Читать книгу The Barkuu - Lauren Wright - Страница 15

The next day, Magni was up with the sun. He grabbed his trusty soccer shorts and flip-flops, his uniform for most of life. Magni grabbed a banana and resumed his search for his satin princess.

By the time he had hit the streets, people were already gearing up for the festivities of the day, while others were cleaning up from the night before. He patrolled the area all morning, but the streets eventually began to again fill with colorful people and music.

It was getting harder to find her by the minute, and he began to think it might not happen amid the thousands of people. That's when he saw her; every detail was as incredible as he remembered. She was dancing around rhythmically with the other dancers, but she showed brighter.

All other dancers seem pale next to her, their movements lacking the flare, the glamour, and grace of his beloved. The entire audience must be focused on her as he was; how could they watch anything else?

Macie danced around, hoping the man of her dreams was watching. Every twirl, every flare, every smile, every pop was for him, an intricate mating dance for the one she would spend her life with.

She was filled with the hope that he was out there, that maybe he saw the way she danced for him. And there he was, right in front of her, motionless, the same look in his eyes.

Every detail was better than she had remembered, the lines in his abs and chest. She breathed deeply and goosebumps cascaded through her body; her heart raced once again.

From that point on, they were always together, making it a point to work together in the sugarcane and coffee fields. Even when they had to work separate jobs, they were together as soon as they could be; their life was one another.

It can be said that once a life has been lived, conclusive statements can be made regarding it. In that light, Macie and Magni would never again walk their road alone.

While they sat together drinking their rum, Macie held up her hand to block the sun. "Man, the beach is surprisingly full, huh Mags?" Magni followed her example and held up his arm to get a better view. "Boy it really is; I thought we were going to be out here by our lonesome."

He gave her a little wink. "Could've been nice."

She looked at him as if offended. "What's this could've been nonsense? It's the end of the world, dammit. Who's gonna stop us?"

Magni just laughed; god, he loved that woman. He turned his gaze to the setting sun. Won't be long now, he thought, although he didn't want to voice it.

The sunset commenced, the water turned a luminous orange, and the first plumes of the Cloud appeared. The cascade had begun, and within seconds had spread across the sky in both directions.

Macie and Magni stood in awe; it was gorgeous. No one could have known, and not a single hypothesis prepared them for what was unfolding. The site was truly breathtaking, reminding them both of the day they had first met.

The Cloud didn't crash like a wave but billowed into the atmosphere like smoke blown into a still room. Brilliant pink and orange filled the sky, rather than doom and destruction. The Cloud appeared to offer only splendor and amazement.

Beautiful swirling colors like pouring paint into water filled the horizon, back-dropped by the setting sun. The last rays of light were peaking through the clouds. It was a rolling wonder, never to be witnessed again.

The first object shot into the atmosphere with great fury, breaking through the brightly colored plumes, streaming fire and smoke across the sky. In a spectacular fireworks show, the object burst into smaller chunks and spread out uniformly. They impacted several miles inland, shaking the ground when they hit.

The second object came blasting straight down, landing several miles offshore.

Macie and Magni turned around to witness the fireworks and saw the impacts touch down inland. The shock waves came rolling through like an invisible avalanche and knocked them both off of their feet. They tumbled back several feet and then wiggled and struggled to regain their composure.

Getting to their feet, they looked up to see the ocean receding from the beach. Their eyes swelled, and they both looked up at the same time; the beautiful clouds were gone, entirely obscured by the massive wall of water.