New England: Tuesday, 28th August 2001

Written by Stephen Baines

Tuesday, 28 August 2001

20:48 EST Perhaps a rather strange postcard today. I've changed my mind. Today I've seen the most beautiful thing I think I've ever seen. Twenty minutes ago, there was a tremendous roar outside, I opened the curtains to see torrential rain flooding the scenery, then almost as suddenly it stopped. There was no rain. There was nothing. Then the nothing was ripped apart by the most almighty flash of lightning - a fork the size of which I've never seen before lit up, and covered, almost the whole of the sky for all that I could see, only broken by the trees in the distance forming a strange silhouette against the grey and platinum sky. The flash went on for what seemed forever, and then faded. And then nothing. No thunder, no roar shaking the building. Nothing. The sky lit up again, this time with a fine elegant fork gently ducking behind the trees ahead, again no thunder. Enthralled, I sat, my eyes darting across the dark black sky, hoping to catch the next bolt. It tricked me, it teased me. First a flash to the left, then to the right, then the left and straight on. Sometimes 2 or 3 flashes straight after one another, sometimes a tantalising wait, tempting you to break your gaze from the sky, but you knew that should you do so, the most beautiful of bolts would be sent to earth. Finally, the skys settled, and a small flash signalled its goodbye, and with it the one and only crack of thunder.