M L Gammella Week 36: Return of the King

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M L Gammella’s Picture Choice: 1

Title: Return of the King

The storm was rolling in, much stronger than I had anticipated. I was used to storms like this back home, but this was something much different. There was an alienness to this that was unexpected … and alarming.

The statue of Louis IX, or Saint Louis, glowed in the light from the storm. He looked regal in his bronzed repose, the lightning flashes making him appear to be lit from within.

I ran under the the eaves of a nearby building as the rain poured down, doing my best to shield my face from the spray. The rain felt like normal rain, cold and wet. A crack of thunder made me jump, the percussion vibrating down to my bones. I was momentarily blinded by the lightening that quickly followed. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary about this storm, but there was something to it that made me uneasy

Other people scurried for cover as the storm strengthened. The thunder and lightning increased in strength and frequency. It felt like the storm was right on top of us. Some women screamed when an especially loud clap of thunder shook the area.

I remained outside to watch the storm. I wasn’t sure just why, as even then under the eaves, I was still getting soaked to the skin. The sense of something different about this storm stayed with me, and increased as the storm waged on.

Something was happening here, and I was going to see what it was.

Another earth-shattering roar of thunder ripped through the air. It was like the hand of God slamming down on the ground to smite us. I half expected the brick of the square in front of the Sacré-Cœur Basilica to split in response. A second later, I was blinded by a bright, white light -- the equally as powerful lightning that went with the thunder.

When I could see again, the storm seemed to have spent itself completely. What was more remarkable was the statue of Louis IX. No longer was the king enshrined in bronze. He and his trusty steed were real … and his steely gaze was locked onto me.

“Qu'est-ce que ça veut dire?”

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M L Gammella lives in Ohio with her husband and their three pets. She is currently working on her first novel, a paranormal suspense based in Maine. Please follow her at @MLGammella and visit her website at Onward to the Written Word.

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