A Day in the Clouds (Chapter 21) - The Hours Between 0100 and 0200 ...

_{This is a continuation of the Steemit-exclusive, original novel A Day in the Clouds. Be sure to check out the previous chapters to catch up with the story. Enjoy!}

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_{The multi-talented @verbal-d (who, by the way, edited this chapter) has bestowed ... wait, you know what? Let's shake things up a bit. This time, read the chapter as is first. Take it all in and enjoy! :D}

It was already nighttime when I located where my family was. They huddled together around a campfire. It was a cold night, far colder than the top of the Andes.

"Hello there," I greeted, as I walked toward the empty space in the huddle." Have you guys already eaten? I saw when I passed the town square, they had prepared a—"

"Prepared what son?" my father asked.

I was speechless. As soon as the flames illuminated my surrounding, I was surprised at what I saw. It was something that I couldn't have prepared for. Its authenticity was something I continued to question. The faces of my family ... resembled that of the giants!

My mouth was left agape. The sight knocked me back from my seat. I rubbed my eyes, hoping that it was a trick of the flames, but, to my horror, I quickly realized that it wasn't.

"Son," my father continued. "What were you saying? What was prepared in the town square?"

"W-Who are you guys?" I asked, trembling. The voices were of my family's, but the faces were of my captors. But, they weren't gigantic. They were of the same proportion as me, as with my family. It was like a twisted joke that went on for far too long that it lost its hilarity.

"What are you talking about?" my mother, who looked strikingly like Mamie, inquired. "I told you not to exhaust yourself during your practice flights."

"He must've inhaled too much cloud," my older sister teased. She looked remarkably like Teten, but slightly smaller. "Learn to breathe out whatever you take in, Ledd."

My grandmother looked at me silently as she was caressing my little brother. The two of them looked exactly the same as Lowla and Eddie.

"Are you alright?" my father probed, walking towards me. He put his hand across my forehead, then furrowed his eyebrows. "Well, you're not burning up, so I'm not quite sure what ... What is going on with you, son?"

"N-Nothing," I stuttered. "I, uh ... I think I inhaled too much cloud that's why I'm light-headed, like Teten said. I mean, wait, no! Like what my older sister said, yeah. My older sister."

"Here, relax, son," my mother requested. She sat beside me, grabbed me by my chin and rested my head on her chest. Her chin sat lightly on the side of my head, as she hummed a soothing tune, right before she placed her lips on it. "I'll send healing viento your way."

"N-No there's ... There's no need for that, I'm fine. I ... I'm perfectly alright."

The embrace was warm and familiar. If only I didn't see the giants' faces on my family, I would've been totally at ease.

"Are you sure?" my father asked worriedly. He walked behind me and rested both of his hands on my shoulders. "If you're going through something, whatever it is, you know that you can confide in us, right?"

"Y-Yes, I ... I know. It's just that ... I'm alright, but I don't ... I'm not quite sure what's happening to me. It must be exhaustion like mother said. Maybe I should just ... sleep this off."

"What were you saying earlier though?" my sister inquired. "About the town square."

"Oh, well ... They have this big feast set up there. Strung up lights, big banquet, like a full-on fiesta."

"It's for the Festival of Whispers." my mother exclaimed. "Don't you remember?"

"Festival of ... Was that today?"

"Oh Bathala, it is!" my mother followed. She stood up and wrested control of my little brother. "I've lost track of time. I thought they wouldn't be ready for hours."

My father helped my grandmother up, and my sister woke my sleeping grandfather. The campfire wood crackled, and the flame started to dim. They unfurled their wings and set their sights toward the town center.

"Let's go," my father urged.

"I-I ... I'll catch up," I replied. "I just ... I just need to get some air."

"Are you sure? I'm more than willing to keep you company."

"No, you go right ahead. I don't want to keep you from the feast."

With the wave of their fingers, they lifted themselves up. They kicked off a gust of wind, extinguishing the campfire. My little brother rested his head on our mother's right shoulder, and he looked at me as they departed.

I sat alone in the dark, with only my thoughts to accompany me. This was not the encounter that I had expected, but strangely, I felt at ease when I was around them. I spent a few moments silently contemplating why it was so.

Did they always look like that? How was I so certain that they were my family? More importantly, who were the supposed giants I was comparing their faces to?

Lying on my back, I pulled back my hair with both of my hands and I let out an exasperated sigh. Thoughts raced in every direction, conflicting and colliding with one another. Who were those giants that I was referring to? Who were those people huddled around the campfire?

Was this an illusion of my old life that resulted from the giants' mind manipulation? Or, was my whole time in the prison just an elaborate nightmare?

I know that my family was real, how else could I have been born? My friends were all real, I could remember all our conversations even back when we were infants. However, the giants ... The giants felt real as well. The other prisoners Teten, Ayesa ... They were all real. I remember them all.

Were the visions of the prison a foreshadowing of things to come. Or, was I, in fact, living in the future after I've liberated the prison? No, it couldn't be. My village, I remember the giants razing my village during the ... No, it couldn't be!

I sprung to my feet just as soon as I heard a loud grumble from the distance. Faint memories started to become more concrete. The giants had caught us off-guard while we were celebrating the festival. Was I just recalling events from my past or was I reliving it? It couldn't be. Could it?

Did I find myself sent back in time to right the wrongs of the past? Was I sent back to the very start of the Great War? Perhaps this was the effect of my prolonged use of the fown.

There were more questions and thoughts that raced through my mind. But, at that moment, only one thing mattered. I unfurled my wings, and kicked myself off the ground. Perching on the highest branch I could find, I focused on where I needed to go. I steadied my balance before I made a beeline towards the town square. Now that I've found my target, the only thing left for me to do was to leap with all the might I could muster.

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