My Entry- Finish the Story Contest - WEEK #23

The contest: https://steemit.com/contest/@bananafish/finish-the-story-contest-week-23
The Begining:
Even the clouds smile

The bedroom was a sealed Fort Knox. An old black fan stood in a corner: the last bulwark of defence against the terrible heat of that day of August. The heat from its engine was exceeding by far the supposed cool that it should have been producing from the movement of the scorching air.
"... I’m going down to the store to help mum."
"Recently, the young dandy is getting his ass busy."
"You could do something too, every now and then," Santiago thought, managing to keep his mouth with a bridle at the very last moment.
"There is an article on the International on how bad news are preferred to positive ones and their effects on society," he chose instead to answer.
But the 15:00 news were now efficiently irrigating the paternal synapses and absorbing his whole focus.
"After 3 months from their first appearance, the research on cumuloids continues by the international expert pool led by Dr. Venters. All the analyses confirm that their molecular composition is not different from that of any other type of cloud: minute particles of condensed water and / or ice crystals. In the meantime, yesterday, the United Nations Security Council unanimously approved the resolution requesting the member states of... "
"Chemtrails were not enough, eh Tiago?"
"I do not know, I try not to look at them. Those faces in the sky might also be harmless but they frighten me," Santiago cut short.
The quasi-dialogue would have certainly not produced anything positive in its prolonging, thought the twelve year old son. On board of his Zanella Motoneta, Santiago darted away from home, heading for the beach.
Down there, among the umbrellas reserved for the guests of the Los Reyes hotel, there were Vicky's deep black eyes waiting for him. Maybe today they could have been alone, maybe there between the waves or under the umbrella, he would have finally told her words that, for long days, had been banging in his head like the ocean’s backwash.
He still thought of those enigmatic clouds, the cumuloids, whose immense faces had formed and flaked in the skies for months now. With no exception, their eyes were covered and they displayed a subtle smile, similar to that of those Greek statues he saw in one of the rare occasions he opened his school books.

"What an idiot." Two rosy dawns light up on Vicky's cheeks to contradict the apparently cynical exclamation.
In front of her, two hearts drawn with a wooden stick on the sand of the shore with their initials inside. Tiago floundering.
A sharp cry pierces the silence. Dazed looks of the two twelve-year-olds jumping first on Vicky's younger sister, then, through the kid’s expression of terror, bouncing on the celestial vault behind them.
A cumuloid, alone, stands out clearly in a fake turquoise sky like the wing of a theatre stage. There is no trace of a kouros smile on the gargantuan cloud, which now seems about to drift on the sea shore. The ivory jaws widens deformed, vomiting a myriad of other faces. Distorted mutations depart ferociously from the obscene atmospheric funnel just to pierce back the smooth nimbus’ face, devouring its ephemeral flesh.
Time slows down around Tiago and Vicky, holding hands together without even realizing it.

The Story

A tension surrounded them like mist, making even breathing difficult. Tiago suddenly became aware of how tight Vicky was holding his hand, the grip was crushing. This was the pain which had jerked him out of the nightmarish trance. Before Tiago could overcome his fear he felt Vicky take a step forward towards the now darkening visage rapidly closing distance. The next moment Vicky gave a long ululating cry and jerked him forward into a stumble towards the yawning maw which was still spewing small cloudy faces which were evaporating with a small whine.
His senses overwhelmed by fear and confusion a strangled garbled cry escaped Tiago's mouth as he stumbled toward the hellish 20 foot maw. Vicky gave him a push and yelled. "Shout as loud as you can and Keep shouting, make more noise; Clap. Now. I need you! before it gains more speed."
Vicky Needs This Tiago started to cry out with all the strength he could muster "AAaaahhhh like Tarzan and clapped his hands as fast and hard as he could. It took only a few seconds for his breath to die out and his limbs became so heavy he flopped kneeling onto the wet sand. Somehow there wasn't enough air he realized. He had closed his eyes tightly shut due to pure fear of impending death but still the whimpering noises burst from his throat and his hands beat against his knees futilely, all the time his frail body was screaming for a breath. Slowly the small 12 year old boy keeled over still trying to shout out but instead gulping seawater and sand which gagged his throat. The last thing he heard before blacking out was a child's wail.

Tiago opened his eyes to a glowing white light. He tried to look around but turning his head turned out to be such a huge effort he gave up after a fraction of movement. Heaven? Tiago thought as a he inhaled a sweet perfume. Then he felt a tap on his cheek. "Try to slowly open your eyes."
Tiago tried to focus- it was an old man with thinning white hair and glasses- A Doctor! I am in a clinic. Alive! Tiago raised his head finally looking at the doctor.
"You are in the outpatient ward at Mercy Hospital. You almost drowned. Do you remember what happened?"
"Uh. Drowned.. I.. the clouds.... Where is Vicky?"
"The man who brought you in? We can't trace him, he left it seems. You are Santiago Meran?"
"No! Yes, I am Santiago, not the man the girl- Vicky."
"You were brought by this man, nobody else. Rest now, we will notify your family." And the doctor left him, drawing the curtain to his cubicle.
Tiago fell back closing his eyes. His hand itched, he wiggled his fingers to find a something taped to his palm. A cellphone with a note attached- CALL. There was only one number in its memory. Tiago called his excitement building.
"Tiago?"
"Hey. Vicky what's all this."
"We are leaving and I needed to say Thank you.
"Huh.. why?"
"It recognized Joan- my.. baby sister. We need to move before they attack again."
"The monster cloud was after the baby?"
"Joan is one of the few special humans that can destroy them."
"I am not.. They are beings? Aliens?"
"Not so Alien. They wake every 1000 years. Know this- by making loud sounds accompanied by emotional charge we generate a psychic field which they cannot penetrate easily. This is for your safety Tiago. I will miss you. Goodbye!"

Tiago felt alone. Going back to the dreariness of life seemed so uninviting. Those bloody @#% cloud beings. Tiago was amazed himself of the rage he was feeling. Yes. I will learn to fight them Vicky.

Photo credit: mind-matter.deviantart.com

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