My Storm

• Sophie-marie Young, Grade 9, Taroona High School
• Short Story
• 2015

Excellence Award in the 'Read Write Repeat 2015' competition

I met them in a once cloudless sky as I stood by a field of corn. They moved soundlessly, there was no noise except for the rustling corn. They caused a great shadow to pass over the land, bringing with them the fears of many. Most would have run to safety but I had found a fascination with them.

They moved closer and others joined their massive force like recruits join an army. Their shadows engulfed me the light disappeared and the golden corn faded to grey. The wind lashed my hair across my face and my clothes whipped violently around my body. The air became icy and creaks and groans echoed all around me.

With a low grumble the threatening clouds released a torrent of pelting droplets, each a blast of freezing water that ran down my face and plastered my hair to my head. The wind screamed wildly in my ears. Though I had begun to shiver uncontrollably I stayed, captivated with their mercurial progression.

The clouds writhed in torment far above my head and split apart, firing out bolts of white light and growling in pain, I felt their pain too. I held my numb fingers up to the sky uniting with clouds in a breathless struggle. We whirled around together, free of troubled thoughts. Hail rained down like tiny frozen tears.

Slowly the battering hail softened to rain, the baying of the wind grew faint. My storm clouds lifted, rolling into the distance, leaving wispy trails and tiny puffs of tranquillity behind them.