Burning heat. The land is parched, plants are dry and a look into the distance reveals nothing but shimmery reflections. Sweat pours off bodies and even night provides no respite. Fans circulate hot air and no measure seems a match for the invisible fire consuming everything. Water hitting the body almost releases steam and is replaced by sweat not long after.
Dust is everywhere, plants seem green no more. Industrial whines and smoke seem to suffocate and choke what little shrubbery there is. The lake is slowly turning green and dead fish float on the surface. Even the angel is tired and the world seems stuck in limbo, life not moving. It is a relentless cycle, burning days, burning nights. Leaving shadow to step into light is misery in itself, and a single step on sunlit earth saps strength and makes it hard to go on.
Will anything put an end to the suffering? All seems well across the mountains, as if God intends for certain people to suffer and others to be at peace. Resigned to fate, weary limbs rest and tired eyelids close on a bed that is warm many hours after nightfall.
Flashes come and go, unbidden and unexplained. Machinery or malfunctioning lights are not satisfactory sources. The window is opened, and after many a day the fan circulates cool air. Another flash appears on the horizon. A tired, dusty leaf is suddenly cleansed, and like a curtain from the heavens, water descends. Smiles appear on faces as nature beats the odds after all. Begone foul heat, the rain is here.
