The Storm Follows

	The patter of tiny feet echoed through the hall.  A flash of light came through the windows.  The small boy stopped in fear and closed his eyes tight as he covered his ears.  Finally a loud roar of thunder ripped through the air.  He whimpered as he could feel it in his bones.  Confident that he was safe again, the little boy ran off again down the hall.
	He came upon the door he was looking for, but hesitated before opening it.  He felt confident that the person her was looking for was on the other side.  Then again if she wasn't there he didn't know where else to look.  Another flash, the brightest one yet, crossed his eyes.  In a panic he covered his ears and whined as he didn't want to hear what was coming next.  The loudest roar he's ever heard ripped through air.  It was so loud it felt like his hands weren't even covering his ears.  He screamed out loud as the horror was too much for him.
	Standing there unable to move, the boy has almost lost all hope to continue to his salvation from this.  He prayed to the Angel to save him, he prayed to have this stop, and then his prayers were answered.
	The door in front of him opened and a tall figure stood before him.  He looked up and saw the Angel he prayed to.
	"What are you doing here child?  You should even be here."  She saw the look of terror on his face as he looked up at her.  The next thing she knew the small boy ran at her and dove down to her feet and quickly got under her dress.  "What are you doing!?  That is no place for anyone, especially a little boy!"
	"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry", he said as he scampered out from under her dress out the backside.
	Annoyed, the woman closed the door as another bright flash filled the room.  Almost instantly she felt the small child run into her back and hugged her legs.  The roar of thunder filled the air and she too could feel it in her bones.  She also felt the small child's face buried into the small of her back as he whimpered.  The tight grip of the boy made it impossible for her to move.
	"I see what's going on.  That's still no excuse as to why you are here."
	"Please don't send me away",  the little boy pleaded, "I'm scared."
	She sighed and said, "Okay, only if you let go of me."  The child did what he was told.  The woman turned around and looked down to see tears covering the little boy's face.  "What's the matter child?  There nothing to be afraid of, it's only a thunderstorm."
	The little boy wiped the tears from his face and said, "I don't like them."
	She kneeled down and rubbed his arm and said, "It's okay, I'm here for you."
	"Thank you Lady Elizabeth."
	The smallest smile crept onto her face.  "Please...just  call me Elizabeth."
	The boy just nodded and gave her a small smile.  Another flash filled the room causing the boy to jump forward into Elizabeth's arms.
	She felt his arms wrap around the back of her neck and heard his whimpers in her ear.  She slowly wrapped her own arms around him and held him tight as the thunder made it presence.  "Shhh, it's okay, I'm here, there's nothing to be afraid of."
	Minutes passed as they still held each other.  Elizabeth heard and felt his breathing onto her ear.  She felt him tense up every time a flash of lightning or the roar of thunder happened.  She found herself petting the back of the boy's head as she still whispered into his ear that he was safe with her.
	A few minutes later, Elizabeth's old bones started to ache.  She gently pushed the boy back to look at him and said, "Why don't we have a seat on the couch over there."  The boy nodded and follow Elizabeth to the couch.  When they sat down the boy snuggled up to her again and put his arms around her.  She felt a flutter in her heart as she did find this adorable.
	"So what is your name young man?"
	"It's Elias."
	"Are you thirsty or hungry Elias?"
	His arms squeezed tight around her as another round of lighting and thunder came by.  "I-I guess."
	"How about you help me turn on all the lights in the room and I'll get you something.  Is that okay?"
	Elizabeth could feel his head nod up and down.  It took a few moments but he did let go and look around the room.  Before she had a chance to get up, little Elias was running around the room turning on all the lights.  While he was doing that, Elizabeth went to the windows and closed the drapes.
	When she drew the last drape closed she turned around to see Elias right behind her.  "See, isn't that better?"  He just looked up at her and nodded his head.  With the all the drapes closed and all the lights on he couldn't see the lighting anymore, but he still heard the thunder.  It rumbled though again making him jump to her, hugging her by the legs.  She just ran her fingers through his hair and said, "It's okay Elias."
	After a little while, his arms loosened around her.  "Why don't you sit back on the couch and I'll bring us a little something."  Again he looked at her and nodded before he ran to the couch and sat down.  She smiled and said, "Don't worry, I'll be back."
	As soon as she left the room, Elias grabbed the closest pillow and hugged it tight.  He shivered at every sound of thunder that passed through.  He wish Elizabeth was there and regretted wanting something to drink and eat.
	Soon he had the idea of following her.  Elias let go of the pillow and got off the couch slowly.  As soon as his feet touched the floor more thunder came by, making him jump onto the couch and to hugging the pillow.  He sat there quietly as he wait what seemed like an eternity for Elizabeth to come back.  Then something on the table in front of him caught his eye.
	It was a bandy glass that still had something in it.  To Elias, the color of it reminded him of apple juice.  As thirsty as he was, he shifted to sit on the edge of the couch and leaned over to get it.  Without any hesitation he took the glass to his lips and drank it, only to find it wasn't what he thought it was.  The smell of it hit his nose just as hard as the taste hit is lips.  He lurched forward and spit whatever he got into his mouth back into the glass.  As he coughed and gagged as he heard someone laughing.
	"Tastes bad doesn't it?"
	He looked up to see Elizabeth standing there with a tray.  "What", he said before coughing a little more, "what is that?"
	"That's my....juice."
	"It's really bad tasting!"
	She walked over and placed the tray on the table.  "For someone so young, it can be."
	"Even when I grow up I'll still hate it.  I'll never ever drink that again!"
	"I hope so, I hope so Elias.  How about some milk to wash that bad taste away."  She leaned over to the tray and picked up one of the two glasses of milk and handed it to him.  He took the large glass and swallowed a few big gulps before he noticed what else was on the tray.  Elizabeth loved the sight of his eyes going wide as he saw the plate of cookies.  "Go ahead, you can have one."
	"I can?"
	"Of course", she said as she grabbed the other glass of milk for herself and took a couple of cookies.  She held one out to him and before she knew it, he took it and munched on it.  "I'm sorry they're not fresh."
	As soon as he finished his cookie Elias said, "It taste great Elizabeth!"
	She smiled as Elizabeth started to eat her cookie.  "You know they taste even better after I just made them.  There all warm and moist."
	"You made these?"
	"Yes."
	"Wow...can I have another?"
	"Yes you can Elias."  Again he was quick to taking another one.  Her trick of distracting him with milk and cookies made him forget about the storm that parts of Columbia was flying in.  "Can I ask you something Elias?"  With a mouth stuffed with cookies he nodded and made a sound of approval.  "Why are you here?  Why aren't you with your family on the sections of Columbia that stayed behind."
	Elias gulped down some milk and looked at her.  "I...I wanted to see you Elizabeth."
	"See me?"
	"Yeah, I really like you.  My parents like you.  If I was girl I would have been named after you.  Well that's what my Daddy says.  That's why my name starts with the same letters as yours."
	"I see, but you know about where I'm going, right?"
	He sat there and though hard before saying, "The Sodom below."
	"Yes, it's very dangerous.  That why I had part of Columbia sail off with families and little ones like you."
	"I know, but I wanted to see you really really bad."
	"I can tell.  You even braved a thunderstorm to see me."
	He looked down at his feet as he drank his milk.  "I'm not that brave."
	"Yes you are.  You remind me of someone."
	"I do?"
	"Yes....it's rather a story."
	"Can you tell me the story!?"
	"I suppose, though it doesn't have a happy ending."
	"It doesn't?  Why?"
	"I...I don't....nevermind."
	"Please Elizabeth, I want to hear it!"
	She looked at the little boy and saw the eagerness on his face.  "Okay, then after that I have to get you back to your parents."
	"Can I have more cookies while you tell me?"
	She smiled and reached out to rustle his hair.  "Of course you can."
	Elizabeth then told little Elias in a traditional storybook way about herself and Booker.  How the young man rescued the woman in the tower.  How he fought off all sorts of bad men.  Even how the man that saved her might have been bad himself.  Elias watch her while eating cookies and drinking milk.  He liked it when she did things with her hands to show how the characters rode on the sky-lines or how the brave man shot down men to protect the tower girl.  Elizabeth went on and on with enthusiasm until it got towards the end.
	"So what happens next!?", Elias excitedly questioned.  "They stopped the ghost lady and went through the gate and then what!?"
	Elizabeth's heart felt heavier than it ever has.  "They went through the gate and....and the giant monster that chased them before came back.  It...it took the girl away not before she  made it stop from killing the man."
	"And then what?"
	She looked at him with a sad face and said, "That's it Elias, that's the story."
	He drank the last of his milk and set it down on the tray.  "Why doesn't it have a happy ending?"
	"I...I don't know Elias."
	"It has to have a happy ending.  He goes after her and saves her from the giant monster and the bad people.  He has to!"
	"He never did Elias, he just never did."
	They both sat there in silence on the couch as more thunder rumbled along.
	"Was she pretty?"
	Elizabeth shook her head in bewilderment of that question.  "Was she what?"
	"Was she pretty?  If she was ugly, I can see how he doesn't continue going after her."
	"I...I don't know Elias.  I mean do you find me pretty."
	Elias looked at her and saw her big blues eyes.  He saw ever wrinkle on her face.  He saw every grey curl of hair that stood out of line from her bun hair-do on the top of her head.  "Yes Elizabeth, I find you very pretty.  You're the prettiest girl of Columbia."
	Her heart melted upon hearing that and a smile grew on her face.  "Thank you Elias, you're too kind."
	"I mean it Elizabeth, if you were the girl in that story I would fight and come after you."  Elias then jumped up on the couch and started swinging his arms.  "I would fight that monster and save you from the bad people!"
	Elizabeth watched him swing about and making fighting noises.  She let out a little laugh and a smile.  "I know you would Elias."
	He plopped down on the couch again and  crawled over to Elizabeth.  He snuggled up to and hug her.  "Elizabeth?"
	"Yes Elias", she answered as she slowly ran her fingers through his hair.
	"Can I stay with you a little longer?"
	She thought about it and couldn't resist how charming he was.  "Yes, yes you can."
	"Thank you!", he said just before he moved a bit to kiss her on the cheek.  Together they sat on the couch holding one another.

	An hour or so passed as little Elias passed out in Elizabeth's arms.  She carefully and slowly got up and carried him through the house.  Soon she walked out onto a rather large balcony, where out of the dying storm clouds came Songbird.  He landed with grace close to her.  He head tilted to the side to look at her with one of his large eyes.  And with one head gesture from Elizabeth the large creature opened its hand in front of her.  Carefully she placed little Elias in his hand.  She looked at the sleeping boy for a few minutes as she again ran her fingers through his hair the whole time.  Finally she leaned down and gave kiss on his forehead.  Elizabeth looked up at Songbird and gave him another nod as he spread his wings and few off silently with Elias safely in his hands.
	Elizabeth walked to the edge of the balcony and stood into the wind.  The storm clouds the city was flying in was slowly giving way.  In front of her the view started to clear.  The sight was evening sky that hung over a city that never sleeps.