Author's Note: The title of this chapter has nothing at all to do with
Holley's chapter. It's a freaky triplet thing…ignore it. Although…I'm
pretty sure we are both psychic…go flobotones!
The Section Wars
Chapter 13: The Downpour
The chilling night wind was cutting through the thick forest trees. It brought a hint of incoming rain, and was aided by a slight mist. The moon was shrouded in a thick layer of darkened clouds and the air smelled strongly of water.
The earth shook and the sky rumbled as thunder echoed out into the campus. Lightning raced across the sky, illuminating the forest as if it were day. The flashes bounced from one corner of the horizon to the other, bringing the loud cracks of thunder with it.
Justin had left the trombone cabin an hour ago, before it had begun to drizzle. Now the downpour was hammering out of the sky, drenching everything on the way to the ground. He looked around the familiar clearing, wondering where Joanna was. She was supposed to have been there half an hour ago.
"Justin!" A faint yell came through the pounding rain from across the clearing. Justin ran through the pouring rain to find Joanna, soaked, under an oak tree.
"Finally, you're here," he whispered, looking at his love contentedly.
"I've been here, I was wondering where you were," Joanna replied.
"Well, anyway…we are together now. I hope that it never changes…"
They held each other close for an hour in the rain, not saying another word. "I love you," Justin finally broke the silence.
Out of the blue. a horde of low brass leapt from behind the trees in the clearing and rushed to circle Joanna. She dropped away from Justin, a frightened look on her face, and fell into the mud. The boners grinned happily at the flagrant anguish on Joanna's face.
"I'm sorry," Justin said, a saddened look on his face. "This is for the best, I promise."
The boners stepped forward with a long rope, tied her arms behind her back, and led Joanna down the muddy trail to the low brass camp, a hostage of their own.
Justin lingered behind the rest of the boners, not wanting to leave the spot that was once so sacred to him. Before leaving, he tied one of Joanna's blue ribbons to the tree where she had been waiting for him, on a branch where he had carved their initials.
The storm thundered on, ever stronger, until finally it drowned out its own thunder with the torrential rain. A flash lit the sky, accompanied by a loud crack and an explosion. The bolt of lightning struck straight down, and blasted the blue ribbon on the oak branch into a smoldering pile of ash.
A spark jumped from the ribbon to the tree, starting the still, dry bark on fire. Despite the powerful rain, the tree ignited with such fury as is unknown to anyone. It blazed long into the night, and remained a glowing pile of ash and embers in the early morning mist. It was the only tree to burn.
The Section Wars
Chapter 13: The Downpour
The chilling night wind was cutting through the thick forest trees. It brought a hint of incoming rain, and was aided by a slight mist. The moon was shrouded in a thick layer of darkened clouds and the air smelled strongly of water.
The earth shook and the sky rumbled as thunder echoed out into the campus. Lightning raced across the sky, illuminating the forest as if it were day. The flashes bounced from one corner of the horizon to the other, bringing the loud cracks of thunder with it.
Justin had left the trombone cabin an hour ago, before it had begun to drizzle. Now the downpour was hammering out of the sky, drenching everything on the way to the ground. He looked around the familiar clearing, wondering where Joanna was. She was supposed to have been there half an hour ago.
"Justin!" A faint yell came through the pounding rain from across the clearing. Justin ran through the pouring rain to find Joanna, soaked, under an oak tree.
"Finally, you're here," he whispered, looking at his love contentedly.
"I've been here, I was wondering where you were," Joanna replied.
"Well, anyway…we are together now. I hope that it never changes…"
They held each other close for an hour in the rain, not saying another word. "I love you," Justin finally broke the silence.
Out of the blue. a horde of low brass leapt from behind the trees in the clearing and rushed to circle Joanna. She dropped away from Justin, a frightened look on her face, and fell into the mud. The boners grinned happily at the flagrant anguish on Joanna's face.
"I'm sorry," Justin said, a saddened look on his face. "This is for the best, I promise."
The boners stepped forward with a long rope, tied her arms behind her back, and led Joanna down the muddy trail to the low brass camp, a hostage of their own.
Justin lingered behind the rest of the boners, not wanting to leave the spot that was once so sacred to him. Before leaving, he tied one of Joanna's blue ribbons to the tree where she had been waiting for him, on a branch where he had carved their initials.
The storm thundered on, ever stronger, until finally it drowned out its own thunder with the torrential rain. A flash lit the sky, accompanied by a loud crack and an explosion. The bolt of lightning struck straight down, and blasted the blue ribbon on the oak branch into a smoldering pile of ash.
A spark jumped from the ribbon to the tree, starting the still, dry bark on fire. Despite the powerful rain, the tree ignited with such fury as is unknown to anyone. It blazed long into the night, and remained a glowing pile of ash and embers in the early morning mist. It was the only tree to burn.