text: Kioko sighed heavily, each step she took a little weaker than the last, until she finally reached the elevator. She was exhausted, but ready for another day at work, though she toiled away each day at her office. It was hard, but she enjoyed what she did, to an extent. The elevators had large windows that reflected the skyline of the beautiful Tokyo, the glistening sun bouncing light from the buildings, reflecting onto the glass. Kioko smiled as she stared out the window, her exhaust briefly wavering. She always enjoyed the sunshine. The sun was always there, when other people weren’t. It stood by her side, making her feel warm inside. Unlike the moon which wavered and changed, Kioko could always rely on the sun. Then again, she could always rely on the moon to change, too. When change was what she needed, Kioko always felt her heart drift towards the night sky, with it’s graveyard of stars and it’s obscure pale sickle. It was comforting in a way, too, to know that every night the sky would be different. She could rely on the sun for familiarity, but the moon for it’s ever changing nature. But of course, there was that one night, all those years ago, where neither the sun nor the moon could bring her comfort any longer. The night when she lost everything, when she realized her true power. When she gained an ability, one that no one else, to her knowledge, also had. The ability to control the sky, in all its forms. To manipulate the weather. Kioko remembered that night very well. She remembered the darkly lit sky, and the sounds of the thunder up above her. She remembered the lightning, cruel and beautiful, and the sensation she felt as she ran through the rain, the pitter patter of raindrops hitting the streets. She remembered slipping on something, and falling. Falling, falling, falling, until she was on the ground. She remembered the feeling of terror she felt as the lightning grew closer, as the sky closed in on her. She remembered the coursing of electricity through her body as she felt the lightning in her heart, in her soul. She felt tainted by the sky in that moment, like she’d never be complete again. And then she remembered screaming, screaming and screaming out the pain that she felt, the salt water from her tears mixing with the freshwater from the rain. She remembered the light of the moon echoing out through her body as she felt the surge of power, power and pain go through her. And then the storm stopped. The clouds brought themselves together again, the moon smiled, and the lightning faded away. Kioko felt sheltered, at last. But somewhere, deep inside, she knew that she wasn’t safe anymore. That nothing would be the same again. Kioko looked out again through the large walls of the elevator. Even though they were glass, she felt as if they were closing in on her. Suffocating her, reminding her of the night, and the pain that she felt as the energy coursed through her veins. She sighed heavily, thinking about that night. The walls felt just like the sky did all those years ago, pushing her inwards until she throttled through the energy she felt. The sky started to darken, the clouds folding in on themselves and turning a sober grey. Kioko started to cry again, her tears reflecting the rain that began to start spilling from the clouds outside. Her long dark hair clung against her shoulders, as Kioko slouched down and curled into a ball on the floor, feeling as if she was falling. Falling, falling, falling, she had all those years ago. Her once calm and rhythmic breathing turned into frantic gasps for air, as Kioko continued to remember everything that had happened. She thought about how she would panic like this again and again, causing tsunamis and thunderstorms. Ruining people’s lives as hers had been ruined by that storm that cursed her. And the worst part was that she had no control. Her panic would always rise above her fear, her past and her future going on a race against time, a race she would always lose. Oh, how Kioko hated time. It did nothing but slap her in the face with adversity. The rain continued to pour, the echoing of the splats onto the sidewalks growing louder and louder. Kioko had no control - she was trying and trying to calm herself, but nothing would happen. “Breathe,” she said to herself, biting back her tongue. “Just breathe, Kioko. Just breathe.” Her tears grew harder with the rain, as she thought about that line. How she wanted to breathe so badly. How she was forced to just breathe or else inflict death upon innocent people by way of storms. Each time she heard about another person who died, another human being, she couldn’t breathe. They were gone, and it was all her fault. She would cry and cry, but it only would cause more death. She was cursed, ever since that lightning struck her. Cursed to become a killing machine, no matter what she did to try and stop it. Sometimes, Kioko wondered whether there were any lightning bolts she caused that gave others her powers. She wondered if hers were given to her by another poor cursed soul, who wanders the streets at night gloomily through a little foggy rain. Happiness would cause fleeting sunshine, a comfort to Kioko, but deathly to some. Panic would cause storms, but sadness would just cause simple drizzling night rain. Safe, but not favored. Not reliable. Not welcome. But it was the only time she could breathe. The only time when she couldn’t feel the suffering of others, just her own pain in her heart, telling her she had to move on. It was the only time that she could truly survive. Kioko’s breaths started to resurface, as she counted them, slowly. In through the nose, out through the mouth. Repeat. Again and again. She was being tortured by her own self, but at least she could breathe again. At least she wouldn’t cause anyone any harm. Just a simple little drizzle. The clouds were still grey, but they revealed the sun out from behind them, shining luxuriously through Kioko’s sorrow. Comforting her at last, but keeping her hopeless enough for the moon to come out at night. A single tear dropped down Kioko’s cheek, causing a sprinkle of bitter rain.