Climb the Thundercloud

My entry to Weekly Note Composing Jam #10 https://itch.io/jam/weekly-note-composing-jam-10

The theme was "Thunderstorm", and when I think of thunderstorms I think of contradictory things: danger and comfort, horror and beauty, darkness and blinding lights. So I wanted to capture that juxtaposition.

I imagined a scene - or actually a group of scenes with something in common - in which a character must "climb" to the top of a thundercloud. At first I imagined they were sailing a magical ship whose ability to fly has been asserted by its maker, but has yet to be tested by its crew. 

Then I imagined a fledgling deity in the early days of the world, scaling the thundercloud out of curiosity or sheer bravado, wrestling with the elements along the way and securing their reputation as the god of thunder in the process. 

But I also think this could just be someone taking off in an aeroplane and only realizing the peril of their situation when it's too late to turn back.

They're all the same basic idea, just in different settings.

The first half of the piece accompanies the ascent itself, when the hero is actually inside the cloud and navigating through the heart of the thunderstorm. The second half portrays the hero's elation at making it through to the top; they float there awhile, watching as the thundercloud rolls by beneath them.