Lost Storms/Chapter 16
Posted: Sun Sep 20, 2009 10:59 pm
Finished chapter 16 last week so I figured I'd share it here. I'm going to try to finish this up as soon as I can, but I don't know how that'll work out. I would like to work some more with Dangerous Duplicate and see where that one goes.
Chapter 16
Her footsteps fell lightly on the ground as she followed the pathway that would lead her to her destination. Moonlight was her guide, and she felt confident enough that she would not be seen. It was very late at night, and she risked this knowing that the inhabitants of Rainbow Land would all be tucked into their beds, fast asleep. Of course, they wouldn’t be for long if she had anything to do with it. Very few sounds could be heard. The wind rustled through the trees. She could hear her heart beating against her chest and hoped that no one else could hear it. To her it sounded as though it were loud enough to give her away. She tried to refocus. Once she was hidden against the side of the Color Castle, she would be all set. She’d make sure it was a night that no one would forget for a long time.
It had taken her a few days to prepare, but she felt confident that she had what she needed at her fingertips. Silently, she raised her right hand to the sky and began coaxing her work toward her, to move swiftly and silently. The large clouds began gathering and moving in force from the direction of the Pits. Stormy infused her own special touch with them, turning them into ferocious storm clouds. Already she could hear the soft roll of thunder and it lulled her, relaxing her. Nothing was more soothing than that. She grinned as the clouds stopped over one particular spot- directly above the Color Castle.
In her mind, Stormy had already worked out the way she wanted the storm to go. She’d start with a soft rain, one that would lull Rainbow and the Color Kids into a false sense of calm and peacefulness if they were still awake. Most likely, everyone was fast asleep, but Stormy wanted to be sure. Rain pattered softly onto the walls and down into the grass and water, creating a soft symphony. It allowed Stormy to prepare herself for what was to come next. Her fingers waved slowly, as if by their own accord, and suddenly, what had started as a gentle nighttime rain turned ferocious.
Lightning struck while thunder rumbled loudly. Stormy had made sure that the storm was concentrated over the Color Castle only, thereby less energy was wasted on locations that didn’t matter in the long run. Rain smacked the walls like tiny water bullets and the flashes of lightning filled the sky. As she drew her hand away for the moment, Stormy watched the storm, rain pelting her body as she stood unprotected beside the castle, unaffected.
~ Inside the Color Castle ~
Patty O’Green shot up in her bed, woken by a sudden loud noise. At first, she wondered if something had fallen in her room or out of her packed closet. She listened hard in the darkness and then saw the flash of lightning, followed by the loud boom of thunder. She jumped instinctively before gathering all the courage she could muster. She wasn’t afraid of a thunder storm. She lay back down in her bed and covered her head with the green bedspread, which only slightly muted out the next round of thunder and lightning.
“Not afraid, not afraid, not afraid,” she chanted over and over to herself in a hushed voice, trying to convince her mind of the way she felt, or at least, wanted to feel. She winced as she heard yet another loud rumbling of thunder. Undaunted, she continued her mantra.
However, she froze when she heard her door creaking open. She dared not peek out from underneath the bedspread least some unspeakable scary thing was there to grab her. She tried to make herself feel as small as possible, hoping that it was nothing and only her imagination.
“Patty?” called the soft voice, a tinge of fear laced into it.
Patty peeked her head out from under the bedspread and looked up at Lala Orange, who was laced in shadows in the frame of her bedroom door. She swallowed the fear she felt, not wanting Lala to know that she didn’t like the storms. “What’s wrong?” she asked.
“I’m scared…I don’t like the thunder and lightning,” replied Lala Orange in a soft voice, her hands drawn to her chin. “Can I stay with you?”
Patty O’Green sat up, draping the bedspread around her head and body. “Sure. The storms not that bad, just really loud,” she answered, putting on a brave front. As if to counteract her, a large round of thunder rumbled and lightning lit the room for a brief second before enshrouding it in darkness once more. Patty yelped and pulled the bedspread over her head. She heard Lala Orange giggle. “I meant to do that!” she protested as she pulled the covers away.
Meanwhile, Twink had slid down the colorful pole into Rainbow’s room, covering it with a heavy board. He hopped onto Rainbow’s bed and then poked her cheek gently. “Rainbow? Rainbow?” he called in a worried voice, calling out in fear as another round of thunder rumbled.
Rainbow rubbed her eyes and sat up. “What is it, Twink?” she asked sleepily.
“There’s a really bad storm outside…I can’t sleep,” explained Twink as he shook himself to get rid of the excess rain.
Rainbow held up her hands to block the water. “You can sleep down here tonight, Twink.” Then she yawned again.
“You can sleep through it?” asked Twink, astonished.
Looking at him thoughtfully, Rainbow answered. “I guess so,” she replied. “Good night, Twink.” She pulled the covers up to her chin once more and closed her eyes. Twink watched her before another rumble of thunder sent him scampering for the safety of the covers.
Stormy held out her hands, cupping them together to catch the falling rain in them. The water seeped through her fingers and dripped onto the ground. Stormy herself was soaked to the bone, but this didn’t phase her. Instead, she moved through the soft, wet grass and made her way around the Color Castle. Curiosity got the better of her and she slipped inside the door, the sound of her squelching boots echoing off the empty hall. Her urges got the better of her, and not letting anyone know she was in the Color Castle was at the very back of her mind.
Muddy footprints followed Stormy as she slowly walked through the main level of the Color Castle. Her eyes quickly adjusted to the darkness as she wandered about. She came upon the Color Console set into the far wall with a set of buttons on it. She studied the machine, uncertain of what it was or what it did. She pressed a red button, but the machine did nothing. Losing interest, her eyes caught sight of a set of spiral stairs that led upward. Her feet soon followed her eyes.
As she walked down the upstairs hallway, her fingers moved about in the darkness, manipulating the storm’s volume to drown out her footsteps. Loud booms of thunder could be heard and the castle walls made the booms echo and bounce. Stormy looked to her left, coming upon a door with a large star on the outside. The door was halfway closed, with enough space for her to squeeze through. She stood, peering around the door into the room. A flash of lightning lit the room for a couple of seconds, allowing her to see the shape of a young girl curled up in bed with one of the sprites. Rainbow Brite… thought Stormy, feeling a twinge of anger.
Crossing the room on tiptoe, Stormy made her way closer to the bed. She noticed that Rainbow wasn’t scared of the storm and seemed to be sleeping through it. Stormy called for a large boom of thunder with a flick of her fingers, but the thunder didn’t disturb Rainbow in the least. Angry, Stormy turned and marched out of the room, a large bolt of lightning lighting the room upon her exit.
Twink sat up quickly at the sound, frightened by the volume of it. He looked about the room, certain that he’d seen someone else across the room, near the door. He rubbed his eyes, and looked once more, but saw nothing.
“What is it, Twink?” asked Rainbow sleepily.
“I thought I saw someone else in the room,” replied Twink.
“Maybe it was one of the Color Kids,” suggested Rainbow.
“It didn’t look like one of the Color Kids,” answered Twink in confusion.
“That’s silly, Twink. No one else is in the Color Castle but us and the Color Kids.”
Stormy wandered down the hallway, noticing more doors with stars on them. These doors had colored stars, and Stormy wondered if the colored star matched the Color Kid that was inside. She came upon a door with a green star, which was ¾ of the way open. Inside, she heard voices whispering back and forth to each other. She crept closer, peering inside at the two figures. Lightning struck and lit the area for a few seconds. In that time, Stormy saw the two girls looking back at her, their eyes wide with shock. She took her exit quickly, not daring to run and risk her footsteps being overheard.
“Did you see that?” asked Lala Orange. “It looked like another girl.”
“I saw her,” answered Patty O’Green. “I just thought my brain was playing tricks on me.”
“I wonder if Rainbow knows.”
“If she knew, I’m sure she would do something about it. Rainbow wouldn’t let someone else enter the Color Castle.”
“Are you sure she’s not real? Maybe it was just a trick. This storm is scaring me,” rambled Lala Orange.
“It’s okay,” soothed Patty O’Green. “If we sleep we won’t have to hear it. It’ll be daylight soon.” She snuggled down under the bedspread and closed her eyes, trying to block out the storm. A rustling beside her told her that Lala Orange was trying to do the same.
The next morning, Rainbow woke to Twink shaking her. “Rainbow! Someone’s been in the Color Castle! Come see!” he shouted.
Rainbow sat up slowly, rubbing her eyes. “Wha? What’s wrong, Twink?” she mumbled groggily.
“Rainbow! Someone’s been in the Color Castle! Come quick! Come quick!” Twink hopped from foot to foot on the bed, bouncing Rainbow about.
Twink’s words sunk in and Rainbow was suddenly jolted awake. “How do you know?” she asked, throwing back the bedspread.
Twink raced ahead of her. “There’s footprints everywhere! Look!” he shouted as he crossed the threshold.
Rainbow looked on in wide-eyed disbelief. She saw muddy footprints up and down the hallway, dried upon the hard floor. They seemed to go from the stairs down the hallway and then back again. Whoever had been in the Color Castle had left the same way they’d come. “Who was it?”
“We don’t know yet,” answered Red Butler.
Noticing the rest of the Color Kids looking as surprised and confused as she was, Rainbow looked back at the prints, trying to study them closely. She had no idea how to identify them.
“I found it!” called a voice down the hallway. Rainbow looked up and saw Shy Violet walking quickly toward her, holding up a large magnifying glass.
“Your magnifying glass?” asked Rainbow.
Shy Violet adjusted her glasses before replying. “Yes. I had been studying some color crystal samples last night before the storm. It was quite a fascinating study, and I forgot to put my magnifying glass away. It ended up under my bed without me noticing. I’m not quite sure how.” She bent over, holding the magnifying glass close to the prints and then pulling it back. “Hmm…”
“What do you think?” asked Rainbow.
Shy Violet looked up at Rainbow. “I don’t know who it is. They aren’t any of ours. The bottom of the shoe is too different from what I’ve seen. They’re not Murky or Lurky’s either. If I take a sample of the prints, I might be able to study them better and come to a conclusion. It’ll take time though.”
Rainbow nodded. “Okay.” She looked up at the Color Kids. “We’ll have to work together to clean up the prints after Shy Violet finishes with them. I know it’ll be a lot of work, but if we work together, it won’t take very long.”
Stormy rose sleepily from bed. She didn’t know when she fell asleep, but she knew it was near morning by the time she reached the edge of the Pits. She had merely changed out of her clothes into a drab grey dress before collapsing into her bed. It had been a good night in the end. She only hoped Murky would be satisfied with it.
“Stormy! Stormy!” yelled Murky loudly, bursting into her room and slamming open the door.
Stormy had just finished changing into her regular outfit. She looked at Murky as she finished making the braid in her hair. “What?”
Murky pointed an accusing finger at her. “You were in Rainbow Land last night, weren’t you?”
“I was scaring Rainbow and the Color Kids with my storms,” retorted Stormy, crossing her arms.
“I didn’t tell you to go to Rainbow Land,” snapped Murky, poking Stormy in the chest with a finger. “You don’t go unless I tell you to go!”
“Murky!” called Lurky in a sing-song voice. He was outside of Stormy’s door. “Oh Murrrrky!”
“What is it you bumbling oaf?” spat Murky as he spun around to face the door. Lurky stood there, hands clasped in front of him.
“Gee, Murky that black inky stuff you made is all over your lab. It’s made the floor slippery. See?” He turned around, showing a thick black line that went from the top of his head and all the way down his backside. “I slipped and fell in it.”
Murky sprinted for the door. “You fool! Why didn’t you tell me sooner? It’s not supposed to do that!” He quickly disappeared and Lurky wandered after him.
Stormy sighed once the room was quiet again and walked over to her window. She looked out at the dull grey skies, drawing comfort from them. She had gone to Rainbow Land on her own, but she had wanted to prove herself once and for all to Murky. It was meant to be a secret for him to discover, but somehow, he’d found out. Suddenly, she didn’t want to be anywhere near the Pits, but something inside her tugged at her, and made her stay put. Instead of leaving Murky’s lair, she exited her room and made her way to visit Skydancer. Perhaps that would cheer her up.
Chapter 16
Her footsteps fell lightly on the ground as she followed the pathway that would lead her to her destination. Moonlight was her guide, and she felt confident enough that she would not be seen. It was very late at night, and she risked this knowing that the inhabitants of Rainbow Land would all be tucked into their beds, fast asleep. Of course, they wouldn’t be for long if she had anything to do with it. Very few sounds could be heard. The wind rustled through the trees. She could hear her heart beating against her chest and hoped that no one else could hear it. To her it sounded as though it were loud enough to give her away. She tried to refocus. Once she was hidden against the side of the Color Castle, she would be all set. She’d make sure it was a night that no one would forget for a long time.
It had taken her a few days to prepare, but she felt confident that she had what she needed at her fingertips. Silently, she raised her right hand to the sky and began coaxing her work toward her, to move swiftly and silently. The large clouds began gathering and moving in force from the direction of the Pits. Stormy infused her own special touch with them, turning them into ferocious storm clouds. Already she could hear the soft roll of thunder and it lulled her, relaxing her. Nothing was more soothing than that. She grinned as the clouds stopped over one particular spot- directly above the Color Castle.
In her mind, Stormy had already worked out the way she wanted the storm to go. She’d start with a soft rain, one that would lull Rainbow and the Color Kids into a false sense of calm and peacefulness if they were still awake. Most likely, everyone was fast asleep, but Stormy wanted to be sure. Rain pattered softly onto the walls and down into the grass and water, creating a soft symphony. It allowed Stormy to prepare herself for what was to come next. Her fingers waved slowly, as if by their own accord, and suddenly, what had started as a gentle nighttime rain turned ferocious.
Lightning struck while thunder rumbled loudly. Stormy had made sure that the storm was concentrated over the Color Castle only, thereby less energy was wasted on locations that didn’t matter in the long run. Rain smacked the walls like tiny water bullets and the flashes of lightning filled the sky. As she drew her hand away for the moment, Stormy watched the storm, rain pelting her body as she stood unprotected beside the castle, unaffected.
~ Inside the Color Castle ~
Patty O’Green shot up in her bed, woken by a sudden loud noise. At first, she wondered if something had fallen in her room or out of her packed closet. She listened hard in the darkness and then saw the flash of lightning, followed by the loud boom of thunder. She jumped instinctively before gathering all the courage she could muster. She wasn’t afraid of a thunder storm. She lay back down in her bed and covered her head with the green bedspread, which only slightly muted out the next round of thunder and lightning.
“Not afraid, not afraid, not afraid,” she chanted over and over to herself in a hushed voice, trying to convince her mind of the way she felt, or at least, wanted to feel. She winced as she heard yet another loud rumbling of thunder. Undaunted, she continued her mantra.
However, she froze when she heard her door creaking open. She dared not peek out from underneath the bedspread least some unspeakable scary thing was there to grab her. She tried to make herself feel as small as possible, hoping that it was nothing and only her imagination.
“Patty?” called the soft voice, a tinge of fear laced into it.
Patty peeked her head out from under the bedspread and looked up at Lala Orange, who was laced in shadows in the frame of her bedroom door. She swallowed the fear she felt, not wanting Lala to know that she didn’t like the storms. “What’s wrong?” she asked.
“I’m scared…I don’t like the thunder and lightning,” replied Lala Orange in a soft voice, her hands drawn to her chin. “Can I stay with you?”
Patty O’Green sat up, draping the bedspread around her head and body. “Sure. The storms not that bad, just really loud,” she answered, putting on a brave front. As if to counteract her, a large round of thunder rumbled and lightning lit the room for a brief second before enshrouding it in darkness once more. Patty yelped and pulled the bedspread over her head. She heard Lala Orange giggle. “I meant to do that!” she protested as she pulled the covers away.
Meanwhile, Twink had slid down the colorful pole into Rainbow’s room, covering it with a heavy board. He hopped onto Rainbow’s bed and then poked her cheek gently. “Rainbow? Rainbow?” he called in a worried voice, calling out in fear as another round of thunder rumbled.
Rainbow rubbed her eyes and sat up. “What is it, Twink?” she asked sleepily.
“There’s a really bad storm outside…I can’t sleep,” explained Twink as he shook himself to get rid of the excess rain.
Rainbow held up her hands to block the water. “You can sleep down here tonight, Twink.” Then she yawned again.
“You can sleep through it?” asked Twink, astonished.
Looking at him thoughtfully, Rainbow answered. “I guess so,” she replied. “Good night, Twink.” She pulled the covers up to her chin once more and closed her eyes. Twink watched her before another rumble of thunder sent him scampering for the safety of the covers.
Stormy held out her hands, cupping them together to catch the falling rain in them. The water seeped through her fingers and dripped onto the ground. Stormy herself was soaked to the bone, but this didn’t phase her. Instead, she moved through the soft, wet grass and made her way around the Color Castle. Curiosity got the better of her and she slipped inside the door, the sound of her squelching boots echoing off the empty hall. Her urges got the better of her, and not letting anyone know she was in the Color Castle was at the very back of her mind.
Muddy footprints followed Stormy as she slowly walked through the main level of the Color Castle. Her eyes quickly adjusted to the darkness as she wandered about. She came upon the Color Console set into the far wall with a set of buttons on it. She studied the machine, uncertain of what it was or what it did. She pressed a red button, but the machine did nothing. Losing interest, her eyes caught sight of a set of spiral stairs that led upward. Her feet soon followed her eyes.
As she walked down the upstairs hallway, her fingers moved about in the darkness, manipulating the storm’s volume to drown out her footsteps. Loud booms of thunder could be heard and the castle walls made the booms echo and bounce. Stormy looked to her left, coming upon a door with a large star on the outside. The door was halfway closed, with enough space for her to squeeze through. She stood, peering around the door into the room. A flash of lightning lit the room for a couple of seconds, allowing her to see the shape of a young girl curled up in bed with one of the sprites. Rainbow Brite… thought Stormy, feeling a twinge of anger.
Crossing the room on tiptoe, Stormy made her way closer to the bed. She noticed that Rainbow wasn’t scared of the storm and seemed to be sleeping through it. Stormy called for a large boom of thunder with a flick of her fingers, but the thunder didn’t disturb Rainbow in the least. Angry, Stormy turned and marched out of the room, a large bolt of lightning lighting the room upon her exit.
Twink sat up quickly at the sound, frightened by the volume of it. He looked about the room, certain that he’d seen someone else across the room, near the door. He rubbed his eyes, and looked once more, but saw nothing.
“What is it, Twink?” asked Rainbow sleepily.
“I thought I saw someone else in the room,” replied Twink.
“Maybe it was one of the Color Kids,” suggested Rainbow.
“It didn’t look like one of the Color Kids,” answered Twink in confusion.
“That’s silly, Twink. No one else is in the Color Castle but us and the Color Kids.”
Stormy wandered down the hallway, noticing more doors with stars on them. These doors had colored stars, and Stormy wondered if the colored star matched the Color Kid that was inside. She came upon a door with a green star, which was ¾ of the way open. Inside, she heard voices whispering back and forth to each other. She crept closer, peering inside at the two figures. Lightning struck and lit the area for a few seconds. In that time, Stormy saw the two girls looking back at her, their eyes wide with shock. She took her exit quickly, not daring to run and risk her footsteps being overheard.
“Did you see that?” asked Lala Orange. “It looked like another girl.”
“I saw her,” answered Patty O’Green. “I just thought my brain was playing tricks on me.”
“I wonder if Rainbow knows.”
“If she knew, I’m sure she would do something about it. Rainbow wouldn’t let someone else enter the Color Castle.”
“Are you sure she’s not real? Maybe it was just a trick. This storm is scaring me,” rambled Lala Orange.
“It’s okay,” soothed Patty O’Green. “If we sleep we won’t have to hear it. It’ll be daylight soon.” She snuggled down under the bedspread and closed her eyes, trying to block out the storm. A rustling beside her told her that Lala Orange was trying to do the same.
The next morning, Rainbow woke to Twink shaking her. “Rainbow! Someone’s been in the Color Castle! Come see!” he shouted.
Rainbow sat up slowly, rubbing her eyes. “Wha? What’s wrong, Twink?” she mumbled groggily.
“Rainbow! Someone’s been in the Color Castle! Come quick! Come quick!” Twink hopped from foot to foot on the bed, bouncing Rainbow about.
Twink’s words sunk in and Rainbow was suddenly jolted awake. “How do you know?” she asked, throwing back the bedspread.
Twink raced ahead of her. “There’s footprints everywhere! Look!” he shouted as he crossed the threshold.
Rainbow looked on in wide-eyed disbelief. She saw muddy footprints up and down the hallway, dried upon the hard floor. They seemed to go from the stairs down the hallway and then back again. Whoever had been in the Color Castle had left the same way they’d come. “Who was it?”
“We don’t know yet,” answered Red Butler.
Noticing the rest of the Color Kids looking as surprised and confused as she was, Rainbow looked back at the prints, trying to study them closely. She had no idea how to identify them.
“I found it!” called a voice down the hallway. Rainbow looked up and saw Shy Violet walking quickly toward her, holding up a large magnifying glass.
“Your magnifying glass?” asked Rainbow.
Shy Violet adjusted her glasses before replying. “Yes. I had been studying some color crystal samples last night before the storm. It was quite a fascinating study, and I forgot to put my magnifying glass away. It ended up under my bed without me noticing. I’m not quite sure how.” She bent over, holding the magnifying glass close to the prints and then pulling it back. “Hmm…”
“What do you think?” asked Rainbow.
Shy Violet looked up at Rainbow. “I don’t know who it is. They aren’t any of ours. The bottom of the shoe is too different from what I’ve seen. They’re not Murky or Lurky’s either. If I take a sample of the prints, I might be able to study them better and come to a conclusion. It’ll take time though.”
Rainbow nodded. “Okay.” She looked up at the Color Kids. “We’ll have to work together to clean up the prints after Shy Violet finishes with them. I know it’ll be a lot of work, but if we work together, it won’t take very long.”
Stormy rose sleepily from bed. She didn’t know when she fell asleep, but she knew it was near morning by the time she reached the edge of the Pits. She had merely changed out of her clothes into a drab grey dress before collapsing into her bed. It had been a good night in the end. She only hoped Murky would be satisfied with it.
“Stormy! Stormy!” yelled Murky loudly, bursting into her room and slamming open the door.
Stormy had just finished changing into her regular outfit. She looked at Murky as she finished making the braid in her hair. “What?”
Murky pointed an accusing finger at her. “You were in Rainbow Land last night, weren’t you?”
“I was scaring Rainbow and the Color Kids with my storms,” retorted Stormy, crossing her arms.
“I didn’t tell you to go to Rainbow Land,” snapped Murky, poking Stormy in the chest with a finger. “You don’t go unless I tell you to go!”
“Murky!” called Lurky in a sing-song voice. He was outside of Stormy’s door. “Oh Murrrrky!”
“What is it you bumbling oaf?” spat Murky as he spun around to face the door. Lurky stood there, hands clasped in front of him.
“Gee, Murky that black inky stuff you made is all over your lab. It’s made the floor slippery. See?” He turned around, showing a thick black line that went from the top of his head and all the way down his backside. “I slipped and fell in it.”
Murky sprinted for the door. “You fool! Why didn’t you tell me sooner? It’s not supposed to do that!” He quickly disappeared and Lurky wandered after him.
Stormy sighed once the room was quiet again and walked over to her window. She looked out at the dull grey skies, drawing comfort from them. She had gone to Rainbow Land on her own, but she had wanted to prove herself once and for all to Murky. It was meant to be a secret for him to discover, but somehow, he’d found out. Suddenly, she didn’t want to be anywhere near the Pits, but something inside her tugged at her, and made her stay put. Instead of leaving Murky’s lair, she exited her room and made her way to visit Skydancer. Perhaps that would cheer her up.