Of Red Capes and Blinding Storms
The wind caused her cape to fly up over her head, the soaked material sticking to her skin as the rain poured down. She tripped and fell to her knees, struggling to get the shawl back into place. Her once clean stockings were now stained with brown, murky water with bits of dead leaves and twigs sticking to her exposed thighs.
She freed her head of her soggy cloak as it rippled erratically in the storm's unyielding wind. She looked around desperately, searching the ground for the basket she had dropped. But the rain stung her eyes like a thousand bees, making it nearly an impossible task to see anything around her. The occasional bolt of lightning allowed brief glances at the daunting trees as their ravenous limps reached out to grab those who ventured too close.
A loud clap of thunder caused her to scream in surprise and fright. She struggled to her feet, finding it harder and harder to do so because of the fierce gust of the downpour. Thoughts of death infested her young mind as she pushed herself to continue onward. This was no place to die, she had told herself. There was nothing glorious about perishing in something as common as a storm. And those thoughts forced each of her legs to blindly step forward into the sea of thorny, barren twigs and branches. She held up her arms in front of her face, feeling the barbed wood cut and scratch her bare forearms, breaking off as she trudged further through the undergrowth.
She had somehow led herself off the beaten path when the rain first began. But now, she was completely lost, blinded by the merciless rain and the darkness of the night. She wondered as she lumbered on about what she would do once she found the path. The storm was not about to die down and Grandma's house wasn't exactly a stone throw away. She still had to cross over the river and trek through another few miles of woods. And because her mother's house was just as far away, there was no turning back.
The wind in its howling fit of rage rushed at her and forced her back a few steps. She screamed slightly as she felt herself lose control of the direction she was going. And then, a massive surge of air pushed her backwards violently, and she was sure she would fall to the ground.
But instead of hitting the muddy, merciless earth, she felt herself fall into a strong, yet slightly soft structure. A sturdy arm wrapped around her waist protectively and held her close. She didn't scream. She didn't have the strength to. And it didn't seem like this stranger meant her any harm. In fact, he began walking forward with her in front, his steps guiding her around the tree branches and away from harm.
At that point, her body had nearly given in completely, leaving her at the mercy of the stranger that was leading her along. He seemed to know where he was going. There was no hesitation in his steps nor did he stop to look around and find his bearings. He just trudged on with the young girl in front of him, never letting the wind slow him down.
In her dazed state, she wasn't sure how long they traveled. But soon, she saw a light up ahead. It was blurred by the downpour, but to her it was like finding a lake in the desert. Suddenly, she no longer felt the harsh rain on her face. The stranger gently let her fall to the ground in front of a roaring fire. The warmth on her shivering body was so comforting. She didn't move when she felt someone remove her soggy red cloak. She was so tired, all she could do was breathe and listen. The thunder and rain could still be heard, but now she could hear dry leaves crackling as the stranger moved about. They were obviously still outside, probably in a cave, she reasoned.
The hypnotic sounds and warmth of the fire cast a sleepy spell over her. Her eyelids grew heavy and reluctantly touched together. Sleep had taken over her.