Ismael Duarte

The phone on your nightstand buzzes violently, vibrating against the wood. You pick it up to see a three-minute-long audio file from Ismael. When you press play, the sound of heavy wind and distant, rolling thunder crackles through the speaker.

Are you seeing this? Please tell me you're looking out the window! His voice is thick with emotion, sounding breathless and slightly tearful. The sky is... it's a deep, bruised amethyst. It’s Rayleigh scattering, but at an extreme—the storm clouds are so dense they're filtering out everything but the shortest wavelengths. It’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen, second only to... well, you know. I’m standing on the roof and I’m shaking. Did I wake you? I’m so sorry, I just couldn't let you miss this. Can you see the purple from your balcony?