text: “Michael! Michael!” The elongated cries of a desperate mother rattled across the evening sky as she burst through her front doors and barrelled down her front path at a full sprint. She ran determined, through the fields and paddocks of her farms never taking her eyes off the horizon ahead. The animals were eerily quiet, pigs stood against the fence watching her as she ran, as she passed them their heads bowed as if in solemn thought. She took no note of the peculiar actions of her pigs however, she just continued to run and call out desperately for her son. “Michael! Michael” as she continued to wail, clouds behind her started to form. Light grey in complexion they posed no threat, yet they moved at a pace that matched her own. A light downpour started to fall from above, the droplets filling up the foot imprints she left in the ground in her wake. She was not bothered by the rain, she just continued to run. Her stamina never faulted, her breath never needed to be caught, she ran. Though never how hard she ran, no matter how fast her legs would move, she would never reach the horizon to catch the setting sun. This did not hinder her from trying however as she ran towards her goal. Any tears that formed and blocked her vision we quickly swept aside. A fallen down tree blocked her path ahead, but without missing a step she would leap over it and continue running, nothing could stop her will. She made it into town with fifteen minutes of solid running, though time meant nothing to her. As the path changed from packed earth to worn cobblestone her feet did not notice, they could be barefoot on ice and she would not have cared. Through paved streets and narrow alleyways, she continued her sprint. Her desperate cry for her son could be heard down every street, corridor, and lane-way of the town. People stared from their tables at restaurants as she ran past, and many started to follow to see what the commotion was about. Though her following grew she gave them no mind, as it was her son and her goal that filled her thoughts. Up a hill she ran, losing no swiftness and it was at the top she could finally see her goal. At the end of her path stood the town church. Made of old wood and stone bricks that were starting to crack, the building stood high and mighty, looking over the inhabitants of the town. She collapsed before its doorstep and let out a loud wail. A crowd encompassed her, looking on. The clouds finally caught up to the one they had been chasing and swirled high above in the sky, letting down a solid splattering of rain. “Bring him back!” she cried, “Undo what has been done and help me please!” she pleaded to the building, as she looked up she saw it standing resolute and unwavering. The building did not respond. “Please I beg of you! Bring him back!” her tears got the better of her and she sobbed into the ground. No one from the crowd moved an inch. As she continued to plead with the church, she started to become more and more frustrated with the silence it gave in return. Her sadness turned to annoyance; her annoyance turned to anger. The rainfall increased and the crowd began looking up nervously. The clouds continued to darken as the woman started to berate the building. “I have said bring him back!’ she leapt to her feet and banged against the door with her fist in a quick flurry. “Fix what you should have prevented, and you bring him back to me right now!” her voice bellowed into the electrified air. Thunder started rolling in from the clouds as they continued to swirl. The woman pounded and pounded on the door, ignoring the splinters that were lodging themselves into her fists. The thunder from above increased in volume, yet to those down below it was drowned out by the yelling woman. Those who could tear their eyes away from her could see the lightning striking the grounds outside of the town and they began to get nervous. As the woman continued to pound on the door onlookers could see the door beginning to buckle. Yet the woman did not let up her onslaught. With a final hit the lock on the doors cracked and they swung open just as a bolt of lightning struck the bell tower atop of the church. A bright flash caused all to look away. Their ears rang from the sound of the lightning striking the church and all were dazed and weary. As their vision began to come back to them and their senses returned slowly, they all noticed the rain had stopped. The clouds still darkened the sky above, but no more thunder could be heard. Their attention moved to the woman who had caused all of this, and they saw her, lying on the floor inside the church crying with a gentle sob, defeated.