Lightning Catcher 6

As Ladi watched the ever-increasing rate of lightning strikes in the sky, she wondered for a moment if the spirit wasn’t trying to sacrifice her to some malevolent deity or do some other wicked thing to her. But she remembered that if the spirit had wanted to harm her, it would not need to ask her permission to do so.

The feeling that something was about to happen suddenly jumped in Ladi’s mind, and she saw the entire sky above her head flash white, just before she shut her eyes tightly. She felt something descend quickly on the stone, but it was light and fast, probably the same thing she imagined she would have felt if a songbird had momentarily perched on the stone before taking off.

The sensation of light which is still discernable when one’s eyes are closed in bright light suddenly faded, informing Ladi that there was no more lightning, at least anywhere close by. She opened her eyes carefully, and saw that she was still standing in the wide conical pit.

Overhead, there were breaks in the previously thickly clouded sky, breaks that permitted the reddish light of the evening sun to touch the world one last time before the end of the day.

“Congratulations,” the lightning spirit said behind her. Ladi turned to see the strange woman beginning to fade away. “What of my home?” she asked.

“It is… partially safe,” replied the spirit. Ladi was alarmed. “But you said if I succeeded, my home would be safe.”

“From me, yes,” replied the spirit. “I am not the only one sent to test your people. You have passed the challenge of Lightning, and for that I name you Lightning Catcher. But someone else from your village is taking the challenge of the Flood. Pray he succeeds. Oh, and keep the stone. As a reminder.”

Ladi was hardly listening by now, as the spirit faded from view. Without even looking at the jet-black stone in her hand, she ran as fast as she could in the direction of home.

When she got there, the hamlet was exactly as she had left it, making her heave a sigh of relief.

“About time you showed up, Little One.”

Ladi turned grimacing. Only her elder brother, Anjo, called her that. “Why’re you looking for me, Big-head?” she shot back, using the name she always called him when he referred to her as little.

Anjo smiled. “Oh, nothing really.” Just then, Ladi noticed that he was breathing heavily, and his right fist was balled, as if something was in his hand. He was drenched from head to toe.

“What happened to you?” she asked. “Did you fall into the river? And what’s in your hand?”

“You won’t believe it if I told you,” he replied, opening his closed fist. In it, she saw a spherical transparent stone, with a strange blue swill within it. The strangest thing was that the swill kept moving around very slowly, as though the stone was made of something other than a solid.

Wordlessly, Ladi opened her own hand, to reveal the stone she had been holding. It was still the same, except that what looked like a bright yellow jagged crack ran down its length, and gave off a faint glow.

“We have a lot of stories to tell each other, brother,” she said in a quiet tone. “Let’s go home.”

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The End...

Thanks for coming!

That little boy,

@pearlumie