The Storm

Sylvia's skin feels tingly, there is a silent vibration starting at the core of her body working its way outward, as if every molecule has suddenly become excited by some unknown force. She looks at her arms as the hairs stand straight up, straining against their roots. Suddenly her hair lifts off her shoulders as if to protest the laws of gravity. Before her thoughts have time to evaluate the strange sensation, there is a sudden blinding flash of light. At the same moment without pause, thunder cracks all around her. Running! Her legs were moving before her mind could catch up with them. Above her, fingers of lightning stretch out across the sky, mocking her, daring her to reach the barn before they reach down with their crackling fingers and flick her across the field.

"Hello Sylvia." said a woman's voice, waking Sylvia from her stupor. Sylvia shakes the cobwebs from her mind and looks around, confused by her surroundings. The musty smell of old straw and wood fill her senses. A flash of distant light illuminates the perimeter of the barn. She remembers now, she was running towards the barn, but that's all she remembers.

"Are you alright child?" came the voice again. Sylvia pushes herself to her elbows, wondering how she got where she is. Sylvia notices she is in the barns loft on a pile of straw. The barn is lit up by another flash of light. Within seconds the following clap of thunder causes dust to shake loose from the rafters and slowly drift down around her. She looks out through a large gap in the barn wall and watches in wonder at the violent display going on outside as the God of the western sky does battle with the God of the eastern sky, and wonders how long she will be trapped in no-mans land. Another flash, followed by the sound of a freight train crashing, she watches as on old tree just fifty yards from the barn becomes a casualty of war, the very same tree she was standing near when the first shot was fired.

Remembering the woman's voice, Sylvia turns from her portal to the chaos outside and looks at the older lady sitting near the edge of the loft.

"Who are you," Sylvia asks.

"My name is Beth," said the strange woman.

"Where did you come from? I didn't see anyone here when I entered." Asked Sylvia, as she tried desperately to bring up any memory associated with her entry into the barn.

"I was outside nearby when the storm started." answered the strange, yet somehow familiar woman. "I came in to find shelter, and more importantly, to make sure you made it in here safely. We can't have you stuck out there in the middle of a storm like this."

"You look somewhat familiar." Said Sylvia, wondering who she is, and where Sylvia has seen her before.

"I know your family" smiled the woman. "I've known your mother forever. Although I have not been around for quite some time, I still try to keep tabs on her from time to time. Tell me, child, how are things with you and your mother?"

"Mother is under a lot of stress." Sylvia answered, her face felt flush and her eyes turned sad thinking of everything her mother has been through lately. "I have been diagnosed with a type of blood disease that has no cure. The doctors say I only have a few years before I get worse, then it wont take long. The disease will take me shortly after that."

Sylvia has come to terms with it all. It's her mother she worries about more than herself. Sylvia decided long ago, when she was first diagnosed, not to let anxiety and fear control her life. She decided she would live out every day seeking out the wonders of life, and nature. She thought about the time she was walking down a sidewalk and noticed a small flower growing from a crack. Everyone else walked by engulfed in their own world, but Sylvia saw this little miracle reaching up for someone to notice. She sat on the sidewalk with her legs crossed admiring the little wonder of nature. For a half hour she sat in the company of her little friend, oblivious to the world and pedestrians around her. In that half hour she learned more about the wonders of creation than most people will in their entire lifetime.

"Sylvia, I am so sorry to hear that." said the familiar stranger, "Your mother loves you so much. I know she must be terrified for you."

Sylvia noticed a bright twinkle in Beth's eyes. She tilted her head a little to get a better look at Beth as she continued to speak.

"Listen to me Sylvia. I can't tell you everything. But I can tell you there is a reason you were out in this field today, you will find out soon enough." said Beth as her eyes glittered brightly. "But right now you must rest, child. I need to leave you now, but you will see me again soon."

"Thank you Beth, it was nice to pass the time with you. I will tell my mother you kept me company during the storm." Said Sylvia, still somewhat confused about her lack of memory in entering the barn.

"Please do, child, and give her my love." said Beth with a loving smile.

A flash of light and clap of thunder forced Sylvia to turn and peer through the slats in the barn wall, thinking she could catch another round of natures fury in the act. She saw the old tree that was struck earlier and noticed it was still standing tall and firm in the wind. She turned to Beth to mention the tree, but to her surprise, Beth was no longer there.

Sylvia's head was pounding, her eyes were squeezed shut, thinking the tighter she closed her eyes, the less painful her head will hurt. Then it started, the pain in her body, excruciating and violent, spreading from her core to her fingertips. Just as she was about to cry out, a hand touched her arm and a soothing voice, Beth's voice, whispered to her, "Try to relax, the pain will leave you soon."

Sylvia felt Beth's hand gently stroke her hair, pulling the pain from her body with every stroke. "Rest now child, rest." said Beth, her voice fading and distant with one more "Rest."

"Sylvia? Sweetheart? Can you hear me?" came a familiar voice, but not the voice she thought it would be.

"Mom?" came a small, weak squeak from Sylvia as she tried to make sounds come from her dry thirsty throat.

"You are safe now Sylvia, your with me, everything will be fine now" said Sylvia's mother.

As Sylvia slowly opened her eyes, the brightness of the light reflecting off the sterile white walls made it hard for her to focus on her surroundings. "where am I?" she asked, not exactly sure where her mother was.

"Your in the hospital Sylvia. You have been unconscious for 3 days." her mother said softly.

"What? I was in the barn waiting for a storm to pass. How did I get here? What happened to me? Why am I in a hospital?" asked Sylvia, her mind swimming in confusion, her eyes finally locating her mother standing next to her bed.

"Yes, we found you in the barn, but we don't know how you got there. Your shoes were still by the tree where you were struck by lightning. And the ladder to the loft has been broken for years. We don't know how you got up there." Sylvia's mother responded with a confused look on her face. "Once we found your shoes, we searched the area and the barn. The only reason we found you in the loft is because your feet were hanging over the edge."

Struck by lightning! how is that possible? Sylvia wonders to herself. Now the confusion really sets in. Nothing is making sense to her! She ran. She saw Beth. What's going on? Her confused mind races and tries to piece together the puzzle that now consumes her thoughts.

"Sylvia? I do have some good news for you." says her mother, ripping her back to reality. Sylvia watches as tears fill her mothers eyes and her lips start to tremble as she starts to speak. "The doctors can't find any trace of your blood disease. It seems to have disappeared. They speculate being struck by lightning may have something to do with it, but they are at a loss as to why, and you should have a full recovery."

Sylvia's eyes start to tear up as well. Not so much at the news of her diseases mysterious disappearance, but more for her mother. Sylvia watches as a great, soul-crushing burden seems to dissipate from her mothers form. So many things spinning through her head right now, without knowing where they came from, tears flood from Sylvia's eyes as she reaches up to embrace her mother.

"Goodbye Sylvia, come visit us again when you get a chance." Smiled the receptionist at the front desk of the hospital. "We will miss you around here you know. But I'm so happy things turned out the way they did. You're a miracle. You know that don't you? You got a second chance."

All the way home Sylvia pondered if she should tell her mother about Beth. How would her mother believe her? Beth had to be a dream. Things still don't make sense. Sylvia seems more confused than ever. Beth was so real, so vivid, how can it all just be a dream?

The confusion and fog in Sylvia's mind strained her thoughts as she walked from the car and into the house. She numbly walked to the living room sofa and flopped onto the cushions. Wanting to forget about everything and clear her mind, Sylvia picked up one of the family photo albums from under the coffee table and started leafing through it.

"Sylvia? What's wrong? My goodness child, you're white as a ghost." said her mother with a hint of panic in her voice.

"Mother, who is this woman?" Said Sylvia as she pointed a trembling finger at an old black and white photo.

"Why, that's your great grandmother Beth. She is buried out by that old tree where we found your shoes after that storm."