THE CHRYSALIS EXPERIMENT ~ PROMPT # 19

First of all , I've fallen behind AGAIN with the experiment !! But on a lighter note , my last story was chosen as Pick Of The Week . YAY !! Not that bad after all … You can read the story at http://writer-in-transit.co.za/chrysalis-experiment-prompt-18/  Without further ado , here's the contribution for prompt no. # 19

 AND DRIP , DROP , DRIPDROP THEY SPLATTER FROM THE ARCH IN THE WINTRY SKY IRON AND ANGELIC AND ROTTING TOWARD NOTHING

DAY ONE :

It begins in the usual fashion . The summer sky is clear and bright , uncluttered by clouds . It stretches on and on for as long as the eye can see , a vast expanse of pale blue broken only by the odd feathery wisps of white cotton , scattered too far in between to be of any significance .The mood is calm , lazy and slow , the feathery wisps floating aimless and directionless , just there in the pale blue vista , with no definite purpose . The atmosphere is one of pure bliss …

DAY TWO :

The feathery wisps gather more and more until they become a big fluffy cloud which imposes upon the pale blue vista . And then , as if the fast-forward button on the remote has been activated , the scene begins to speed up , the fluffy cloud taking on a life of its own as it gathers more and more , growing bigger by the minute , the pale blue replaced by hues/tones that change the calm and lazy atmosphere .Time moves forward , restless and urgent , as a myriad of pictures unfold , like scenes from a movie , the camera rolling on and on , frame by frame . The pure bliss of yesterday begins to fade …

DAY THREE :

The dark grey clouds weigh down , heavy and ready to burst open as forked lightning slashes across the sky and thunder rumbles …The lightning illuminates the surrounding area which reveals trees and bushes whipping in the wind , raindrops , bouncing everywhere , off cars , pavements , running downhill .The heavy drops change into a merciless torrential downpour . The sky unleashes its monster .

DAY FOUR :

As the rain lashes down , it is fierce and unrelenting . My heart races in its chest cavity . The wind whips my hair and clothes , the rain drives into my face . I feel the growing weight of sodden clothing and the water runs into my eyes , blurring my vision . The floor vibrates with the sound of thunder which grows louder and louder , like the approach of a marching band ,  the volume turned up to maximum level . My heart beats faster and faster . I gasp for air as the familiar panic starts to take a hold . As if on cue , the sound of the rain alters to incorporate the sound of human cries . It is soft at first , but increases as the rain intensifies . The rain and the cries become one and then the crying becomes the only sound that  is heard . The drops are now hailstones , pelting down with a vengeance . The stones become bigger and bigger , until they are human limbs ; flailing arms and dangling legs , falling from the sky in droves and dissipating just before they reach the surface . The cries reach a crescendo as the masses rain down , human torsos , arms and legs mix in one mass of confusion … There is a ringing in my ears , hyperventilation sets in and my fingers and toes tingle … I stretch out my hands to shield my sight from the falling bodies …

DAY FIVE :

I sit bolt upright . The sudden motion gives rise to a wave of dizziness . The momentary disorientation causes me to feel confused and vulnerable .The sheet is a tangled mess , scattered halfway off the bed . My pyjamas is soaked through with perspiration . The erratic heartbeat is still in place and slows down ever-so gently as I take one , two , three … deep and easy breathes . I squeeze my eyes shut and open them again , as if to dispel the horrid images of the human masses which seem to be imprinted on my retina . As a semblance of normality returns , my head seems to clear a little , the images fade away and are replaced by the familiar objects of my bedroom sanctuary . The recurring nightmare has never been so vivid , the faces almost recognisable … I shake my head , a vigorous motion from side to side , an attempt to break the tension that surrounds me . I have no choice . I have to investigate this phenomenon and I have a good idea where to start .

DAY SIX :

I have just returned from Madame . The analysis of these nightmares has yielded startling results .The news is baffling . I cannot understand it . It makes no sense . The nightmares are linked to my mortality … has to do with my very existence . These dreams are a warning of some sort . It is all very confusing at the moment . We are trying to unravel the mystery … make some sense of it all . I have found some old faded documents in the attic . They are even more confusing . I have a monstrous migraine . I think I’m going to lay down . Hopefully , when I awake , my head will feel a little better .

DAY SEVEN :

Today , more info has come to light , thanks to the gifts of Madame , the expert in this field . I am linked to a small and unique group of once-mortal beings . I don’t know how , I don’t know why , I don’t think I want to know … It sounds crazy !! But that’s not all ! There’s more … oh yes , much much more . The images from my nightmares belong to the souls of dead people . A mere mortal was given immortality – at a price ! In exchange for transporting the dead over into their after-life . We are still trying to discover where I fit in to this whole operation .

DAY EIGHT :

Today the session was extremely painful ! In the hopes of discovering more , I had to re-visit my mother’s tragic , yet accidental death , almost ten years ago . I almost died too . I was lucky to make it out alive . After all these years trying to block out those horrendous details , I’ve made some shocking discoveries about that terrible day . I’m still trying to process all this information and it’s really weighing me down . There’s one consolation , the nightmares stopped since I started the weekly sessions . I haven’t had a nightmare for the past three weeks . I think there may be some hope for me , after all …