Tank Life

A chill washed over Clive as the warmth was drained from the surrounding area. “Ugh, here comes those stupid beasts. It must be that time of day.”

“Oh, Clive. You are so funny! They come around every day.”

“Alani, bubbly as usual. But don’t you just wish they would be somewhere else for once?” The pebbled ground darkened. “And why do they make it so dark?”

“No, of course not!” The lanky voice called back. “I love to see the beast's colors, they are always so shiny and filled with color… Hey! That might be why it gets dark when they come around. The beasts take the color and spread it around!”

“I don’t think that’s how it works.” Clive found joy in popping Alani’s ideas. There wasn’t much else to do each day. Life as a skipping record.

The vibrant beast finally came into view. They hovered. Descending from the heavens. Faces to the pebbles, once full of color, rummaging.

“Don’t you just love it! I find it so fascinating. What do you think they are doing?” Puzzled the emerald voice. Alani towered over everything else in the area. There wasn’t much competition though. It was only Clive.

“Something useless probably. They just make everything so cloudy. And they change the landscape. I don’t see the point of it. I like it the way it is.” The growling voice complained. “I guess I’ll see you when the cloud is gone.”

The cloud encased Clive and Alani. Lost from view the two were isolated. The only thing Clive could see was the dancing silhouette of Alani. She loved to move as much as she could, flowing with the currents of the world. Clive was jealous of how easily Alani could transport herself to wherever she dreamed. Clive was never like that. He was very grounded, heavily anchored to the surrounding pebbles. Weighed by the burdens of day-to-day life. Somedays he felt crushed.

The shadows of the beasts were growing larger in Clive's sight. The beasts would keep their distance, but today was different. He had never seen the details so close. The patched-together colors on the skin of the beasts. Giants. “Woah! Hey… HEY! Get ba…” The foundation of strength cracked in his voice.

“Clive! Clive? Are you alright? I still can’t see you the cloud is still covering the ground. What’s going on?” Flooding the carefree thoughts with frantic worst-case scenarios. “Just speak to me… Please!” The cloud was settling, like sand passing the time. The ridged backs of the beasts cut through the cloud. They were migrating to the silver unknown.

Silence rang through Alani’s mind. “CLIVE!” The settling cloud revealed the stout rugged shape of Clive. Though to Alani, he looked completely different. Lumps and edges that she had never seen. “Oh Poseidon! The beasts killed him. He looks so… so… mutilated.”

“Mutilated? Do I normally look like that?”

“Oh Clive! No, haha you are very handsome. I am so glad you are alright.”

“Balderdash, I don’t even know what I am looking at anymore,” Clive grumbled in a dazed state. “It’s like the heavens have flipped, What the heck are the pebbles doing above me?”

“Um… I truly regret to say this, but, I think you are the one that is upside down.”

“What! Those stupid beasts! Of course, it is me who gets punished by Poseidon!”

“Don’t say that Clive. There must be a reason that this happened to you,” Soothed Alani.

“You’re right Alani! There is a reason for this…”

“Oh I’m so…”

“PAYBACK!” Clive proclaimed.

“What! Those poor mindless beasts, do they really deserve this?” Alani reasoned. “At least will you sleep on it? They will be back tomorrow. Maybe you can forgive them.”

“Hmmm… I guess I’ll just plan until then…”