Darkening sky

    "That tree's gonna bend that way and it'll break in half."
    A man was sitting on that bench, talking to himself.  A boy behind him, swinging on a swing while looking up at the sky with his face full of wonders and crumpled to figure out something on his mind.  The boy push his arms forward to gain momentum and height while all the he concetrated on that piece of thinking, shown on his face.  The skies were darkened on one side of the park, starting from the north, it was coming here and rain was invetable.  There was no seasons here like the west and the weather was either hot, damp or raining.  The weather girl got it right for once.
    The man was looking at the field of trees at the other side of the park, statues that bend this way and that, impaled by the wind's feelings and commands.  It blew until the man closed into him, the cold temperature making everything numbed starting from his legs because he was only wearing sneakers without socks.  His face, a set of oval eyes and a quirked mouth, makes lemon look sweet.  His day was only beginning when the mood started to shape the events of his day ahead.  He has a growing beard on his chin.
    "Hey mister," a small voice came from behind.
    The man looked back without turning his body and saw the boy, out off his swing.  He was wearing shorts and a shirt, too big for his size.
    "I've never seen you before.  Who are you?" the boy asked.
    "Didn't your mother ever thought you not to speak with strangers, kid?"
    The boy swiped a hand across his nose.  He looked undisturbed by the comment.  They stared at each other for some while before the wind blew a hard one and leaves waved into being from the side.
    "Go back home, kid.  There's gonna be a storm," the man said.
    "What's your name, mister?"
    "Do I have to tell you?"
    "Well..."
    "Fine, fine.  Name's Howard.  Just Howard,"
    "My name's Randy.  Nice to meet you, Just Howard,"
    "No.  Not Just Howard.  Howard, that's it,"
    "Oh..."
    Howard spun his head back in position and looked upward.  His eyes, two holes of worried mirrors, trying to seek out answers within the swirling clouds up ahead.  The wind was blowing hard and the clouds were all but covered the area.  The park was abandoned but with both of them.  The place was reserved at a back field of a quite a city, a growing city at least.  It was seldom used by the residents except the ones that frequent the place.  Howard doesn't even know what's the name of place.  He was just passing through. A man with a goal that was just going through the city.
    "It's cold," Randy said.
    "Yes, it is."
    Randy jumped forward, in front of the man.  His face was still filled with puzzlement as he looked at the man's clothes, from top to bottom.  His own feet were covered by nothing but slippers.  He doesn't look clean at all.
    "Got a problem?" Howard asked.
    "No,"
    "Then stop staring,"
    "Where are you from, mister?"
    "A very far place,"
    "You come here to find jobs like my dad?"
    "No.  I just came here because I want to go to the next place,"
    "Why don't you use a car?"
    "Because I don't know how to use one, alright?  Now, stop asking things and go home."
    The boy just stood there, refusing to budge.
    Howard had had enough, though.
    "I'll shout if you touch me," the boy took a step back when Howard stood up.
    "I'm not going to do anything to you.  Just step back.  Someone's coming and he's not happy," Howard looked into the trees ahead of him.  The wind was blowing very hard by now.  As if it was blowing with fury and it was directed to Howard.  His clothes flapped from the winds violently.  There was a tinge in the air that felt like sparks.  Howard's face is a jungle of frown and in his guts, he knew this would happen someday or soon enough.  It was a matter of time and place, though.
    "Howard, you're not going home?" the boy said, looking up.
    "I ain't got no place to go home, kid.  It was destroyed long ago,"
    "Why?"
    "Because someone said to the sky and cursed it.  Lightning splashed and death came from above.  The man was the only one who survived but with a curse and a gift.  He would remain young forever and immortal but as long as he lives, he would be hunted down by storms, rains and typhoons,"
    "I don't understand,"
    "Simply said.  I cursed the sky and the sky is very mad at me.  So, if you could please stay behind me."
    The boy did that because by now, lightning was flashing up there, striking each other like spirits would fight like legends from a long time before.  Roaring like wild animals, the mists above made the the city below a battlefield and once or twice, the world was seen through negative lenses.  Somewhere in the distance, a wolf howled from the mountain ranges in the west.  Wind scarred the trees, doubling themselves on their trunks and they themselves make screeching noises as they rubbed against each other, straining to hold on with their roots in the hard ground.  A man appeared beneath the scalps.
    "Rilzen.  I finally caught up with you," the man whispered and the wind did the same.
    "There's a boy here, and a city down there.  Can we do this some place else?"
    Howard's face was a mask.  His voice shook a little but he held the ground.  The boy was holding onto his legs, his feelings letched from the man.  He felt afraid.  Now all he wanted was to be somewhere else.  His hair stood on end and sparks were clearly seen now, between the hairs on his head and the brows of his eyes.
    "Hmm?  You never told me you have a son, Zen," the man walked forward, seemingly to glide.  His eyes went to the boy at the other man's legs and swiftly came back up.  His smile was murderous.
    "He's not mine.  We don't need a misunderstanding here,"
    "Of course we don't.  I'm here to kill you and that far is clear right?"
    "Yes, I know.  But can we do it somewhere else, please?"
    "For these mortals?  Well, fine by me.  I have a memory here too, don't want to spoil it with your image of defeat,"
    "Right."
    The wind blew hard once again and the man was gone.  But the sky was still furious, perhaps a missed battle made it more frustated.  More so to make things worse, it began to trickle, little pebbles of water formed out of nowhere and splashed towards dirt and leaves, making weird noises against the wind.  The city heaved once as thousands of people sighed and ran for cover.  The boy was still looking at the place where the other man had vanished with the winds.  His eyes were focused there, two bowls of wonder and a glint of fear.  But stood beside it was a glint of excitement.
    "Go home, kid.  It's raining," Howard reached down and patted the boy's head.
    "Who are you, really?" the boy looked up, shoving away the hand.
    "My real name is Rilzen but people call me Howard.  I lived here once, and it was my home.  That was thousands of years ago,"
    "Rilzen...,"  the boy squinted his eyes and tried to remember something.  A sense of familiarity came from the name.  He heard it before in a story told by his grandfather about gods that fought each other and spirits were living with men.  A legend about a snake and a river.
    The boy gasped loudly.
    "You're Rilzen, the Snake of the Yellow River!"
    Howard looked down and smiled.
    "Call me Howard."
    The rain hardened and the man was no longer there.