Free

Phenomenon

One evening in late May, a few weeks after Anna had left, I trudged into my apartment and collapsed on the couch. It had been a long day of giving author talks at colleges and libraries, and signing autographs. I rested for a moment, and then stood up and walked over to the glass wall, which was only weeks ago nothing but just that- a window-like wall. Now it was the doorway to a newly installed balcony. Anna, who was in absolute awe of my living quarters, said that the only thing it was missing was a link to the breeze. I wholeheartedly agreed.

Opening the hard-to-push glass door, I stepped out onto the concrete deck and crossed my arms on the black, shiny, newly-polished railing. Gazing out over the city, I sighed and laid my head on my arms. There was no getting around it, the view was stunning. Sometimes, at the time of day that it was, if I focused my eyes out in the distance and in between the skyscrapers, I swear I could catch sight of the ocean, glistening in the golden-evening light.

On this particular day, the breeze seemed to have a bit more spirit propelling it than usual. As it brushed past my uncovered arms, it sent shivers through my body. Although it was close to seventy degrees, the wind had a sudden sharpness to it.

Then all at once, a phenomenon came about, little did I know at the time what was going on. Somewhere, out over the city, thunder rolled. It began as something hardly noticeable, then crescendoed into a heart-splitting sonic boom, as if lightning had struck right right before my feet. Then slowly it trailed off, but yet still merely audible. There wasn't a cloud in the sherbet-streaked sky, not a drop of rain fell. "What the..." I murmured under my breath as the thunder trailed on.

Then, all at once the environment began to change. Ever-brightening streaks of light tore across the sky. My eyes turned to them and they weren't too bright to stare at. Yet, at the same time they were brighter than any ray of sunlight I had ever seen. The once alarmingly-cool breeze turned warm and comforting. I followed the beams of light across the heavens with my eyes, and they lead towards the eastern sky, where the source of the light was still growing in size. My mouth fell open. There, what appeared to be overlooking not only the city, but the entire nation at least, was a mammoth silhouette of source, of what appeared to be a man. However, the silhouette was made up of not darkness, but the most blindingly luminescent light I had ever encountered. It was so blinding in fact, that it put the sun to shame, and seemed not even of this universe. I shaded my eyes. It was so beyond me that it was terrifying. I wanted more than anything to run inside and cover my face with anything. However, at the same time it was so beautiful, so indescribable and marvelous. I wanted to bow down to it, to praise it. It's power was so overwhelming that I couldn't move, I couldn't hide from its presence. Even through the slits in between my fingers which were cupped over my eyes, the light flooded into my vision. The wind, despite the comforting temperate, was now howling so forcefully that I thought surely the building would tumble to the ground.

From the sky above, I then heard a new sound, a strange and unusual blast. At first I thought it was a helicopter flying low, however I wasn't going to look up to confirm that anytime soon. But as the sound seemed to linger on and penetrate the entire skies, I realized that more than anything it resembled a trumpet- A jet-sized blast from a trumpet. Then, slowly the blast died away, the wind began to calm, and the indescribable sensation of fear and wonder wrapped into one died away.

From the streets below, there came a new kind of blast, a more earthly one. It was the honking of what sounded like hundreds of infuriated drivers. It startled me into yanking my face away from my hands. For a moment, I regained my perception of reality. Sometime during the incident I had fallen to the floor, and found myself in an awkward kneeling position on my concrete balcony. My heart was racing, and the beats were so rapid and powerful that I felt as though there was a galloping horse inside my chest, trying so desperately to keep up with it's herd.