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Down in the Dirt v059

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Decrepit Remains
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 Decrepit Remains, the 2008 Down in the Dirt collection book
The Sky Color

John Ragusa

    It was two o’clock in the afternoon on a summer day in New Orleans. The clouds promised rain. The humidity was low, which accounted for the comfortable temperature. The sky was gradually assuming an extremely pleasant appearance. This was not your ordinary sky. It resembled a blend of many hues. Two boys, Sam and Ralph, looked up from their fishing poles at Lake Pontchartrain and found serenity in the air’s atmosphere. Suddenly, more people stepped outside and discovered a sky that had only cool colors, like green and violet. The effect was soothing.
    The neighbors had never seen anything this handsome. The sky should have been captured by a camera, but witnessing it was more rewarding.
    The people saw the sky as mesmerizing. They all agreed it was the most beautiful thing they’d ever seen.
    “Did you see anything as awesome as this before?” Ralph asked.
    Sam shook his head. “Not until now.”
    “It looks different than it usually does.”
    “I agree. It’s weird.”
    “But it sure is lovely.”
    “You’re right about that.”
    Mrs. Barry told her husband, “Do you recall the time we visited Paris? We were dazzled at how gorgeous it was. The sky is even lovelier than that city.”
    “You can say that again,” Mr. Barry said. “I’m seeing perfection right now.”
    “Words can’t describe its beauty.”
    The sky was a natural masterpiece. It wasn’t blue, and it wasn’t quite gray, either. It looked hazy. It seemed to swirl, like a Van Gogh painting. Stunning, hypnotic, it brightened the dull, ordinary day. Once seen, the sky could not be forgotten. It would be etched in the memory. It was elegant and fancy. It was something that could be looked at for years, without ever becoming boring. It was a source of gratification for eyes, mind, and soul.
    The people’s curiosity was aroused. “How did it get this way?” Sam asked his friend.
    Ralph shrugged. “Beats me. Maybe it’s supernatural.”
    Soon the folks stopped talking and just savored it. A thousand treasures could not measure up to this sky. The people enjoyed it, they cherished it, they wished it would never go away.
    Van Colvin was the only person in the neighborhood who hadn’t gone outdoors to see the sky, because he was in bed with a bad cold. But after hearing a report on TV, he ran outside with some alarming news: A tornado was heading their way. The weatherman predicted a direct hit, and authorities advised residents to seek shelter from the storm. Everyone heard Colvin relate this news, but they did not budge from the spot. They were so transfixed at the sky, that they remained standing there. When the tornado finally arrived, not one person survived.
    The following week, the sky turned a beautiful color in Chicago, Illinois. . . .



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