(Page 1 of 2) Wine and Whirlwinds by Rob GarbinSUMMARY: Time for a little fun. Something lighter.A cool evening breeze stirred the forest outside a small Grecian village as the sun sank below the horizon. Apollo's fiery orb pried one last minor fissure through a gathering of storm clouds as a warning to the simple denizens. The gray evening air was filled with the calm ambiance that comes just before a major tempest. The nearby sea was turning rough as plumes of spray rose above the rocky shoreline and the creatures of the deep sought refuge from the forces of nature.
Out over the sea, the first bolt of lightning struck downwards and illuminated the world in electric blue fury. The sea surged as bolt after bolt slashed the blackened sky and thunder shook the ground like an earthquake. The villagers had taken shelter when the dark clouds first appeared on the horizon, knowing from past experience that such storms were not to be provoked. All livestock had been quickly bedded down and all carts and boats secured. Now they huddled in their dwellings praying to whatever God was their patron.
Soon the winds increased. Trees twisted and swayed like kelp at the bottom of the sea. A searing bolt of lightning struck a white poplar on the edge of the forest cleaving it in two with the halves falling neatly to either side. Against all odds, blazing blue tendrils of electricity reached down to strike the same tree two more times. Pelicans hunkered down in sheltered alcoves along the rocky coastline while a family of boars sought protection in a thicket of thorn bushes. Rain began to fall. Fat, cold droplets were thrashed about the countryside by winds that howled through every thicket and valley, shaking the walls of the village huts. Candles went out as wind and rain exploited every chink and crack. Shivering in darkness, the families huddled together for comfort and support during the long stormy night.
Wind also stirred up debris that clattered against the buildings and tore at the fragile petals of tulips, primrose, and violets. Another flash of lightning struck the ground near a tree with an owl's nest. The startled owl took flight and was instantly hurled about by the savage gale force winds until it was smashed against the trunk of a spearheaded cypress. Soon sodden earth gave way and mud slid down the slopes of valleys and hills. The small village escaped the worst of the earthen flow, but many a citizen would be digging out for days to come.
Waves thrashed the shoreline filling the air with a thick mist that was illuminated by the barrage of lightning bolts. Fishing boats were tossed about like driftwood. Several vessels became lodged among rock outcroppings high on the craggy shoreline while sharp boulders splintered others. Late into the night the seas and sky churned with unabated fury. Trees, rocks, and earth collapsed under the relentless forces of nature, which attacked the world with a vengeance not unlike the forces of chaos. Slowly as the sky began to lighten, the winds started to loose their strength and the seas became calmer. Then clouds shredded as the first rays of dawn gilded them in crimson and gold.
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