The wind she’d felt earlier had stilled and the back of her neck, prickled with anticipation. More thunder boomed and a bolt of lightning descended from the heavens to earth. The heavy cloud bank advanced toward Celia and for the moment she felt no fear. Instead, a wild appreciation for the power of the weather rushed through her, heady and potent. She swore she could smell and almost taste the ozone in the air as the thunderstorm came closer. Trees on the far side of the pond began to sway with the wind and within moments a strong, sharp wind, cooler than before, smacked her in the face. Rain fell in torrents and blew inward until the spray hit Celia. Hail followed and pelted the ground with enough force that she retreated inside, but the raw energy of the storm fired up something almost pagan within. Shock and awe, she thought, shock and awe. By the time the weather moved out, dusk fell, and the ringing telephone drew Celia inside. She followed the sound until she located the cordless handset on a table beside a lamp and picked it up with more than a little trepidation.
