Morning all. Woke up stuffy because the weather is shifting about. A little part of me woke up thinking, maybe it’s fall. But now it is just rain. It does bring a temporary reprieve from the heat though and it clears the air. And brings down all of the loose and older tree limbs. We have a lot of tree limbs down this morning and road closings and alternate routes are scrolling like school closures used to do in snow storms, but without the exciting possibility of a snow day. So while everyone else plans alternative routes, let’s jump into the morning prompt. Set those timers, because here we go…
I am not sure what to think about this one. I think I would have to look up more scientific facts and possibly put this on a different planet to get it to work. It just seemed like an interesting twist. After all Fire and Rain always get the doomsday predictions, why not wind?
Tuesday, August 8th: Paper fluttered in the breeze.
Paper fluttered in the breeze. For a moment, no one moved. They stood frozen as the corners of pages began to wave. Then almost as though they were one organism, everyone turned to the open window. Outside trees were waving slightly in the breeze. It wasn’t much, just a soft rustling sound, barely audible when everyone was moving about.
“Wind,” someone said. The word escaped like a benediction.
There had been no wind recorded for the last three months. There were people monitoring it as well as those informally surveying their memories and their neighbors. The air had been dead still. Fans were employed to move the air about indoors, but outside not a breeze, not a zephyr, nothing.
Eric hadn’t realized how much he missed the wind. It was, over all not something he ever thought about before. Without it, the world seemed different. It seemed lifeless. Sure, plants still grew but many species were having to be helped along, the winds they usually relied upon to spread seeds and pollen being absent.
Eric, along with most everyone else, had been watching the news and the scientific reports about what was happening. Or more accurately, what was being done about what was happening. No one knew why there was no wind. The processes creating wind were in place, and yet there was no wind.
Scientists were studying, politicians were pointing fingers, philosophers were writing up treaties, poets were lamenting in verse and religious leaders were predicting doom and begging people to recant their sinful ways.
The lack of wind led to soul searching in even the least religious of the population. Scandals came to light nearly every day and Eric was heartily sick of the introspection he felt. The relief of the wind ‘s arrival allowed his thoughts to be blown free of his mind, to scatter like the seeds and pollen. It allowed them to escape the endless track they had worn in the past few months.
Eric had never counted himself as religious but inside he had to admit it felt as though he, and the rest of humanity had somehow been forgiven for whatever wrongdoing they committed. It wasn’t rational but it filled him and he could see the same thoughts reflected on those around him. Slowly they walked to the windows, lining up to watch. The soft rustling became louder and the gentle sway of the treetops became more noticeable.
“A storm is coming,” someone whispered. There was a thread of fear and Eric tried to shake it loose. Half remembered stories of apocalyptic storms and tsunamis rose in the back of his mind. He tried to squash them down but had no better luck pushing aside retribution anymore then he had salvation.
Together they stood and felt the long missing wind tug at their clothes and hair through the open window. Paper rustled behind them mimicking the leaves, recalling the trees they had once been.
When the thunder boomed, it shook the glass in the window frames and caused all of them to jump. Lightning flashed before anyone could react. The storm was upon them. The clouds massed and rain began to fall in fat drops. They all backed away and Roger and Micke shut the heavy windows, keeping the storm outside. Still they watched.
Ten til Midnight 