The Cloud

Image: Freepik Premium

A single cloud lowered itself carefully into his lap. The day was bright, the grass tangy-sweet, and the air seemed to giggle. The cloud in Sean’s lap was white. The kind of white that ignites something. A hardwired spangle; an ease. A soft pearl that gives without take.

The cloud felt warm, but not too warm, in his lap. More weight than candy floss but without the mass of discomfort, it was just enough for Sean to feel protected. He didn’t need to move the cloud around to feel content. A couple walked by and flashed a pleasant smile, an old woman with braids slid her envious gaze sideward, a small dog barked softly at the curiosity. Sean rested his hands upon the glowing pillow, smiling dreamily into the park’s atmosphere.

Sean had never smelt a cloud before, so the strawberry-sundae-scent was indeed a surprise. The crimson syrup ran through him, a deeply sweet elixir that sparked a memory otherwise lost. The memory was brief and he couldn’t recall it afterwards, but the joy remained, like sugar granules stuck to the lips. Sean let the rest of the fragrance melt in the sun and disperse around him. Some more envious glances sidled his way, but mostly people were happy for him, that the cloud had chosen him. Sean thought he’d be happy for them too, if the situation were reversed.

And then, as if rising out of him, a silky sound ascended. The sugared pearl released one note at a time, each crafted by a different instrument, every addition a sweeter treat than the last; the nectar built an entire parlour around him until Sean’s vision was filled with musical candy. He closed his eyes and let it overcome him. Sean didn’t wish to think or move or speak, and the cloud had gifted him this. It did not ask for anything in return, and this was a great relief.

As the sun began to set and the brightness of the cloud diminished, it slowly but surely lifted itself out of Sean’s lap. It left a trace of comfort, the silky notes written in his memory, the sundae-scent embedded in the fabric of his clothes. Sean thought of tomorrow, of who the chosen one would be — and knew he would celebrate their fortune.

Image: eBay

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