Birds Of Passage

             July 26th, 1998 6:45 PM EST It was a crisp summer evening in the quiet town of Morioh, '''

the sky was coated in orange and pink warmth, peppered by dots of passing clouds. The wind caressed the leaves, cradling them softly back and forth with the trees, singing in the ears of children playing outside. Crinkling the grass beneath their weight, as the air carried their playful shouts throughout the neighborhood. The waters of Ell pond nestled quietly, as the local flora and fauna sung to their hearts content. The frogs give a riveting performance, the grasshoppers strumming their strings in unison longing for their mate, and the ducklings gathering together                                          to sing their choir, it was truly a marvel to behold.'''

 

if one were to look towards the horizon, they would lay eyes upon an ominous spectacle, amidst the welcoming embrace of mother nature’s warmth brewed a raging snowstorm, the locals have come to dub it “The Storm That Never Sleeps”. All known sightings have been reported at Ell pond, and not once has it ever dispersed or displayed any mercy of letting up. All year long and through the different seasons, you can gaze upon this majestic disaster, occasionally moving as if it were a dog on a leash. All Residents are advised against investigating the blizzard by themselves, for no one has yet to discover the cause or purpose of this storm, but to respect its boundaries at a safe distance. However, there was one such individual who knew how to temper the beast, an angel brought down from the heavens who could strum at the heart of the storm, plucking away at its harmonious strings with her gentle touch.'''

 

Sitting atop a hill, overlooking the glistening waters of her home, adorned in a white gown that shined with sheer brilliance, holding the cross of the holy saint in her soft hand, her heart ever so somber                                                as she drifted into the vast void of her subconscious. Her wings sheltered her from the storm,                                  as snowflakes gently fell onto her white fur, and hanged off of her eyelashes. A voice broke through the bitter wind, calling out to the heavenly woman. “Angelica” Angelica turns herself around, crumpling the grass and bits of snow beneath her to get a good look. “Magi” She would say in response, bestowing a look of longing upon her gaze. Before her stood a purple hedgehog, adorning a distinguishing blue vest, blood red dots on each cheek, and yellow eyes that burned as bright as the sun. His temperament as harsh as the blizzard that followed him. Magi steps forward, the weight of his steps bearing down on the earth, each one carrying conviction for the hope of a better tomorrow.'''

 

Magi planted himself next to Angelica, crossing his legs together, allowing her into his heart, turning the winds from a tidal rage, to a gentle sea breeze. Magi turns his head to Angelica, hoping to break the ice. “How are you?” He utters with a gentle whisper, feeling the weight of his own internal struggles bearing on his heart. Angelica curls her knees up to her chest, clasping them together with her hands, looks to the earths soil as she heaves a sigh, her breath personified by the bitter cold. She would sit momentarily in silence, as she cradled her body from side to side, blinking and fluttering her eyelashes slowly. She finally meets Magi eye to eye. “I’m scared...” Angelica says as she feels her eyes water up. Magi clenches a fist, feeling the pain in his heart swell up to a boiling point. “Me too...” Magi responds. “What if... ‘he’ finds out about us?” Angelica inquires'''

 

Magi ponders his thoughts for he shared the same fears as her. He knows full well their “lord” has spies that serve under his beck and call. If word of their affection for each other were to be unraveled, they would be shown no mercy and have them executed for treason. Magi felt his hands quivering, unsure of what to say or how to say it. He spitfires the first thing to come to mind. “He won’t-” “How can you be sure!?” Angelica abruptly cuts in, unsatisfied with Magi’s response. She was right, there was no way for him to know for sure, he felt powerless in the wake of this turmoil. Magi unable to follow up, holds his head down in defeat, acknowledging the magnitude of their situation. Magi gently turns his head to Angelica, feeling the weight of his eyelids sink. “I’m sorry...” Angelica lifting her head up from her knees, sniffling lightly. “No, I’m sorry, I shouldn’t of yelled at you, it’s not fair on you. I... I don’t know.”'''

 

Magi looks out to the horizon, the sky was covered in oppressive storm clouds, a battalion of snowflakes charged headlong to the surface, turning the lush pond into a frozen wasteland. “The Lord is fast asleep, his followers are no doubt maintaining a watchful eye on him too. We should be safe for now.” “Won’t they suspect something?” Angelica asks “They’ll be too busy with ensuring the Lord’s safety than they’ll be about us. I’m sure that we’d be the last thing to come to their minds.” Magi says with a reassuring tone of voice. Angelica breaths a small sigh of relief, as she nuzzles her face into her kneecaps, her wing flaps creating small gusts of wind of which help carry the snowflakes to their intended destination. Magi reaches out and grabs a nearby stick and begins drawing in the snow. Guiding his hand aimlessly, creating lines and shapes that held no meaning behind them, other than a way for him to take his mind off the situation.'''

 

Angelica watched with curiosity out of the corner of her watchful eye, as he carved into the snowy canvas. She crawled up and sat next to him, putting her hand out for a stick. Magi snaps the one he had into two, the sound of the snapping wood echoing off the trees. Angelica takes her woodland paint brush and engraves a smiley face into the earth. Magi gave a small smile as he let out a small sigh, feeling his cold icy heart melt. Magi draws a smiley face into the snow, putting a heart in between their drawings. For but a fleeting moment, they felt safe. Magi took a long look at the stick in his hand, inspecting and feeling the texture beneath his fingertips. He brings his index knuckle to his mouth and presses it against his lips. “I’m gonna figure it out.” Angelica looks to Magi with interest and a modest sense of confusion. “Figure what out?” She asks. Magi’s fist clenches up slightly tighter as he looks out upon the snowy landscape.'''

 

“I’m gonna figure a way out of this hellhole, and set us free from our nightmares.” “Magi... we can’t leave, we just can’t...” “No, I refuse to keep living like slaves to fate! I’m gonna find a way to free us both! There has to be a way-” “Magi stop! Stop it! Please... stop.” “A-Angelica-” “We can’t abandon our lord! He needs us Magi! You know what’ll happen if he dies! We will too, then all of this will have been for naught!” “What if he’s lying!? I mean, how can any of that be true? What sense does it make any way, and how the hell does he know that to begin with? Answer me that!” “Stop yelling!” “Just... stop...”'''

 

Magi’s breathing picks up as the frustration inside him builds up, the wind blowing as harshly as the storm brewing inside him. He gets up and walks off toward the trees behind him, huffing and puffing as his heart swells with anger. A part of himself admits that she is right, if he was indeed able to kill off the lord, what if their lord wasn’t bluffing? By killing him, he would kill not only himself, but her as well. Either way it was sliced, taking him head on was guaranteed suicide, if his bluff didn’t kill him, then the Lord surely would first for a botched assassination attempt upon their Savior. Angelica was left alone on the hill, the storm clouds parting from the scene, basking in the warmth of the evening sun once more. Angelica wipes any trace of them being together from the snow, feeling Magi’s cold bitter bite on her hands as she wipes away the snow. Angelica tearfully clasps onto her precious holy cross, and holds it against her heart. Inciting the lord’s prayer.'''

 

“Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come,                                                                        your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.” She presses the cross gently on her lips, before taking flight into the endless summer sky, the sun casting thy lord’s rays onto her angelic presence, as she pleads the heavens for forgiveness for their misguidance.'''