The clouds swirled above; purples, blues, pinks and a streak of green blending together. A man stood on the ground in the center, looking straight up and chanting an incantation. His ratty, black coat flapped in the silent wind, although his hood stayed up, covering his dark hair and hiding his face. The man had his arms outstretched to either side of him, a dark aura surrounding this lone figure.
That's what caught Raven's attention: the black flames. She had been on her way home from the convenience store near her apartment when she saw him. She'd been walking with her head down and her iPod screaming into her ears. As soon as she saw the flames, she stopped walking. When she noticed a man in the middle of the dark fire, she dropped her groceries.
The same silent wind that blew the man's coat blew through Raven's dark hair. She blinked her cobalt blue eyes, trying to make sense of the scene. Her normally pale cheeks reddened as the wind bit at them, becoming colder. Her heartbeat sped up and she took short, fast breaths.
The man looked over, straight at her, and her breath caught. A strong wind blew, and he was right in front of her, his eyes boring into hers; one red, one gray.
And then she blinked, and he was gone.
The wind stopped suddenly, and the clouds instantly dispersed to show the twinkling stars behind them. As if nothing strange had just occurred, everything was as it should be.
Raven blinked a few times before picking up her groceries and continuing home, her iPod still screaming in her ears.
