Above The Clouds

Chapter 1

Standing beyond the meadows, stood a young man draped in pure white robes, it was a moonless night. 

By the old willow tree, fireflies were gathering around him, creating an ethereal glow. Coupled with his snow-white robes billowing in the wind, his figure excluded the aura of a celestial being. He gazed intently in the direction of the forest, and without warning, a shrill cry pierced through the silence of the night. His eyes flickered momentarily and with a flick of a wrist, he was gone.

Time passed. 

Seasons changed. 

Soon winter came and the meadows were no longer. A thin layer of frost covered the barren land as wisps of snow began to kiss the frozen ground. Suddenly, a lone droplet of water appeared still in midair.  It began to expand at a frightening speed until it reached the size of a pond. 

A mop of messy black hair began emerging from the swirling droplets, and in just mere seconds, it began to take the form of a young child, without warning, he was plopped down onto the cold, hard ground. Snowflakes continue to swirl about as the unconscious child lay motionlessly on the ground. As minutes trickled by, the child's fingers were starting to turn blue, but still no signs of waking up. 

Half an hour later, the last rays of sunlight melted into the darkness of the night sky. By this time, the child's body had turned ice-cold; survival seemed like a far-fetched dream. 

Perhaps, it was a miracle, or perhaps it was fate itself,  he began to stir as if awakening from a long slumber. His eyelashes quivered, once then twice, revealing a pair of milky-grey eyes. 

The biting cold, however, wasn't an illusion, the poor child could barely move his fingers. After a series of difficult maneuvers, he was finally able to sit upright. It was at this moment that he noticed the situation he was in. Dazed, he stared blankly at the incoming specks of snow.

What. The. Fuck.

The last memory he had was at the office. Everyone was bidding farewell to each other, it was a tearful gathering. He had stayed with this company through its hardest times and witnessed the ups and downs, but sadly this was it for them, the company announced its bankruptcy yesterday.

He still remembered how he crouched by the corner, trying to wipe away the tears that wouldn't stop coming. Everyone was holding tears as they gave their final farewell, but alas one of the juniors couldn't take it and burst into tears as he clutched the sleeve of a manager.

He was 35 already. Finding a new job wouldn't be simple, he could already imagine the sea of rejections he would face. He still had a mortgage to pay so he had no time to waste in this god-forsaken place. 

Thinking this, he attempted to stand up, which prompted him to fall face flat onto the snow. Thus, came the second, third, and fourth attempt. By his fifth attempt, he was on the verge of giving up. Dying here was beginning to seem like a better option than facing unemployment back home.

It had taken him a total of 10 minutes to finally be able to stand upright. With shaking legs, he slowly surveyed his surroundings. The moon, thankfully, a full moon, provided ample light for him to do so, but as far as he could see it was still endless heaps of snow. 

He couldn't remember how long he walked, he could only recall how he lost all sensation in his legs; he felt completely numb to the piercing cold. His eyelids were growing heavier by the second as he trudged aimlessly through the thick snow. 

A large willow tree was the last thing he saw before he passed out.