Casey looked upward as the drone of electricity grew louder and clouds moved toward themselves. Yellow-grey occluded fronts swirled together in front of her vision. This is the end. But, she smiled. She reached up and gently pressed the push-to-talk button on her transmitter, while her eyes remained locked on the skies seething in front of her. 

“Hey, guys. I’m gonna turn off my transmitter now in case I scream like a little bitch when I die. I love you all.” She then removed the earplugs so she couldn’t hear them protest that last statement. That would only make it harder to stand here and wait for the end. She focused on where the air currents met and was amazed at the destructive beauty unfolding around her, watercolor seams of doom and nothing but that strange peace in her heart. All that could be done had been done. 

She grasped the amulet in her hand, burning red ruby encased in bronze. Awaiting the impact coming any moment was surreal. She reviewed her life, deciding it was a good one. The earth vibrated at higher intensity beneath her feet, threatening to give way. She closed her eyes and grasped the amulet tighter, started to pray. To whom, it was unsure. But, to any that would listen for this plan to work. Shaking hands opposed her resolve. She inhaled the earthy smell that turned acrid on the wind preceding the blast.

The next few moments were confused hums in the ears. The violence of converging air jerked the body side-to-side while standing, momentarily lifting it off the ground before being thrashed and spun about in currents that pulled extremities in unnatural angles. She was excited that currents all converged toward her–that was clear from the way that she was blasted. The direction of upwards was a passing thought before she felt the weightlessness of the free fall. Last thing she saw was the approaching ground. She closed her eyes just before the impact. The air pressed out from her lungs in a hard thud against the ground and awareness went away. 

La Villette, 2018