burst of wind...

A/n: eh... i know i know... this one's reaching a bit. they can't all be winners...:P

---ooo---

Quinn gripped the wheel and swerved as a stray cow flew across the van's path.


"...did you see that..?" she barely heard above the wind's roar. She spared a glance to Joe. He sat in the passenger seat, and she knew he had to have yelled.


"..it's a f 5..!!" she yelled back, barely hearing her own voice.


"...it's huge!!"


She eyed the width of the swirling debris, and how it seemed to dwarf the local stadium it was passing by. The corners of her mouth pulled downwards as she thought of the people. She then squeezed her eyes shut tight for a moment, took in a deep breath, and looked at the monster funnel cloud once again.


This was something she never spoke of, but for the town, her home, she had to try. She trusted in the faint whiskers of raging power she felt huming in her bones, surely caused by the thrum of the storm. The hairs rose up at the back of her neck, but she forced her awareness to expand further than the accepted norm. Liquid light, flowing over and through the land, sparkled up her spine first, fresh and new and old all at once. The cycle of life, the very song of creation, rung soundly just out of her range.


Quinn smiled widely as she watched the dancing wind spirt. She could see it plainly in the very center of the flying debris, arcing and leaping as gracefully as any salamader would within a fire. It swirled about with grace and power, and if asked she would never be able to describe it in words. It looked over at her, and widened its eyes. Then adjusted it's dance. She took in a breath and swore in to the roar that filled the van.  It looked as though the tornado lurched towards the van.. towards her.


Of course its curious just what the hell you are!! Stupid stupid. If you can see them, that must mean they can see you. It's never seen a human in its life!! And its life only lasts until the end of the storm..!


She startled as she felt a meaty hand on her shoulder. She looked over at Joe, and saw him pointing at a low structure that the river of life flowed over. Ah, she thought. A bridge. And nodded her understanding, and pressed down harder on the gas pedal.

She glanced back at the spirit. That a thing made of wind could have eyes was surprising enough, she vaguely wondered if it had ears too. With some effort, she tore her eyes away from the obviously joyful creature, away from the towering spiral of chaos kicked up by the furious winds of its passing, and back to the road before her.




"Please," she said and swallowed. She had to choose her words carefully. She knew the stories. An offering would be expected, some sort boon, a gift.. just something had to be exchanged for the town's safety. What could she offer though, that would satisfy such a creature?


She saw the answer in the local bid of energy independence, standing tall and churning  here and there in the hills. The giant white eyesores the enviromentalists in the local college recently declared they desperately needed to tear down for fear of their negative effects on the migrant bird population.


"..you dance so beautifully." she said. "but if you go much further, you will destroy your biggest fans."