I was just visiting, not for any particular reason, I thought. The storm had been trying to tell me something all day, and when my Mother screamed that she saw a tornado heading for the house, I knew what I had to do. My Mother and Father. My sister, her husband, and their two babies. It had come for them, but it was me that it was going to get. As if it were my destiny, I ran out into the backyard and was taken away by the raging cyclone. I’m pretty sure it didn’t hurt. At least, I couldn’t remember any pain. It felt like I was a child again, as I ran and jumped into my Father’s strong embrace after not seeing him for a week that felt like an eternity. That’s right; I jumped. I haven’t landed yet. From the sky, I saw the swirling mass veer off course and miss my family’s house completely. The twister and I ripped through their neighbor’s trailer like a child’s hand scattering Lego’s. None of them joined me in the sky, but one of their horses did. The old swayback mare soared past me as its old visage dissolved like sand blowing away to reveal a majestic Pegasus. The newborn beast rose higher into the sky and disappeared into the dark clouds. I remained; riding the shoulders of the tempest as it thrashed another house to rubble. We reached the tree line and I saw my mortal body strung out on some branches as the squall finally dissipated. I however, stayed aloft, flying as I had done so many times in my dreams. I flew over the last house that we destroyed. It was the neighbor who’s black lab had attacked and killed my Mother’s little poodle years ago. My Father had shot the lab during the attack; and, in retaliation, the neighbor came over the next night and slashed the tires on all 3 of our vehicles. The feud ended there, but none of us ever forgave him or his dog. I see him now, lying motionless below a large dent in the side of his metal barn. It doesn’t quite look like his head is on right. The dog is whining softly, dragging its limp legs behind it. I continue on to the first place we trashed. They were the only people I knew of that would build on to a trailer. Their vision of an immobile mobile home had cost them heir lives. The legs of one and the head and right arm of another were sticking out from under a collapsed wall. The horses of theirs that were still alive were running wildly in their pasture. I then came to my family’s house. My Father was outside, calling for me frantically. I saw him cry once at his brother’s funeral. Seeing him cry now made me want to come back. My Mother came out of the house, screaming my name. I saw my sister from the large kitchen window, holding her husband and her kids tightly. Mother fell to her knees and grabbed something on the ground. It was one of my shoes. Father came over and knelt beside her, holding her as they both wept. I looked for my feet, if I still had any. Nothing, not even a ghostly body. The sounds of mourning echoed all around me. I tried to make myself float down. I wanted to run to them and say, “Hey! Don’t cry! I’m back! I’m okay!” But I wasn’t okay. Someone would have to pluck my carcass out of a tree and tell my family I wasn’t coming back. They would go to my house and pack all my things. I suddenly had a million questions. Would they find my porn? Will they give Spiral away? Will they know where to return my breathing machines? What music will they play at my funeral? With so much to think about, I almost didn’t notice I had floated higher up. I looked around and heard some familiar music accompanying the sounds of rain and thunder. My favorite song seemed to be playing all around me, as if it were part of the natural sounds in the sky. It relaxed me and I realized that all those questions and concerns were for mortals and there was nothing left for me here. When the singer began to vocalize, I knew what I was hearing was the sounds of God. He was telling me that now was the time to fulfil my immortal dreams. I turned my gaze to the overcast sky and shot upward. I broke free above the clouds and soared over them, as I had always wanted to. He let me revel for a while, enjoying the melody and freedom of Heaven before letting me know I had other choices. I could stay with Him for as long as I wanted. At any time, I could choose to go back to Earth as either a spirit or move on to the next life. I thought for a moment that I was supposed to spend forever in either heaven or hell, but remembered that God had always given me choices, so why should that be any different now? I decided to try being a spirit for a while. As soon as I did, I felt a gust of wind…against my body? Looking down, I saw I my new visage, a combination of human and feline, and very feminine. My silky hair billowed off my head like a deep blue cloud. I suddenly could not remember what I was doing, flying so high. I dipped down through the cloud and saw the destruction below. It looked like a tornado had hit. I couldn’t remember why that was significant as I flew over a particularly upset pair of people. I figured they couldn’t see me or hear my consolation if I tried, so I flew on. Something to the North beckoned to me. It was more of a curious attraction than a direct summons. With undiscovered powers, I flew away from a past I could not remember toward a future I could only imagine.

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