Harvest Moon: Magical Memories
Chapter Twelve:
The world trembled with the onslaught of rain, heavy dark sheets that overwhelmed the world as they plummeted from the angry heavens. In the first hour of rain, steam rose like a miasma from the sweltering stones, the sky growing darker in the passing of seconds.
Luna sat in the storm, staring up at the sky. She was all alone, sitting in the middle of the town. In her head, she listed everything that had brought her pain in the two-month existence of this town.
Almost all the inflictions against her stemmed from Jamie.
Thunder rolled against the sky, brooding at an unknown adversary. Lightening cried out in anguish, calling to her allies. And Luna sat in the middle of her universe, listening to the angry elements and feeling nothing but more pain encase her, swallowing her up like a livid sea against a broken ship. She stood, feeling energy course through her, an unknown sort of vigor from an anonymous source. She felt the wind sweep through her hair, felt the rain slap against her face.
I need to talk to someone. I need to talk to Jamie. To Kurt. Someone- anyone.
She flew through the din, rain roaring around her like an angry animal.
She stood in front of the large farmland, animals tucked safely in their own places, bleating at the miserable weather. But Luna wasn't interested in the rain. She wanted Jamie.
She knocked on the door, unsure if she had been heard. Lightening crackled in the distance. She knocked again, throwing more force into her flying fists. She pressed her ear against the door.
Footsteps.
Thunder bellowed, calling to her.
The doorknob turned...
and Jamie pulled open the door.
"Why do you hate me?" Luna shouted against the wailing winds, sopping wet.
Jamie stared at her, shocked to silence. Luna took this as her cue to continue. "WHY? WHY!" She shouted in his face, ice eyes staring out at her, searching her face. "WHY? What have I done? WHY!" Thunder roared louder and lightening crashed against earth, its commanding presence screaming to be seen and heard.
Luna and Jamie both turned.
Luna and Jamie both saw what happened.
Luna ran. Jamie stood stock still, staring at the sight.
The wood surrounding Sunny Lake was on fire.
Luna was sprinting, her heart and lungs crying out in protest. Tears clung to her eyes as she willed herself to go forward. Her entire body was fighting against her. Everything was against her in this one moment. But she had to. She had to stop the fire.
She reached it, lungs searing with burning heat despite the frigid air whirling around, guided by the howling winds. The very winds that spread the deadly fire, the timbers quickly catching fire, even as the slowing rain began to subside.
"WHY IS IT BURNING! WHY?" Terry had sunk to his knees, heart-wrenching sobs escaping his throat. "My beautiful trees... my beautiful TREES!" His hands were gesturing slowly around the trees, palms towards the heavens, almost as if to plead something, anything, to swoop down and save the trees he had grown up with. One tree had fallen onto another, its base blackened with the ferocity at which it was struck by the bolt of fire. The rains had stopped yet the thunder continued to roll in the sky, as if laughing at the world. The lightening danced, encouraging the winds to carry on her legacy as she danced and shrieked her way across the sky, illuminating the world with a hateful light.
The winds picked up the fire and soon, half the woods were alight with the crackling, malignant fire.
Luna did the first thing she thought of. Grabbing Terry's shoulders, she pulled him away from a burning tree. Moments later, a branch came tumbling down, broken and burnt, screaming its way down to the earth.
"GO GET HELP!" Pushing him gently back toward the town square, it seemed all the life was draining out of Terry. But now he had a way to save his life. He nodded, eyes focusing themselves, turning away from their hazed stupor, and, taking one last glance at his burning home, raced off to find help.
Luna looked around, trying to get a plan. The left side was burning badly; she'd start there. Sweat pouring down her face as the wind picked up, she ran to the water's edge, looking down at the once placid lake, which now reflected the crimson flames. She tugged off her rucksack, pulling out an old iron watering can, dirt crusted around a corner, the handle slightly bent. She scooped it down into the suffering waters, pulling it out and facing the blazing trees.
As she worked, little by little, diminishing the furtive flames, smoke stung her eyes. Her lungs absorbed the toxins as tears streamed down her face. Ash swept across her body, creating little burn marks. Sparks flew off the charred remains, landing on her clothes, in her hair, on her arms.
She worked relentlessly.
She worked until the woods were down to their last few trees.
The last few trees were saved.
But Luna was not.