The Revelation; Clouds Who Lurk

On a bright morning, the sky was a clear blue canvas, interrupted only by the same distant clouds. The air carried the scent of earth and smoke, a familiar blend in the village. Recent rains had revived the farms, promising a fruitful season ahead. Inside Vincent's hut, his father sat on the porch, rocking gently in his chair. 

Isabella emerged from the hut, a basket of freshly baked bread in her hands. She approached her father-in-law with a smile, placing the basket on the small table beside his chair. "Good morning, dad," she greeted. "I brought you some breakfast."

The old man chuckled. "Thank you, dear. Vincent was right to choose you." he appreciated

Isabella's cheeks flushed, anything good about Vincent made her blush really, to her it felt like she was the one being complimented. However, she noticed his eyes were heavy and weary. She put on a smile. "It's a beautiful day right, dad?" she said.

The old man nodded. "Hum… it is." he said, his voice lacking his usual energy.

Vincent emerged from the hut, carrying a jug of water and a bowl of fresh fruit. He glanced at his father with a furrowed brow, noting the slight tremble in his hands as he reached for the bread. "Morning, Dad." Vincent greeted.

Grandpa managed a weak smile in return, but it didn't quite reach his eyes. As he took a bite of the bread, Vincent couldn't help but notice how little he ate, pushing the food around on his plate. 

He leaned in close to his wife Isabella, "Bella, do you think something's wrong?"

She nodded in response. "Yes, I think his condition is worsening."

Vincent sighed. "I don't know how much longer he has…" he said, his voice barely audible.

"But what can we do…?"

"I don't know…"

Suddenly then, grandpa gasped, his finger pointing towards the sky. "Ah! Vincent!" he exclaimed.

Vincent and Isabella followed his gaze upward, their hearts sinking at the sight of dark clouds on the horizon. It was that time of the year again— the month when darkness descended upon the land, casting a shadow over their lives.

"It's starting." Vincent murmured.

"We— we need to prepare." said the old man.

Immediately, Vincent and Isabella dashed outside. They had to act quickly before the storm arrived and jeopardised their harvest. The fields stretched out before them, the crops swaying in the gathering wind. Quickly, they plucked everything that could be called fully-grown. With their harvest secured, they hurried back to the safety of their hut. 

"Father. We have gathered everything we can. But what about the sheep?" Vincent asked.

Grandpa struggled to speak. "Put… them… in the village… huts." said he.

"Alright. I'll go round them up." Vincent nodded. "You go wake Lily up, okay Bella?" he said, sprinting to the enclosure.

Isabella nodded. She made her way to Lily's room, the wooden floor creaking beneath her steps. Entering the room, Isabella found Lily curled up in bed, hugging her pillow.

"Lily, sweetheart." Isabella whispered, gently shaking her awake. "It's that time of the year again."

Lily stirred, blinking sleepily as she looked up at her mother. "Wha— but… it hasn't been a year since the last!" she exclaimed.

Isabella shook her head. "Lily, I told you. The clouds can come anytime and stay for as long as they want." 

"But why! Ugh!"

"My baby, sometimes these things just happen."

"But why does it have to be like this? Why can't we just make the clouds go away?" Lily pouted.

Isabella smiled. "I wish we could, Lily. But all we can do is stay strong." she said.

"Okay, mom." Lily said. But then she looked down for a moment and gasped. "Mom! The sh-eep!"

Isabella put a hand on her daughter's head. "Don't worry sweetheart." she reassured. "Your father is taking them to safety. You should go greet grandpa, he's on the porch."

"Okay, mom." she said, getting up from bed. She quickly folded her blanket, then ran her fingers through her hair to fix it. After hugging her mother, she then walked out, approaching the door to the porch. As she did so, Isabella paused, her breaths were deep. Her mind raced. Was the old man alright? She hopes he's okay. He'd always been so kind to her, if only she could do more for him. Something, just something. Was what Vincent said true? Had his time really come? With a deep breath, she pushed aside her worries and followed after Lily, her footsteps soft against the wooden floor. 

Going outside to the porch, she saw Lily and grandpa staring at the sky. The clouds were coming fast. A little bit further from the hut, in the village square, some shouting and yelling could be heard. She approached the two.

"Isabella… the clouds are darker this time." said grandpa.

"What does that imply, dad?" Isabella asked.

"Perhaps the rain may be heavier, or the winds could be stronger. Either way, I have never seen the clouds so dark in my seventy or so years of life." he sighed.

"What can we do?" Isabella murmured.

"I may have answered any question you three have asked… but this one… I do not know." he replied.

And then a voice called out. "The sheep are safe!" Vincent exclaimed, his body was brimming with sweat. "What's the matter here? You all look very… worried."

Grandpa turned his head towards Vincent, his eyes were weary to say the least. They had lost their last bits of sparkle. "The sky my boy… the clouds." he said.

"What's with the clouds? We've been through this before already. Haven't we?" Vincent replied.

"Perhaps, but… they are darker this time." grandpa answered.

"Well, you're the one with wisdom, dad. What difference does it make?" Vincent said.

"I don't know, Vincent. I'm worried. Frightened." 

"What can happen?"

"I'd be lying if I said I knew, but I assume harsher winds, heavy rain and more darkness." the old man sighed.