Gossamer and Viridian Scene

[cathschaffstump]

Wow. It’s been busy. Students everywhere!

But I can at least post this!

***

Kelly tossed the apple to Jane, who fumbled it. The apple rebounded off her hands, bumped her nose and glasses, and rolled down her to the ground. Jane crouched, squinting. She couldn’t locate it among the rotting apples that dotted the ground. “Nice aim,” said Jane.

“That was you,” said Kelly.

Jane’s tongue tipped pink between her lips. “S’okay,” she lisped. “Looks like rain. I’m outta here.”

Kelly stopped listening. Rhythm nibbled in the back of her mind, a marching, most likely the scraping of upper branches. The sun, clouds skirmishing across it, kissed the horizon. Breeze tickled her ears and caressed her hair. “Yeah,” said Kelly, absently, “bye.” Jane was gone.

She lolled in the low fork of the apple tree for a long time. Rain birds twittered in the twilight. She watched the branches sway above her. At the edge of town, the water tower reflected silvery violet and the Presbyterian church spire glowed rose. She yawned lazily, and stood, just avoiding a rotten apple that had burst, brown and sticky. She crossed the shaggy grass to the farm house.

The world lavendered as Kelly ran her fingers around the grooves of the iron porch railing. Rectangles glowed softly in the gray. Framed by windows, Magdalene was silhouetted in the light of the living room. Grant would come back from work soon, probably with pizza and a movie. Kelly plopped down on the chipped concrete steps of the porch and watched the sky.

The rhythm became slow and steady. Not the branches if it was here. Kelly focused herself on it. A moment flashed like a camera. She saw a mob come out of horizon. They were misshapen creatures who disappeared with the next flash. Her nerves stretched. “Magdalene?” she said softly.

The night air cooled and she shivered. This time the world flashed with lightening, and this time she saw an army: horses, footmen, banners. Boney creatures mixed with squat ones. Armor that shined in the dark like it was illumined by bright foot lamps. “Magdalene?” she said hoarsely. A rumble of thunder, gravelly like her voice, echoed back. The army remained in spite of another lightning bolt, clunking toward the house, toward her. Something shattered inside.

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Originally published at Writer Tamago. You can comment here or there.