F3 Fury of the Storm

     Something about storms always called out to me. The windswept plain stood open, small, insignificant underneath the towering grey clouds that covered the entire sky. Sparse sunlight ricocheted throughout the openings in the clouds, but no hint of open sky revealed itself. At any time those clouds would burst, showering the grasslands.

     A rumble rolled through the distant clouds and headed toward me, but no sign of lightning preceded it. The lightning came next, striking not far from the distant farmhouse. The wind picked up, and I wondered if one of the famous funnel clouds would form.
     Another bolt of lightning, this time close enough that the crash of thunder slammed into me. The rain came next, but not a nice, pleasant rain. The drops hit with the force of hail with the same sting of cold with it. I exulted in the feeling, throwing arms wide and head back to laugh with the storm. The storm's fury increased with rain coming down like icy pins, hitting so hard I swore they should have drawn blood. Thunder buffeted me from every direction as lightning scorched the plain. Through the orchestrated chaos I continued to laugh, for I knew. I reached out with some part of me to the storm, feeling the energy, the power, the life of the storm, how the clouds throbbed in a heartbeat, how the wind ebbed and gusted like breath. I reached into it all, and asked the storm for what I wanted.
     A bolt of lightning struck only a few feet from me, the hairs on my body lifted and my skin felt the tingle of electric song an instant before the force of thunder nearly pushed off my feet.
     I closed my eyes, the smile stretching across my face. Life didn't get better than this for a Storm Rider.