Chapter 1
One sunny autumn day, where bumblebees buzzed around in fields of dianthus, their pink and purple spots showing. Kids played games among stalks of wheat, giggling and squealing in delight. Lucy sat in the garden picking mint for her afternoon homemade tea. With the sun setting behind her she headed home, the light shining through the burnt umber leaves of the overhanging trees. An oak basket of vegetables and herbs bounced off her sapphire blue dress as she walked down the path, gravel crunching beneath her feet. Her shiny black shoes and pure white knee-high socks sparkled in the sunlight. She hummed a tune that her mother had sung to her when she was a child, she hadn’t very many memories of her as she had passed away when Lucy was young. She never knew about her father. Every time she asked her about it, she avoided the subject altogether. Lucy reached into her leather bag slung over her shoulder which she had inherited from her. She took out a photo of her along with a necklace. She held them close to her heart and smiled feeling a warm sensation in her body. The wind swept gently through her long, dark brown hair and she felt as though her mother was there too. She is 14 and living with her grandmother. Her neighbour Summer often comes over for lunch, if you ask me, she’s a bit of a chatterbox. Summer’s 10 and Lucy’s grandmother loves little children, she spoils them with tea and cake.
Lucy was preparing dinner in the kitchen but was startled when someone in the street screamed, pointing towards the sky. She looked out the window. At first, she couldn’t see what the big fuss was about. Then, the ground began to quake. She could see the light dimming from the sky as clouds gathered overhead. The clouds turned green around the rims whilst dark green lightning struck down on the houses. Flames roared and rain poured down, soaking the land. In the waterfilled streets, a crowd began to form. The crowd fled the scene, splashing water into Lucy’s eyes as they dashed past. Water blurred her eyes making it difficult to see. She gazed up at the rainclouds which had seemingly formed from nothing when the lightning formed some shapes. It was just weird patterns and lines until words emerged.
It read, “I’m back”.
“Who’s back?” Lucy spoke to herself.
The fires spread quickly, jumping across gaps as if they were alive. Without Lucy knowing a ball of flying flames crashed down onto her house, launching her into the air. Lucy’s heart stopped. A deafening buzzing filled her head all around. She turned around grasping her stomach which had been hit when she landed. Winded she coughed and gazed at the wreckage of her house where her grandmother was still inside.
“No”, she whispered to herself.
“No no no no”, tears stung her eyes and fell to the ground.
It added to the water around her feet, which was slowly rising. She kneeled in a grey puddle, her wet hair sticking to her face and her pristine white socks now torn and burnt. She cried, forgetting about her physical pain and noticing her emotions erupting. She cried out but no one was around, destruction continued to pour down with the rain. Lucy was drenched and heartbroken, but she couldn’t stay here. It was getting more dangerous as the night grew on. She ran into the woods tripping over the occasional stones. Here it was a leafy mess floating in ankle-deep water. She marched on in hopes of finding shelter, but the rain grew heavier and the water rose much quicker.
Almost waist deep, she felt a current form. Lucy thought she could resist it but it soon took her away pushing and twisting her into trees. She grazed her arm on a branch and saw some blood swell in the water. Lucy struggled to keep her head above water as she bobbed up and down, going under at some point. She paddled over to a big tree and grabbed it, hanging on for dear life. The current grew stronger the more she resisted. Lucy grasped the branch above her head getting pulled away from it. Somehow she managed to hang on and she hauled herself up onto the somewhat stable branch and climbed. Reaching the top she peered over the forest, this was the highest tree for quite some time. The entire forest floor was covered with a blanket of water. Which even unrooted some smaller trees that got swept away with the rest of everything.
These trees were relatively small compared to others in the cloud kingdom. Those could reach above the clouds, hence the name. However, you cannot see what’s down below. A fall from such a height would be disastrous.
Four days passed. Lucy still watched the world wash away. It looked endless, like the ocean at night. The waves drifting out and out, then calming again before the next wave came. It was peaceful up here. Lucy laid in the tree sleeping. Before long she heard her stomach growl. She grasped it, realising her immense hunger. She looked around. Nothing was in sight, but at the top of the tree, hanging on a thin branch, there was a purple kind of fruit. Desperate, she firmly held onto the branches clambering up the tree higher and higher. The branches became thin and fragile. They crackled under her feet but she kept going. It was just out of her reach. She gripped the centre of the tree for support as she stood up, outstretching her arm. Her fingers brushed the fruit. Lucy fell forwards but recovered, regaining her balance once again. She tried again on her tiptoes, she grabbed it but slipped on the water. There was a sudden, Snap! Oh no.
Lucy felt air rush up from underneath her. Her hair whipped around her, poking her eyes. Twigs passing quickly scratched her pale skin and tore the handle off her bag. The red blood was greatly contrasting to her ghostly white skin. Her tears flew away with the cold, rushing air. An abrupt wind came blowing her away. She closed her eyes tightly, and she drifted out of consciousness.
