Showing posts with label storm. Show all posts
Showing posts with label storm. Show all posts

Wednesday, September 19, 2012

The Stranger

I'm really trying to get back in the habit of writing.  I don't think I'm going to make my original goal of finishing a longer piece before the end of my maternity leave, but I still want to make sure I'm leaving at least a little time to write.  That being said - this one is really short as my son just started crying.  Here's the next installment to the Weather Riders serial.  You can find the beginning of the story under the Weather Riders tab at the top of the page.



I’ll never forget the first time I saw him.  He followed the storm.  In fact, he’d been soaked by it as he rolled into town on one sweet Ducati bike.  His reddish brown hair was plastered to his head.  The white t-shirt was a transparent second skin molded to a chest I’d only ever seen in magazines and on TV.  Jeans that were faded to perfection and black leather biker’s boots completed the ensemble.

He coasted into the parking lot of the park in which I’d been watching the storm.  With an inhuman grace, he dropped the stand and swung one long leg over the bike.  He loped over to me.  I almost pinched myself when he started to speak.  I’m still not sure if it was because he actually deigned to talk to me or if the sound of that rich bass as it caressed each word was too mesmerizing.

“I’m looking for some directions.  I saw you here and thought you might be able to help me out.”

I blinked a few times as my suddenly hormone drenched brain processed his words, “Sure.  Where’re ya headed?”

He hesitated for a second which piqued my curiosity as well, “I’m not entirely sure.  I’m trying to track the storm that just passed through and I’d rather not follow it down the freeway.  Gets a little dangerous on my bike at times so I’d rather take some back roads.”

There was something about how he answered that simple, innocuous question that didn’t sit right with me.  I took a deep breath to clear my mind of the fantasies that were playing out there.  I needed a few seconds to really study him so I pretended to be thinking of directions for him.

I started to get the feeling that either this guy was a Weather Rider like me or he was something else not entirely normal.  The only question was which one was he.  As I opened my mouth to speak I saw the look in his eyes change.  He seemed to realize I knew more than I should.

And I was completely isolated in the park, thanks to the storm.

Wednesday, August 1, 2012

Don't Panic Picture Prompt #4 Link-Up

I apologize the link up took a while to get up today.  Work didn't cooperate as well as normal.

Here was your picture for the week:


This was from a storm outside my house about 3 years ago.


I had one of those lightning strike moments where a new idea popped into my head, fully formed.  Check out Storm Rider.

What did you come up with?


Storm Rider


Okay - maybe I'm procrastinating on some other projects a little by starting this one.  But what do you do when a fully formed idea pops into your head??  I'm thinking this will end up being another serial on my blog.  Don't quote me on that, though.  I may change my  mind.  Either way, here's my take on the Don't Panic Picture prompt for this week.


The air stilled as the line advanced.  Flashes danced across the clouds like mischievous sprites of legend.  The world seemed to hold its breath.  I watched, knowing just a short distance away, the fury of the storm had been unleashed.

The anticipation was almost enough to kill me.  I knew this storm would give me one hell of a high and I didn't want to wait.  It was hard to stop myself from jumping in the car to go meet it.

I’m not some crazy, drugged out thrill seeker or adrenaline junky.  I swear.  I’m a Weather Rider.  Well, a Storm Rider to be exact.  Meteorological events give me a psychic charge.  My job as a Storm Rider is to help direct the energy of storms like the one I stood watching that night.  The easiest way to explain how I do that is I have a psychic power that lets me connect with storms.  One side effect of that charge is one intense high. It’s far better than any drugs.

And far more dangerous.  See, Weather Riders can become corrupted by their powers.  Hurricane Katrina is one example.  Most people believe it was a freak super storm of the century.  The truth is it should have been a normal hurricane except a corrupted Storm Rider enhanced it for a better high, thinking he could control it.  He couldn’t.  Among the dead were three other Storm Riders who burned themselves out trying to undo the damage he’d done.  Believe it or not, they went a long ways in doing so before they died.

So, why was this storm so different?  In truth, it wasn’t.  I remember watching this storm, craving the high, because it was just before all hell broke loose in my life.  Part of me still wonders if I should have caught on that night.

It started like normal.  The thunderstorm was a typical Midwestern storm.  Nothing I needed to worry about.  I got to ride the high for free on that one.  The stranger that rolled in hard on the heels of the storm was another matter.

Friday, July 27, 2012

Don't Panic Picture Prompt #4

I decided to keep trying this for a bit.  I'd like to see if I can get this prompt going as it helps me write and because I think it could be quite a bit of fun.  So, here's the next prompt.

This was from a storm outside my house about 3 years ago.



I'm going to put the word count at 350 this week.  Link up will happen on Wednesday.  Stop back and share what you came up with!