Thunder and lightening heralded the birth of yet another storm over the east coast. Like a beast rudely awakened from a long hibernation, it roared its ravenous hunger purposefully towards Tabula Rasa.
Within the darkened halls of the house, Amaya found herself drawn to the brillant flashes of lightening. Looking out from her favorite window, she watched as the power of the gods continued to build.
Tree branches whipped to and fro in their wild greeting of the gale force winds raging outward from the massive dark clouds. Rain relentlessly spewed on the earth below, pummeling fragile grass and leaves into submission. Tiny riverlets in the dirt quickly became frothy churning gorges.
She had watched storms before, but this one drew her as no other. Perhaps it was because this storm was centering its power directly over Tabula Rasa, or perhaps it had come in answer to some deep calling of her own.
So engrossed was Amaya that she didn’t even notice the cat as it darted into the safe haven of the house, grey fur dripping muddy water. Green eyes flickered a baleful feline stare at Amaya. Disdainfully shaking one paw at a time, the cat then ignored Amaya, and set about cleaning her fur.
Ethereal as her grasp was to her existence at Tabula Rasa, Amaya found herself yearning to embrace the furious energy of the storm. The booming thunder gave Amaya a focus, like the beating of a heart. She closed her eyes and let her awareness expand into the storm.
Energy swirled around her, pulling her, teasing her. Voices once remembered echoed deep within the crashing thunder. She ached with the need to reach out and gather them within. Flickerings. Motes. Shimmering. Longing. Loneliness. What was real? She didn’t know and she didn’t care. Her face was wet. Was it the rain… or her tears?
“Come with me.” echoed in her mind.
“Who said that?” Amaya felt her lips move. Did she really speak? She watched the words hang suspended then float away into the swirling void.
“Come with me.” A second echo. Neither male nor female, yet both.
“Where are you? I can’t find you.”
“Come with me. Give me your hand.” An invitation.
Amaya held out her hand. Contact. Pressure. Squeeze. Were those her feelings?
“Don’t be afraid.” A promise.
Her cheeks were still wet. Or was it only the rain? “I’m not afraid.” , she whispered.
She let the Presence guide her into the vortex, felt its arms swirling and spiralling around her. Embracing her. Welcoming her. She shimmered and glowed from the electrical charge in the air surrounding her.
“Welcome home, Amaya.”
The cat paused in its bath, a meow of protest dying in her throat before it could be voiced. Before green eyes could blink, Amaya was gone. The gray cat was the only witness to Amaya’s departure.
If any mortal had dared venture forth, they would have sworn they’d seen a goddess floating across the fields, dancing with joyful abandon in the storm to the accompaniment of soft, joyous laughter echoing in the wind.
Soon, the incessant hard drumming on the roof quietened to soft pitter patters then stopped.
The house stood dark and empty once more, save for the gray cat.
© L. Kupfer
All Rights Reserved
written for the online persona
known as Love of the Rain
