The drought: Ocean vs Mountain part 11

            The unusual high temperatures began to bounce up and down from high to low, wintery nights slowly crept its way back in to the region but nothing like the harsh negative wintery conditions from early on. When the temperature would start to drop, Mr. River noticed he would start to lose his energy and determination; he found himself feeding his determination to not slow down which took away from widening that crack. The days had drastic highs, then the night had drastic lows. One day it was 75 degrees, then it would drop down to 25 degrees; the following day, it would only warm up to 55 degrees and it would drop to 25. Mr. Mountain, you’re tricks will not get to me! Mr. Mountain made no sound. Mr. River noticed that the region was dry, the plants were dying, the lake he created was not as massive, there was still water there, but he began to worry; never did he show any signs of worrying, he just kept widening that crack.

            The drastic up and down days began to fade and winter began to spread its crisp, shiver up the spine deadly freeze. Mr. River was feeling fatigued, and half of his army was frozen, there were still some parts that were flowing well but not enough to do damage. He began to slow his flow, and then all of a sudden, he felt something terribly familiar, Mr. River felt that stop in your tracks breeze. Mr. Mountain, in a gentle light breeze, pushed a blanket of cold air down dropping the temperature ; just cold enough to keep water moving but enough to make it really dry. Mr. Mountain controlled the temperature he kept it between 20 and 10 degrees; he made this last all the way well into April. 

                   There we certain things he couldn’t control as the natural warming of spring; he fought with spring to keep the land cold; like an extended contract. The dry region had not seen rain in about five months. The lake was small, Mr. River had not flowed right and his river was small again but he never gave up, he kept at that crack little by little. Many of times he wanted to give up but he couldn’t, he was not going to let this mountain beat him. The grips of winter began to loosen up, and the temps jumped up to a normal spring day. Mr. River felt energy again. However, his army was weak. They needed rain. He told the army, tell the Ocean we need storms. They sent the message downstream but poor Mr. River, the message took about a month. A month later they saw the clouds trying to clear the tallest peaks. It was hopeless. It begun to pass warm and it was getting hot. The  land was using all the water trying to restore life to the area which meant the lake was starting to die. 

                   Mr. River kept at that crack. It felt like he was doing nothing and months had went by. He knew something was happening but not at his speed. The summer approached and still no rain. The dry land was sucking up all the water from the lake. The region now feeling the complete opposite stayed in the 100s for weeks, drying up the land and causing a drought. The fall comes back again, the harsh winter comes back again, lasting as long as it did the year before, the Lake is gone, Mr. River is almost finished but he’s still widening that crack. Rain has not fell for over a year. Then on a warm May day a driver flicked his cigarette out the window….

            To be continued….