Every Cloud - Part One

EVERY CLOUD (PART 1)

 

White walls and quietude surrounded Miriam as she stood, waiting for someone to answer her call.

   A few minutes elapsed before her request was granted. A door materialised from the wall in front of her and prized open. In the doorway stood a man about seven feet tall. He had blonde hair and wore a white robe.

   As the man took a stride towards Miriam, the door closed and moulded back into the wall.

   ‘Are you the guardian of the clouds?’ Miriam asked.

   ‘I am he.’ the man said as he came to a standstill only an arm’s length away.

   ‘Can I see my husband?’

   ‘Yes, but we need to find you a vacant cloud within the vicinity.’

   ‘Can you hurry? I need to make sure he’s alright.’

   ‘You do understand that the cloud you are given will be yours alone and it will belong to you for eternity, unless the Great One decides otherwise?’

   Miriam nodded her head in response. The man then raised his arms aloft and cried out in a language unknown to her.

   A brief moment later his arms dropped and he was silent. 

   ‘Is it sorted?’ Miriam asked.

   ‘We have a cloud for you, if that is what you mean.’ the man said.

   ‘Great, what do I do now?’

   The man reached inside his robe and removed a golden bracelet.

   ‘This is for you,’ he said, as he handed it to Miriam.

   She took the bracelet and cast her eyes over it. Around its burnished rim she found an inscription. It read: Nebula CM1X

   ‘Place this bracelet round your left wrist and say “In medias res”, three times. You will then be conveyed to your cloud. Before you go there is one more thing you need to know.’

   But Miriam had stopped listening. She slid the bracelet onto her left wrist and without hesitation cried. ‘In medias res, in medias res, in medias res.’

   For a moment, Miriam found herself in the dark. Everything was still. Then the light returned. She was no longer in the room. She was now standing on a white fluffy cloud. An azure sky, filled with many more clouds surrounded her. Miriam could hardly believe her eyes.

   As she stared at the wondrous cloudscape she felt the presence of her past. Below was the world she had left behind.

   She took a deep breath and then a stride. The surface beneath her feet felt soft, yet it was strong enough to carry her weight.

   As she pushed on, her confidence grew. She soon found herself peering over the side. She could see green hills, tarmac roads and thatched roof tops. It was like gazing out of an airplane window. Her view then began to magnify.

   She was now overlooking the back of a property. A small iron gate led into a paved garden. Colourful bedded roses and a spread of flourishing potted plants decorated the surroundings. In the middle distance stood an elegant fountain in the guise of Pax, the Roman goddess of peace. Memories began to run through Miriam’s mind.

   Her eyes were then drawn towards a wooden bench next to the fountain. She noticed something unfamiliar. A silver plaque had been fixed along the bench’s back rest. On it was engraved: 'Mimi, You were my world.'

   As a tear began to trickle down her face, Miriam caught a glimpse of someone who caused her heart to flutter. A man with chestnut hair, dressed in denim, sat down on the bench and removed a photograph from his jacket pocket.

   ‘Nathan,’ Miriam screamed.

   The man lifted the photo in front of his face.

   ‘It’s me, your wife!’

   But it was no good, they were worlds apart.

   The photo showed a twenty something female with blue eyes and long black hair, wearing a leather jacket. Miriam stared at the photo for a few more minutes, before it hit her. That young woman was herself from her university days.

   She watched her husband as he kissed her picture, placed it on his heart and then returned it back into his pocket.

   Miriam looked away. She was glad to see her husband again, but she missed holding him in her arms, hearing his sweet voice and running her fingers through his hair.

   As she began to compose herself, she noticed a silver car parking up along the back street. She stared at the shiny bonnet. She had seen this car somewhere before.

   Where have I seen it? Where?

   But she couldn't remember.

   The car door swung open. A man with grey hair, wearing sunglasses, dressed in a grey suit, climbed out. The man then opened the garden gate.

   Her husband looked up and rose from the bench.

   ‘Nathan Songhurst.’ the grey haired man said.

   ‘What do you want, Mr Goldstein?’ her husband asked.

   ‘You have something I want.’

   ‘What would that be?’

   ‘You know, the Argent!’

   ‘Not that piece of metal. I don’t have it and if I did I wouldn't’t give it to you.’

   Mr Goldstein’s face screwed up. ‘It’s a silver cross! Tell me where it is.’

   Miriam stared at the plaque and then back towards her husband. He stood tall and showed no fear.

   ‘Tell him you fool!’ she screamed. ‘Tell him!’

   But he could not hear her.

   ‘Why should I?’ Nathan shouted. ‘Are you going to kill me, like you killed my wife?’

   ‘How do you know?’ Mr Goldstein said.

   ‘You’re not very clever Mr Goldstein. You should’ve got another car. Look, there’s still a dent on your bonnet.’

   ‘You got me Nathan I confess. It was me.’

   ‘Why did you do it? Why Miriam?’

   ‘I never intended to kill her. It was dark that night. I thought she was you.’

   ‘That’s not good enough. You took the most precious thing I ever had!’

   ‘Like the Argent?’

   ‘No! You took a life!’

   Mr Goldstein showed no emotion, as he looked Nathan in the eyes.

   ‘You have three hours to find the Argent. I will return.’

   All of a sudden Miriam found herself in the dark. A moment later, she was back in the white room. The man in the white robe was once again facing her.

   ‘What happened? Miriam asked. ‘Why did you bring me back?’

   ‘You only get half an hour on your cloud,’ the man replied. How you use that time is up to you.’

   ‘But I didn't know that!’

   ‘If you had listened to me, I would have revealed this to you.’

   ‘When can I go back to my cloud?’

   ‘You will have to wait for cloud nine hundred and nine to return back to the vicinity.’

   ‘How long will that take?’

   ‘Up here, one hundred and seventy minutes,’

   Miriam sighed with relief, but the winged man had not finished talking.

   ‘But on Earth, two months will have passed.’ 

   Miriam’s head began to spin. Thoughts of what might happen to her husband began to run through her mind. None of them were reassuring in their outcome.

   ‘What troubles you?’ the man asked.

   ‘My husband is in danger.’ Miriam said.

   ‘It is because of sin.’

   ‘How do you know?’

   ‘Sin is the root of all evil.’

   ‘He stole something, that’s all.’

   ‘You shall not steal.’

   ‘The eighth commandment, I know.’

   ‘But do you know when you steal you are saying to the Great One that you know better than he does. You require something that he has not seen fit to give you, so you help yourself.’

   ‘I never thought of it like that.’

   As Miriam began to ponder on all the things she had stolen in her life, the man interrupted with a question.

   ‘Do you wish to return to your cloud?’

   ‘I would like to.’ Miriam said.

   ‘Come back in one hundred and sixty minutes and I will convey you back to cloud nine hundred and nine.’

   Miriam grinned and then posed her own question.

   ‘Do you have a name?’

   ‘You may call me Cornell.’

   ‘Thanks Cornell, you have been very helpful.’

   Miriam left the room and stepped into a carpeted hallway. She turned left and passed a row of chairs occupied with various people, waiting to see a loved one down on Earth. She smiled as she walked past.

   A short moment later she swung open a glass door and passed through the doorway. Before her laid a perfectly mowed lawn surrounded by multicoloured flowers with unbelievable fragrances. Up above a cloudless, angelic sky.

   She joined a gravely path which meandered between the green and began to stroll along.

   ‘Miriam, it’s me. Miriam!’

   A female voice, which felt familiar and comforting, triggered Miriam to spin around. A woman with flowing black hair, dressed in a white gown, stood about twenty feet away.

   ‘Miriam, do you not recognize me?’ the woman asked.

   Miriam moved a little nearer.

   Is it you? No, it can’t be.

   ‘Mum?’ Miriam exclaimed.

   ‘Yes it’s me.’ the woman replied.

   Miriam leaped towards her mother and embraced her tight. She felt a warm tingle run through her body. It had been a long time since she had done this last. She then released her grip and stepped back.

   ‘You look so different.’ Miriam said.

   ‘That’s because the Great One restored my health,’ her mother said. ‘I have no disability up here. Isn’t that wonderful?’

   The display of her mother’s perfect form brought tears to Miriam eyes.

   ‘It sure is.’

   ‘Have you just been to the House of Providence?’ Miriam’s mother asked.

   ‘Yes, I visited my cloud.’ said Miriam as she wiped back the tears.

   ‘What did you see?’

   ‘I saw Nathan.’

   ‘That’s good.’

   ‘It was great to see him, but it was like a read only document. I could not alter a thing.’

   ‘Is he in trouble?’

   ‘Yes, he stole something from his boss.’

   ‘Solomon Goldstein.’

   ‘You knew him?’

   ‘I went to school with him. He was always a bully.’

   Miriam tried to imagine her mother and Mr Goldstein in the same company. It made her chuckle inside.

   ‘Are you going to use your cloud again?’ her mother asked.

   ‘I told Cornell I would return.’ Miriam said.

   ‘If you made a promise, you will need to keep it.’

   ‘Have you used your cloud?’

   ‘Yes, but not for a long time. I’ve been so busy up here. Visiting my cloud has not been top of my priorities.’

   ‘What have you been doing?’

   ‘Serving other people.’

   ‘That’s great. Up here you can do what you wanted to do back on Earth.’

   ‘Exactly, I always had a heart to serve and now I’ve the freedom to do it.’

   ‘What exactly do you do?

   ‘I welcome people who arrive from Earth.’

   ‘Mum?’

   ‘Yes, my dear.’

   ‘Is it right to keep checking up on Nathan?’

    ‘That’s a choice you will have to make. When you find your role it may become clearer what  you long to do.’

   After sharing some further conversation, Miriam’s mother pointed out the time. Miriam kissed her mother on both cheeks and promised to meet up as soon as possible. She then left her mother and made her way back.

   Miriam left the meandering path and looked up at the House of Providence. Even though she had seen the outside of this building before she seemed only now to appreciate its features. Ashen stone walls, intricate figurines, golden window shutters and so much more caught her attention.

   Miriam finished her architectural examination and re-entered the house.

   As she pushed through the corridor, she noticed that all was empty. For now she was alone. She took a seat and waited.

   Just as she became settled, a familiar voice bellowed out her name. Miriam arose and entered the white room. Stood in the centre was Cornell.

   ‘I have something for you.’ Cornell said as she came to a halt.

   Miriam stared with curiosity as Cornell reached into his robe. He removed a leather strapped wristwatch, which instantly caused a reaction.

   ‘My anniversary watch.’ Miriam cried as she received it into her hands.

   She examined the time piece. The glass face set within its silver casing gleamed immaculately. Inside the hands moved with precision and elegance. It was perfect in every form.

   ‘My watch was destroyed in the collision,’ Miriam said. ‘How is this possible?’

   ‘With the Great One nothing is impossible. Remember to take note of your arrival time.’

   ‘Thank you, I will.’

   ‘When you are ready, you may go to your cloud.’

   Miriam slipped her watch onto her right wrist and looked at the time. It read: 18:30.

   She then cried ‘In medias res’ three times.