The Encounter

The Encounter

Michael reached the top of the hill and bent over, panting, trying to catch his breath.   Standing straight he stared in awe at the crimson clouds forming in the distance.   Purple lightning leaped across the surface of the deadly storm.   Michael stood entranced watching the growing mass of light and shadow emerging in front of him.   It was risky to be up here.  If the poison rain arrived before he could get to shelter, he would be dead within minutes as the toxins burned through his flesh and lungs.

Behind him, the klaxons in the town began their morose whine.   The eerie sound shook Michael out of his fascination.  He looked around and a cold chill swept through him. 

“Oh, no!” Michael exclaimed. 

He turned and ran back towards the town.   As he ran, he could feel the air growing thick in his lungs.  The hair on his neck began to stand up, charged by the growing static electricity.   Overhead, the sky darkened as the poisonous clouds began to block the sun. 

Reaching a small abandoned gas station, Michael ran inside and slammed the door behind him just as the awful green liquid began falling.   He fell to the ground coughing violently.  

After a moment, he stood and took stock of his surroundings.   The shelves were empty, long salvaged of their products by hungry survivors of the war with the Anu.  Dust covered everything.   Looking through the glass of the door, Michael watched the drops of poison hit the ground, vaporize, and slowly turning into a rolling fog.  

Michael then noticed a person in a long cloak running down the street.   The person stopped and looked frantically around.   Michael’s heart quickened.  That cloak would not last long in the rain.  He cracked open the door to the store and shouted out to the street.

“HEY!  Over here!  Get out of the rain!”

The person turned towards Michael and sprinted to the door.   Michael opened the door just enough to let the person squeeze through and then shut the door securely.   The stranger stood in the corner coughing violently. 

Michael looked for a towel while the stranger recovered.  He found an old box of napkins and tossed it over to the stranger.

“Here, try to clean that off of you.  Why were you out in that?  That’s crazy!”

“No one would let me in,” the stranger replied.   The voice was strange and distorted.  Michael decided it must be a result of breathing the mist.  The stranger seemed to gain his composure and stood.   He was unnaturally tall.  Michael began to get uneasy.  He backed away from the stranger, stumbling over a shelf.

The stranger took off his cloak and set it on the counter next to the door.  He was very pale, but his skin glowed as though lit up from some hidden light source.   His eyes were larger than a human’s and disturbingly dark.   His white hair was long and straight.   He turned towards Michael.

“Thank you, child.  I would not have lasted much longer out there.  My name is Pacu.”

“I… I have never met an Anu before,” Michael stated shakily.   “Are you going to hurt me?”

Pacu shook his head. 

“No, I am not.  I am here on a diplomatic mission.  The rain surprised me and no one would give me shelter.”

He stepped towards Michael.   Michael backed away in a panic.   Pacu raised his hands to indicate he meant no threat and sat in the chair next to where Michael had been standing.

“I.. I.. I don’t understand!  A diplomatic mission?  You people are dangerous, you want to kill us! ”

Pacu sighed.  “We are no more dangerous than you are.  Your mayor understands this and wants to find a way to make things better for all of us.”

“NO! You killed everything I know!  You destroyed our planet!”  Michael stormed to the door and jabbed his finger at the glass, indicating the rain outside.  “This stuff is YOUR fault!”

Pacu’s face twisted.  “What is your name, human?”

“Michael.  Why do you care?”

Pacu chuckled.  “Well, Michael, I don't want to just call you ‘human’ all the time. “ 

He stood.  Outside, the rain was beginning to die down. 

“But you are correct.   We did try to destroy you.   I don't know why.  I was just a boy then. All the people that knew about that were killed by your soldiers.   But I know we didn't make the rain.  Your people did.”

Michael was stunned.  “Liar!  Why would we do that?  Why would we do THIS to ourselves? ”

“I am not lying.   There would be no point.   Your soldiers attacked us with something that we had no defense against.   It destroyed our ships and left us stranded here.”  

He pointed to the storm outside. 

“It also made the rain.” 

Michael was indignant.  He glared at Pacu then turned and stalked down one of the barren aisles of the store.

“No.   No that can't be true.”  He stopped and turned to face Pacu.   “Why would we do something like that?”

Pacu shrugged.  “I don't know really.   Your people were desperate.  Perhaps we would have done the same thing in your situation.  The point is that now that the fighting is over, the rain is killing us all.   If you hadn't let me in here, I would have died out there.  And all hope with me.”

“Yeah, well, maybe I should have left you to die!” 

Outside the rain had stopped and the poison mist was drifting away.  Pacu reached for his cloak and positioned it around his shoulders.  He turned to look at Michael.  His expression was enigmatic.

“Perhaps.  Still, I must go find your Mayor now.”

Pacu began walking towards the door.

“Wait!” shouted Michael.  “You said, 'All hope with me'.  Why are you here?”

Pacu spoke quietly.

“Because I know how to make the rain go away forever.  I am giving my discovery to your mayor.  Hopefully we can learn to live together in peace.”

 

He turned and bowed slightly to Michael. 

“Thank you for saving me, Michael.”

Michael stared in stunned silence as Pacu left the store and closed the door.