A balloon and a stormy sky

Federico Saldías
Sep 4, 2018 · 2 min read

He stands there alone.
Right in the middle of the pier.
There is only one lamppost left.
The storm took all the others away.
And the dim flame is fidgeting.
It does not have much time left.

He stands there alone.
Or that is what it seems like to him.
He keeps his hands in his pockets.
Warily smiles.
He is more used to the shadows.
A warm heart covered by mist.
Sea mist that came in with the tide.

There is a balloon floating in front of him.
The cord tied to the planks of the pier.
He can’t cut it.
He can’t untie it.
The storm is coming. Rain will drown out the last remaining light.
He just wants to take the balloon home.

“You better hurry”
He turned around.
A small boat was floating next to the pier. No one else in sight.
And yet he kept hearing it.
“Clock is ticking, chop-chop”
Atop the mast of the boat sat a crow.
It’s wearing glasses.

“You think you’ve tried everything, haven’t you?”
It was stating the obvious.
Irritating.
Thunder boomed in the distance.
He can’t go home without his balloon.
It’s his most prized possession.
“Just leave. How long have you been waiting?”
The pier was all he knew.
Right?
The flame kept fidgeting, the mist coming out of his breath.
What does the crow know?
“What do I know, right? Believe me, getting on this boat was the best decision of my life.”

He felt the first drops of rain fall on his shoulders.
Desperation setting in, he tried biting through the cord.
He felt blood in his mouth.
The sea mist covering his eyes as well.

“You know what to do, the pain is not worth it”
How long had it been since he last cried?
Since he let something get to him.
The cold had weakened him, unable to save his balloon.
Reluctant, he walked towards the lamppost.
Grabbed the candle inside.

Doubted once. Doubted again.
Threw it right on the planks below the balloon.
And got on the boat.

As he paddled away he saw the pier slowly set aflame.
The fire was too strong, not even the rain would stop it.
Light dissipated the mist away.
He saw his balloon, free from the pier, floating away through the smoke.
“Welcome, my friend, let’s find a calm shore together”

Federico Saldías

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