Time was strange in Enaid. The sun and moon seemed to obey the whims of the Queen, shaping the length of the day to her desire. There were times when a day felt as if it were gone in moments and the next lasted forever. I’m not sure how long I was in their village. I suppose it doesn’t really matter. I was there for some time, walking through the trees, trying to remember so that I would be able to find my way around. The trees moved, though.
I leaned against one of the trees and slid down its trunk to sit on the warm earth. I sighed. The sky quickly darkened and rain fell down in huge drops. I was soaked in moments. Laughter rang through the trees and I rose to investigate. Looking around the large tree, I saw Indra standing in the rain with his face up turned and arms flung out. It was as if he were embracing the falling drops. As I watched, he grew larger and seemed to ripple outwards. His body twisted and stretched, shaping a long serpentine tube of water. His voice echoed around the grove. It whispered as a hiss while hitting the ground and boomed in the sky as thunder.
I fell to my knees. I covered my eyes and tried to muffle my terrified scream. But, I knew that he was all around me now and that he was aware of my horror.
“Jonathan.”
The rain dripped down my face, beneath my hands. I sobbed. How could we protect ourselves from these powerful creatures when there was nowhere to hide?
“Oh, Jonathan.”
I felt hands take hold of mine and gently pull them from my face.
“Forgive me.”
Indra’s face was close to mine, but it was formed of water. His eyes floated like lost leaves in a puddle. I yanked my hands from him and scurried backward, dragging my butt through the mud.
“There is no danger here.”
I whipped my head around, fearing he was behind me. Just the tree. I pressed my back against it. Eyes wide, searching for him. From nowhere, strong arms encircled me and I screeched.
“It’s all right.”
His words were soft and felt like little puffs of wind on my cheek.
I closed my eyes.
“Go away.”
“Not while it is raining.”
He rested his cheek against my shoulder.
“Listen to the rain.”
I squirmed and kicked, but his body gave beneath my blows, as if I were hitting nothing at all. I quickly wore myself out and sagged from fatigue. He cradled me and pushed the heavy locks of my hair from my eyes.
“Rest now.”
He began to hum, a deep rumbling.
I closed my eyes and felt the rain washing over me in warm plodding drops.
I thought for a moment that he was humming a song that Richard had written for me when we were children, but then it sounded like nothing more then the falling rain.
