The Barkuu. Lauren Wright
could see the reciprocation in her eyes; in the split second that they made contact, he had an eternity to bask in those boundless pools. She was wearing a bright red wrap and covered from head to toe with powdered paint so deep red that she appeared to be composed of satin rose petals.
Her unearthly glow rendered poor Magni hopelessly vulnerable to attack, and then it happened. Magni's face exploded outward with plumes of bright blue paint; in an instant, Macie was replaced with a fog of blue color and burning eyes.
Magni's friend had taken advantage of the distraction and blind-sided their poor love-stricken friend. Macie giggled with delight as Magni wiped his eyes and coughed, desperately trying to regain the vision that had so encapsulated him.
Alas when the blue fog faded, she was gone, and Magni's ear-to-ear grin dissipated and his big blue teeth slowly disappeared. Magni spent the rest of the day in a single-minded hunt for his mystery goddess. But, she was nowhere to be found, further testament to her godlike nature.
That night, Magni lay awake for hours thinking about Macie, though he had no idea what her name was at the time. Over and over again, he traced the lines of her face with his mind, the outfit she wore and that smile.
Oh God, that smile, he could think about it all day. He replayed the incident repeatedly in his head; she had stopped him in his tracks, a dead halt.
Where just a second before he was running from a colorful attack and laughing, the next he was standing there unable to move. He couldn't even remember stopping, only the girl, her eyes, her mouth.
A deep breath released a flood of butterflies; it was a new and exhilarating feeling. A moment that lasted only seconds had dominated his mind every second since. Magni had a new mission in life, and he was more sure of it than anything before it. He had to find this girl.
~
Macie put her hand on her heart; it was still racing. She had been lying there for hours trying to sleep, but couldn't stop thinking about the boy with the blue teeth.
She had been part of the choreographed group dance, wearing a beautiful ornamental red dress and painted all in the deep red of passion, something for which the Brazilians are well known.
When their eyes met, she had immediately fallen out of step, the life stripped from her movements. He was a handsome and striking young man with a strong jawline leading into a well-defined chin. He was surely going to be a handsome man.
He was in soccer shorts and flip-flops, his muscular body covered in lucent colors of orange, green, and blue. The moment their locked eyes, he stopped, completely unaware his friend that had been chasing him was closing fast.
His beautiful eyes had captured her attention as effectively as an elephant dancing on teacups. She couldn't look away, didn't want to look away, for fear the moment would end, and she would be left in a world without him.
For a time, the wonder was replaced by dread; she needed him. After what seemed like ten minutes of staring, his friend only a few steps away finally reached him.
The blue paint exploded in his face, his big smile displaying two rows of large blue teeth, it made her giggle. Seconds later the remainder of the choreographed dancers found Macie out of sync, and they toppled about.
Flashes of colorful dresses comically tossed in the air, reminiscent of childhood cartoons. By the time Macie got to her feet, her muse had disappeared.
Macie had never really been into boys before, chalking up all the stories of love to childish stories told to hopeless girls. She would not be persuaded, but in an instant, her mind was changed.
It was all real, so very real and so much more intense and confusing than she had been told. She was simultaneously filled with hope, desire, and panic; every square inch of her body surged with energy.
Just when she felt it might be overwhelming, it changed back to fear; she might not ever see the boy again. She was filled with a desperate need to see him, a burning desire to touch him, to see those beautiful eyes again.
She had butterflies as she thought about staring into those eyes, and then more dread. She was experiencing a complex array of emotions, sloshing around like water in a bucket.
Her heart raced more; her breathing turned sporadic; she wanted to throw up. How does anyone sleep on this stuff?
~
The next day, Magni was up with the sun. He grabbed his trusty soccer shorts and flip-flops, his uniform for most of life. Magni grabbed a banana and resumed his search for his satin princess.
By the time he had hit the streets, people were already gearing up for the festivities of the day, while others were cleaning up from the night before. He patrolled the area all morning, but the streets eventually began to again fill with colorful people and music.
It was getting harder to find her by the minute, and he began to think it might not happen amid the thousands of people. That's when he saw her; every detail was as incredible as he remembered. She was dancing around rhythmically with the other dancers, but she showed brighter.
All other dancers seem pale next to her, their movements lacking the flare, the glamour, and grace of his beloved. The entire audience must be focused on her as he was; how could they watch anything else?
Macie danced around, hoping the man of her dreams was watching. Every twirl, every flare, every smile, every pop was for him, an intricate mating dance for the one she would spend her life with.
She was filled with the hope that he was out there, that maybe he saw the way she danced for him. And there he was, right in front of her, motionless, the same look in his eyes.
Every detail was better than she had remembered, the lines in his abs and chest. She breathed deeply and goosebumps cascaded through her body; her heart raced once again.
From that point on, they were always together, making it a point to work together in the sugarcane and coffee fields. Even when they had to work separate jobs, they were together as soon as they could be; their life was one another.
It can be said that once a life has been lived, conclusive statements can be made regarding it. In that light, Macie and Magni would never again walk their road alone.
While they sat together drinking their rum, Macie held up her hand to block the sun. "Man, the beach is surprisingly full, huh Mags?" Magni followed her example and held up his arm to get a better view. "Boy it really is; I thought we were going to be out here by our lonesome."
He gave her a little wink. "Could've been nice."
She looked at him as if offended. "What's this could've been nonsense? It's the end of the world, dammit. Who's gonna stop us?"
Magni just laughed; god, he loved that woman. He turned his gaze to the setting sun. Won't be long now, he thought, although he didn't want to voice it.
The sunset commenced, the water turned a luminous orange, and the first plumes of the Cloud appeared. The cascade had begun, and within seconds had spread across the sky in both directions.
Macie and Magni stood in awe; it was gorgeous. No one could have known, and not a single hypothesis prepared them for what was unfolding. The site was truly breathtaking, reminding them both of the day they had first met.
The Cloud didn't crash like a wave but billowed into the atmosphere like smoke blown into a still room. Brilliant pink and orange filled the sky, rather than doom and destruction. The Cloud appeared to offer only splendor and amazement.
Beautiful swirling colors like pouring paint into water filled the horizon, back-dropped by the setting sun. The last rays of light were peaking through the clouds. It was a rolling wonder, never to be witnessed again.
The first object shot into the atmosphere with great fury, breaking through the brightly colored plumes, streaming fire and smoke across the sky. In a spectacular fireworks show, the