Karen watched the rain pelt the living room window, transfixed by the embodiment of her torment in the wrath of the storm. Lightning split the charcoal sky and the house trembled with an almighty thunderclap.

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Author's Note: This is a different kind of story for me. It does not feature transgender themes. I wrote it for a local "open mic" where I read it today. I am thinking of expanding it somewhat since some things are not abundantly explained. I hope you like it!
 
 
HOPE IN THE STORM
 
 
Karen watched the rain pelt the living room window, transfixed by the embodiment of her torment in the wrath of the storm. Lightning split the charcoal sky and the house trembled with an almighty thunderclap.

Karen’s eyes fell from the heavens to the earth, where she gazed upon a swollen river overrunning its banks and inundating the roads. She marveled as an enormous tree that defied nature for a hundred years splintered in the wind and fell across her driveway. Karen watched the flames in the fireplace dance in the window’s reflection, and found that she was no longer alone. She spun around to find a woman standing in the middle of the room.

The woman was exquisitely beautiful. Her enormous blue eyes sparkled with the lightning. Her long, wavy strawberry blonde hair glowed by the light of the flames in the fireplace. Her serenity seemed out of place amidst the thunder that pounded the rafters.

Karen stared at the stranger standing in her living room, utterly astounded, wondering where the hell she had come from. The roads were blocked. What kind of a fucking idiot would be out in this weather anyhow! And she’s bone dry! How the hell did she pull that off? Most importantly of all-

“How did you get in here?” Karen demanded.

“I am always here.”

Karen’s brow furrowed and she took a step back.

“What in the fuck are you talking about? Who are you?”

“My name is Hope.”

Karen crossed her arms and looked sternly at Hope.

“Well, Hope, this is my house. That means I live here and, um, you don’t!” Karen snarled.

Hope chuckled good-naturedly.

“Well, of course not! I live within you.”

Karen pinched the bridge of her nose as she sighed with exasperation.

“I’m sorry. Could you please make some fucking sense?”

Hope smiled at her serenely.

“I am Hope.”

“Yeah, I know your name. You already told me-”

“No, Karen. I am Hope.”

Karen gawped at her as the color drained from her face.

“How do you know my name?”

“As I said, I dwell within you. I am a part of your soul that you haven’t been very familiar with. I am Hope.”

Karen looked around the room with a bewildered expression on her face.

“Ugh… so are you actually trying to tell me that you are Hope Itself — and that I have somehow… summoned you up?”

“Now you’re getting it.” Hope smiled warmly.

Karen hugged herself tightly.

“Oh. Well, in that case, tell me, Hope. Where the fuck have you been? Where the fuck were you all those nights I cried alone, when I needed a hug and no-one was there?” She wiped her tears.

“I have always been here.”

“Yeah? Well, then how come I’ve never fucking seen you before! Why is that?”

“You’ve only just learned to see me.”

“Wh… wh… now?? After all the shit I’ve been through?? Now I can see you?? Why couldn’t I have seen you a long time ago??”

“You were not ready yet.”

“Not ready? Not ready?? Lady, I would love to have seen you years ago!”

“It’s not that simple.”

Karen glared at Hope, wiping another tear.

“And what do you mean by that?” She spat, her emotions winding down.

“You have been unable to see me because you have been unable to find a way forward. You have found no way forward because you have not been ready to proceed. But now you are.”

“Huh??” Karen uttered, noticing that the room was suddenly ten times brighter.

“Look out the window.”

Karen stared at Hope until she heard a bird singing. Karen’s head whipped around as she gazed out the window and found the storm completely gone. The river flowed normally and the roads were dry. The sun was shining, and she could see the bird singing in a nearby tree — the same tree that had been destroyed moments earlier but now stood as though the wind had never touched it.

“What the hell?” Karen murmured.

She abruptly looked back at Hope.

“D-did you just do that?”

Hope chuckled again.

“Of course not. I can only do what you can do.”

“Then… how did… I-I mean the roads were… impassable and… the tree…”

“Those roads were never blocked, Karen. You only saw them that way.”

“Wh… what are you saying?”

“I’m saying that you brewed up that storm - and you cleared it away.”

“I did??”

“Yes, Karen. You did.”

“Excuse me. Sense please!!”

“The storm was only a manifestation of your torment. When you learned to see Hope, you also learned to see that manifestation for what it was, and therefore to banish it. You also learned to see that the roads were always passable.”

Karen softly gasped.

“My God! I had no idea… that I was… doing that.”

“Now you know. Well, Karen, you have things to do. You’d better finish this story.”

“Yeah… yeah, I do. Sorry I was such a screaming bitch.”

Karen went to Hope and hugged her tightly, marveling that she could feel the arms of Hope around her.

“That’s okay. I understand. But, remember, Karen, the roads are always open and I am always here. All you have to do is look.” Hope smiled at her.

Karen took a long sip of her coffee as she glanced out the window at the sunny skies, and listened to the bird sing. She saved her newest story on her laptop and smiled at the screen.

“Thanks, Hope. I’ll try to remember that.”

THE END

[ Other Stories By Mona Lisa ]

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