The Storm

       Ashelyn sprinted forth into the cold night as fast as she could, tears streaming down her face. The wind blew against her, threatening to carry away the wide-brimmed hat that was once her father's until she grabbed it, roughly pulling it down as far as it would go. The cold desert air nipped at the nape of her neck, making her regret cutting her hair so short as she pressed forward. It wasn't long before the wind stopped, but the chill was still setting in, making her shiver vigorously. She used one hand–the other was tightly gripping her guitar case–to close and fully button her leather duster, her run slowing to a walk for the moment.

       Bringing her arms and the case close to her body to preserve warmth, the young woman looked back for the first time in several minutes. The city was far-off in the distance, far enough that she could safely and peacefully let her feelings out, now. The clouds were already swirling overhead, so dark and heavy it seemed the bottom would fall out any second now. She needed to calm down before that could happen. Surveying the land, she noticed a big, flat rock a little ways ahead of her. Perfect place to sit and play.

       As she reached the rock she laid the guitar case just beside where she sat, pulled the instrument out, and hastily set about tuning it. She could still feel the icy tears on her cheeks, as she hadn't bothered to wipe them away yet. Time was of the essence. Above her, she could hear what sounded like the rolling roar of thunder. However, she knew full well this wasn't a thunderstorm.

       Ashelyn looked up just in time to witness brightly glowing balls of orange and yellow and red raining down from the heavens. Literal fireballs falling from the sky, roaring loudly and burning strong. As the several massive forms of flame descended, she finally took a deep breath and began playing. The soft notes of the acoustic guitar danced and echoed across the empty expanse around her. With each chord, she felt her heart grow stiller, the hasty beats from her intense emotions and her sprint all the way out here slowing down. She closed her eyes, beginning to tune out all outside distractions, focusing on the notes of the soft, somber melody.

       In the sky above, the fireballs shrank. The further down they went, the smaller they got. Shrinking and shrinking and shrinking, until each and every roaring ball of fire was reduced to a small smoldering ember. With slow, deep, shuddering breaths Ashelyn continued to play, holding her sobs at bay as the song she played reminded her of her loss. The embers fell to Earth all around her, illuminating her and her ever-flowing tears, not a single one getting close enough to touch her.

       Tumbleweeds and dead trees in the nearby area instantly caught aflame, yet somehow each and every flame burned still and calm, like those at the end of a candle or pocket lighter. The embers glowed like fireflies as they fell, each one either making more calm fires or meeting their end in the sand or rocks. Over time the number of embers grew far greater than even the fireballs that came before them, creating a shower of lights. This shower made it obvious that Ashelyn was in some sort of invisible cylinder, a radius of a few feet all around her into which no fire or ember could enter. As more sad chords came and went, her tears began to subside. Her eyes soon opened, her gaze resting on the little city from which she had fled.

       She came to this city because her brother lived here. And, as she just found out, he also died here. Though, somehow, she already knew she'd lost her brother long before she arrived. You could call it intuition, or some sort of sixth sense. And yet, even with how sure she was that this was more than just a random feeling, the confirmation hurt even more than she could have ever expected. Seeing the body, it... it was too much. She hadn't had this strange power for very long, but from the moment she entered the morgue she could feel it building up. If she hadn't gotten out of there–if she hadn't rushed through the doors, into the streets and out of the town– who knows what could've happened. Here, she was able to let it all out, let the feelings simmer and burn out without risk of hurting anyone or anything. At least, hopefully. There shouldn't be people wandering the desert at night, but it wouldn't be too surprising if someone happened to be out here.

       In any case, as the notes slowed and her brother's favorite song came to an end, so too did the fires die out and the embers fade. What little life had been affected showed no signs of burning, the calm fires leaving no black marks or soot, no trace that anything had happened. Perhaps the embers didn't hurt either, though there was clearly no one around who could confirm that. She looked up into the night sky, the clouds dissipating rapidly to reveal the light of the full moon. This was her newfound burden, a curse that would stay with her until the end of her days. And yet, as she finally wiped the tears from her eyes, she felt more relieved than anything. Now that the crying was done, she could look on the bright side. At least she had an outlet to release her built-up pain and sadness. At least the display her emotions caused was beautiful when it wasn't extremely dangerous. And... Well, at least she knew for sure that her brother was gone. His suffering was over, and now he was in a better place.

       With a warm smile and regained clarity of mind, Ashelyn put the guitar away and began the trek back into town. There was more crying to come, as she had to arrange the funeral. But, hey...

       So long as we live, there's always more sadness and happiness to be found on the path ahead.