Hyperfiction


	Raine
	Raine standing alone watched the clouds move over the full moon. Shadows moved over her uplifted face, her striking features shown in sharp relief. She stood upright and still, her long braid falling down her back bisecting her shoulders. The wind started churning up the leaves around her ankles. Her dark skirt lifted with the wind swirling around her legs. The trees seemed to lift their limbs high into the sky, swaying with an earthly rhythm. Raine lifted her arms away from her body straight across. The scent of the rose bushes behind her seemed to waft around her and up to the moon. The earth seemed to shift and flow with the trees. The insects started their own music with the wind and trees. A low murmuring chant arose and mingled with the music of nature. Slowly the voice grew louder and stronger and with the noise of the wind in the swaying trees. Raine's voice added to the music uplifting the wind higher about her. Her braid lifted and unwound leaving a breeze of hair moving rapidly about her body. Then Raine lowered her voice and arms bowing to each of the watch towers; north, east, south, and west.
	The wind died rapidly; tree branches lowered, the leaves fell, her skirt drifted down, and her unbraided hair settled over her shoulders. Raine stooped down to put out the candles flickering outside the circle. She then uncast her circle and raised her eyes to the sky once more to thank the guardians and the Goddess. Raine then bent to gather her things in the basket lying undisturbed just outside her circle before returning inside her home. The spell was cast. As she turned to go, Raine paused and looked back to the moon.
	'Someone's coming for a visit.' She murmured before disappearing in the shadows of the clouds moving back over the moon.


	Sunlight drifted through the window throwing shadows across Raine's sleeping form. Shadows moved as a breeze blew through the trees outside her bedroom window. Raine shifted restlessly and then sat up suddenly in her bed. Beads of sweat kept strands of hair on her brow. She looked out the windows at the trees swaying; Raine pushed back the hair off of her forehead and flopped back down staring at the ceiling. The dream was still fresh in her mind.
	Line after line of cars stopped on the highway. Flashing lights and sirens, the smell of burning rubber, a high keening wail seemed to float over the cars and into the air. "Claude" the wail screamed over and over.
	Raine shook herself from the dreamscape and rolled out of bed, disturbing the cats asleep on opposite sides of her. She sat there a moment thinking, 'I've got to quit hiding.' with that resolution in mind she made herself start the day.

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