A Sound of Trumpets

Majestic white clouds floated across a placid blue sky. Like fingers from heaven, rays of sunlight cut through the mist. The sun sat high in the firmament, completing this serene panorama. A gentle breeze breathed over the clouds, moving in such a way that the clouds took the shape of a billowing, silk cloak. The sun aligned itself to assume the position of a head. Its brilliance intensified; its rays were now drenched in mist. Colors began to emerge. Like a crown, a rainbow appeared around the sun. The rainbow stretched low, below the cloak, and the hot colors of red, orange and yellow grew strong, so strong, that flames appeared. Two columns of fire materialized to become legs, and this newly formed figure placed one burning leg in the sea and the other on land. The land shook with its impact. The sea surged and tidal waves crashed on the land. The figure stood in deep quiescence. The land ceased its quaking and the sea calmed. An enormous human arm stretched from beneath the cloak. A hand came into view, clutched into a fist. The fist opened and a scroll unraveled. The unraveling of the scroll created a hurricane; the sea churned and tornadoes devoured the land. The fully unraveled scroll lay still, and all was peaceful. A human face took shape. Its eyes were flames. The flames were even brighter than the sun which served as its head. With a sound like a thousand lions, it opened its mouth and released a mighty roar. The sky darkened, thunder boomed and lightning cracked the gloom. An intense wind tore across both land and sea. The figure stomped its blazing feet. The sea engulfed the land as the land engulfed the sea. There came an overwhelming sound of splitting and crashing that would render a man deaf. The seas subsided. Continents were formed. The gentle lapping of the tides kissed perfectly white beaches. The mighty figure stood still. The figure raised the open scroll high into the sky, so high that its hand reached out into space. Stars moved out of the way and comets changed direction. With the voice of a thousand men, it cried, “There will be no more delay! He shall accomplish his secret plan!” Thunder and lightning responded to this exclamation, causing natural chaos. The figure made a simple motion and all became quiet. A breeze ran over the mountains and the figure dissipated into cumulous and sunshine. What remained was a clear, blue, tranquil sky. It lasted but a moment. The sun bristled, shooting rays in all directions. The land and sea seemed to cower away, afraid of another attack. This time, the sun morphed into the form of a nineteen-year-old girl. As the radiance diminished, the girl’s straight, shoulder length, jet black hair could be seen. She was so tall that her head reach deep into space. The stars made room for her. She was wearing a white cloak, and a crown of swirling galaxies twinkled around her head. The girl held something in her arms that was wrapped in a scarf. She was bathed in a soft light and as fragrant as a garden full of flowers in early summer. Only the white cloak in which she stood knew the softness of her skin. Her name was Rose. Suddenly, something massive streaked toward her. As it neared, Rose saw what appeared to be a dragon with seven crowned heads; each crown looked tarnished and battle worn, empty sockets rusting where jewels were once set. Its armor of scales, like rotting chrome, was dull only in color. Like hundreds of the sharpest knives, its protuberant spine cut through the air. With its tail, it dragged the stars out of the sky and hurled them down to the earth. They collapsed into the sea, creating enormous tidal waves. The remaining heavenly bodies scattered as if in fear, creating a million white traces as they shot off into the unknown. Rose’s face was awash with fear as she shrunk, descending toward the earth, desperate to escape the terrible beast. She spun as she descended, becoming a tornado. She flew over mountains, raced across the seas, and soared over dense jungle canopies. The dragon gave chase and the seas parted as she sped forth. Like servants succumbing to her will, the trees bent before her. She drifted closer to the ground. She became a breeze hovering over a desert. As she touched the desert ground, she became fully human and began to run through the hot, arid air. All the while she grasped the bundle in her arms. The dragon landed behind her with an earth-shaking thump, and immediately resumed its pursuit. Its chrome scales caught the light from the sun as the blinding beast tore over the desert. As Rose sped across the dry land, the dragon opened all seven of its mouths and a flood of water came rushing. Momentarily, Rose turned to witness the oncoming tidal wave, knowing she could never escape the impending flood. The earth shook. She stumbled, yet her legs begged her to keep running. Finally Rose fell to the ground, causing a plume of sand to engulf her. She dropped the item in her arms, losing sight of it in the sandy haze. She saw a glimpse of brass from underneath the scarf for only a moment. It was all her eyes needed to retrieve the precious object. Rose picked it up and dashed away. The flood of water was about to overtake her as the quake intensified. She turned toward her assailant and fell to her knees, prepared to accept what fate may become her. Gripping her package tightly, she closed her eyes. The earth opened at her knees and the flood was swallowed up by a canyon. She found herself mere inches from the edge of a steep cliff. All seven faces of the dragon were shocked and angered. Falling into the canyon, the dragon was at last taken away by the deluge. Its mighty claws grasped at the wet earth and it emitted a terrible cry in its final attempt to survive. The dragon fell into a tremendous whirlpool, each head desperately gasping its last breath until all seven were swallowed. The swirling water widened, lessened and eventually was no more. As if caught in a vacuum, all sound abruptly ceased. The earth rumbled again as the canyon closed up. The water disappeared. A gentle breeze kissed the ground. A sensation of peace was restored. The sizzling desert sun shimmered and glistened. A wavy haze of heat interrupted the light. A rainbow appeared around the sun as a crown, the clouds formed as its body and the two columns of fire took shape as the figure reappeared. This time there were no earth shattering events. It prepared to speak. Its whisper was a voice like wind through a canyon as it said, “You must proclaim this message.”