ABSTRACT
The thunder struggled and howled in fits and starts, until it rumbled closer and closer, and crashed overhead. Thunder boomed through the city, shaking it to its core, and streaking through the streets like an exploding firework. The wind did not just come from one direction: one moment it was in front of him, slowing his stride, pushing him back. Within minutes, it was behind him, pushing him forward in another direction. Rain began to pour down in streams, bursting like waterfalls from the mouth of the darkening sky. It was as if the mountain itself was being shaken. It seemed to writhe and twist, growing and swelling as if it were alive. Trunks as big as telephone poles hurtled past, their root-balls exposed, their branches reaching out to grab the raft and drag it along with them.
