The Gods Frowned
1/1
"What's your name?" Cassidy asked.
The woman turned away from the station's reception desk. She seemed three sizes smaller.
Her lip trembled. "Melody Saunders."
*
Maximus pricked up his ears.
*
"I'm Officer Pullan." Cassidy motioned to the chairs across from the reception desk and they sat. Melody clasped her hands together. "What brings you here?"
"I'm being stalked."
*
Maximus brayed. "Nonsense."
*
Cassidy fumbled for her notepad. "Do you know their identity?"
"He's a weather god." Melody said it matter-of-factly but Cassidy was sure she misheard. She poised her pen over the notepad and stared at Melody. "He appeared to me as a stag."
*
Maximus began to stew.
*
"Ms."
Melody's mouth formed a hard line. "It happened. He won't leave me alone."
*
The sky turned grey the longer Maximus sat, the leaves falling off trees and flowers snapping with frost.
*
"Let me say I believe you," Cassidy said kindly. "What could I do? We prosecute people, not stags."
Melody was crying freely now. "But he's going to kill me!"
*
A halo of dust grew around the cityscape. "Not quite."
*
"I can take you to the hospital," Cassidy said. Melody began to protest. "I can call Animal Control. Beyond that, I don't know what you're expecting."
*
Maximus closed his eyes as rage boiled through his bones. The sky broke into sapphires. Winds scorched the earth. Salt from the sea whipped through the trees.
Suddenly it was quiet.
*
Melody choked on a scream as he appeared in the doorway.
The woman turned away from the station's reception desk. She seemed three sizes smaller.
Her lip trembled. "Melody Saunders."
*
Maximus pricked up his ears.
*
"I'm Officer Pullan." Cassidy motioned to the chairs across from the reception desk and they sat. Melody clasped her hands together. "What brings you here?"
"I'm being stalked."
*
Maximus brayed. "Nonsense."
*
Cassidy fumbled for her notepad. "Do you know their identity?"
"He's a weather god." Melody said it matter-of-factly but Cassidy was sure she misheard. She poised her pen over the notepad and stared at Melody. "He appeared to me as a stag."
*
Maximus began to stew.
*
"Ms."
Melody's mouth formed a hard line. "It happened. He won't leave me alone."
*
The sky turned grey the longer Maximus sat, the leaves falling off trees and flowers snapping with frost.
*
"Let me say I believe you," Cassidy said kindly. "What could I do? We prosecute people, not stags."
Melody was crying freely now. "But he's going to kill me!"
*
A halo of dust grew around the cityscape. "Not quite."
*
"I can take you to the hospital," Cassidy said. Melody began to protest. "I can call Animal Control. Beyond that, I don't know what you're expecting."
*
Maximus closed his eyes as rage boiled through his bones. The sky broke into sapphires. Winds scorched the earth. Salt from the sea whipped through the trees.
Suddenly it was quiet.
*
Melody choked on a scream as he appeared in the doorway.