answer, but not out of defiance. Isabel began to answer, she broke the silence. Isabel began to answer after having some time to think. Isabel began to answer, of Jake’s words did she have time to drink.

“Jake,” she started, “I thank you for being sincere. I thank you for being honest. I thank you for being here. I thank you for completing your promise. You had much to say, and from what you displayed, is that our friendship means more to you, it’s as clear as day. I want to explore this too. I want to explore this with you. Yet, since it’s something that which you and I are experiencing new, I don’t want our pace to be predetermined as too slow or fast, cause then one of us would get angry out of the blue.”

“Hmmm…” Jake thought. Her proposition moved him quite a lot. So, he moved off and sat down on the grass looking out over the river canyon. Isabel joined him, leaning her head on his shoulder, a fellow companion. “Too fast, or too slow, which way we should go? I only care that we’re together and here. I only care as long as our intentions with one another remain clear.”

“I like that too, however, that means at times we will deny one another, regardless of if it’s me or you. Sometimes we won’t always have the ability to express such diligent care. So, when that happens how do we make sure that things remain fair?”

“Love is not a scale,” Jake replied. “Yet, equality and equity need to be just, at this we must not fail. Sure, there are times when we are going to be denied. Regardless, love is not stingy and should not be weaponized. If it is, then that’s how hate becomes immortalized.”

Isabel giggled since she knew he was right. She answered him with a bit of delight, “There’s going to be times when we need the other’s words, actions, and sense of touch. There’s also going to be times where we need ourselves, sometimes another person is always too much.”

“True,” Jake stated, “to ourselves and each other we must be kind and fair. That also means we must understand each other and learn to deal with our own internal affairs. We must not cheat ourselves of doing the right thing. For by choosing to obstruct our morals and values, we choose to be terrible beings.”

They laughed for a bit and looked at the river’s waters. They saw fish and turtles playing amongst themselves, even with the river otters.

“Hey Jake,” she said, “remember the first time you searched for me and made me laugh? You were taking a bit of rest, and I found you in a bath.”

The color of red to Jake’s face did begin to rush. Like the pink sky, Jake’s face seemed to blush.

“You always get captured by some weird coincidence of nature. What’ll take you next, more flying fluffballs I wager?”

“That day,” she began to ask, “that day when they carried me away into the sky. That day when you raced after me, once I was out of sight did you begin to cry?”

“I did. I did and I will not lie. I was planning on confessing to your that day but the world screwed my plans and made things go awry.” Leaning back his heart calmed down, and he seemed humbled, then a memory flash, “Hey, you fell out of that tree into the pool! From above you slipped and tumbled!”

Now her face blushed, and it turned a deep red. The truth had been spoken, that’s all that Jake said.

“Now tell me,” Jake began, “you fell out in nothing but your undies and a t-shirt. Where you up in the tree spying on me like a pervert?”

“Um, well you see,” she started to fumble with her fingers, “danger was around every corner, so I was wondering why I felt a certain presence linger. I climbed in the tree to see if it was safe, then when I saw the black pool of little fish, my mouth watered as I hadn’t eaten as of late.”

“So, you were starving since there was hardly any food. Tell me, did you see my nakedness, or was that never viewed?”

“I only saw what was above the water,” she waved her hands as she exclaimed. “The black little fish that picked at your skin hid the rest of your frame.”

“So, you thought they were tadpoles, is that why you fell? Or is that just the narrative that you’re trying to sell?”

“To be honest, when I saw you, I was glad. Even though I was starving the branch gave way to the weight that I still had. So, I tumbled down the canopy, and fell into the water-.” Her face went beat red right there, her temperature grew ever hotter.

He saw her face that went beet red, and grabbed her hands and said, “You’re the sole reason I was in the forest. I went in there looking for you. That day you were carried away, my heart turned to shades of blue.”

“So, what’d you do? What happened when the fluffballs took me away? Did you go and search instantly, or did you make plan, a short delay?”

“I couldn’t cross the river, nor could I the gorge. So, yes, supplies I gathers rashly, and a plan I quickly forged. Max had helped me, a friend in need, he did so with such speed. With my dad’s parachute in tow, we built a trebuchet, and launched me into the air, like a football that a star athlete would throw.”

“You soured through the air, without wings, or a balloon? Tell me Jason, are you brave or simply a buffoon?”

“Like a rush, the adrenaline coursed, and it wasn’t very frightening. Then the purple clouds rolled on in, and I was nearly struck by lightning.”

She could not laugh; Isabel did gasp at the thought of what he said. “Just for me? From the sky you fell, free, and almost wound-up dead?”

“Not for you, but for us, in my plan I trust. Without faith, self-doubt, like a wraith, feasts on confidence, like a gourmand to freshly baked crust.”

“Across the river, across the gorge, then from the sky lightning poured? When you came to find me, I went to hiding, as predators were abound by the score. PilferSnatches with claws that catches, SlitherCoils with venom that boils, CoyoClaws with jaws that saw, Fear’orChinns with lethal grins, and DeciTrees with tens of kness, and TrueAnts that stalk truants making them dance once they crawled into one’s pants. All those things, from the flora to the fauna, every single one of them made me wanna cower and hide within a small hole forever. Then when I saw you, and fell from the tree, I couldn’t be happier that we were together.”

She laid her head upon his chest, she nuzzled deep and felt his breath. Jason knew that he couldn’t ask for more or less. Since they were together, he considered himself blessed. Though hiding and fleeing from the beasts of the forests was quite the task, Isabel had to question how was it that Jason was able to last?

“Jason, tell me this? How is it that you survived the creatures of the forest within the dark green abyss? I had to be sly and hide, yet every rule you seemed to defy walked boldly in stride?”

“When I landed down, I had my machetes and pepper spray within my grip. So, I walked around the forest before, and had the great lake to the right side of my hip. While walking along the shoreline, I barely escaped a nuckelavee. Only by splashing fresh water at the beast was I eventually rendered free. It chased me along the shoreline for more than two miles. Then I leapt over a small river and thwarted the thing, that made me smile. The nuckelavee left me, it went on to return to the sea. However, something from the lake arose from the water with a great mass. Having another water horse in its territory this beast could not let such a slight pass.”

“The beast of the lake? You mean of the Labebantur Concha, ruler of reptilians, over all lizards, turtles, and snakes?”

“Correct, he saw that I was struggling as of late, so I was given a compass scepter to help find you easier, it knew that I was looking for my mate.”

“What was given, how did it help? Did it feed you with mouthfuls of fish and red seaweed kelp?”

“I was given the whistle of the lizard’s tongue, when I would breathe in I could taste the air through my lungs. An enhanced sense of smell, to be able to track your down, it also developed heat pits so I could see in the dark to look around. Yet, like one of the king of beasts, that was ruler of its domain, it provided me with its scent, it kept every other predator away. That’s the only thing I can explain.”

“You came across danger practically in an instant? Then you received a magical gift, but more importantly a scent to make the other threats become distant?”

“Yep, so once I ventured into the forest, everything else stayed at bay. Other beasts and kings thought I was an emissary of Labebantur Concha, that’s what they all displayed. Big cats with their ears back, snakes that would bow after one tongue flick they would take, deer that ran away in fear, murderous turkeys that would flee instead of trying to hurt me, even giant grolar bears would become scared once they got a whiff they turned stiff. Yet, I’m surprised that you didn’t run away, you even found after several days.”

Being happy with their tale, they watched the bunny slugs, the shell-less snails, swimming and zipping in the waves. Eating algae from the surface, avoiding caiman lunges, being brave. While getting up, they went to head back home from their hike. Suddenly from the purple clouds, came down a lightning strike.

A magnetic attraction towards each other drew the lightning towards them, grounding the lovers. Descending from the purple clouds the thunder shock resonated loud. Instead of striking them dead when it touched their heads or sending them writhing in moans by shocking their muscles into remaining tighter than stone. Time around them seemed to stand still, yet they didn’t fall nauseous or ill. They looked at themselves, then at their new peculiar endeavor, then they had to ask if they would be stuck like this forever.

Then they realized that things weren’t always stuck, with patiently waiting, they still felt rain drops fall, so they could recognize their luck. Walking through the world, they moved at a faster rate. They wondered if this ability would be sealed along with their fate. Since they moved faster, would they be able to die sooner too? All these thoughts running through their heads, they didn’t know what to do.

Walking through the river, the water parted, and they never got wet. The amount of energy they exuded sent things flying, they were a kinetic threat. Putting their heads together they tried to figure out they were so fast. Thinking about physics, they thought about electrons and how their momentum lasts. With speed, it seemed like they were running across the earth faster than lightning. Yet, they leisurely walked to the iron mountains, where above a monastery held teachings to help others go through experiences that were enlightening.

They reached a special tower, it was made out of platinum, iron, silver, copper, and gold. A homogenous mixture smithed thousands of years ago, its ancient legends till this day still hold. Before they touched the building, they enjoyed their moment of silence, their blip of bliss. Before returning to the world at their normal rate of living, they pressed their hands against the obelisk.

They honored each other in love and dignity, their couple’s bestowment. From stories of the past, to being trapped in the present, the rest of their lives they would be shared as a blip in time, a most precious moment.