LOST IN THE CLOUDS

LOST IN THE CLOUDS
by
Jason W. Chan
SMASHWORDS EDITION
* * * * *
PUBLISHED BY:
Jason W. Chan on Smashwords
Lost in the Clouds
Copyright 2012 by Jason W. Chan
Smashwords Edition License Notes
This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be
re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another
person, please purchase an additional copy for each person you share it with. If you're
reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then
you should return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for
respecting the author's work.
***
Acknowledgements
For Walt Disney, who believed that with imagination, perseverance and most
importantly, passion, anything is possible.
***
A Message from the Author
I hope you will enjoy reading Lost in the Clouds.
After you’re done, I have a few tiny favors to ask of you:
1. Please post the link to this ebook on your facebook and twitter and other social
media networks.
If you liked this story, please write a review for it, on whichever site you found it.
This last part is the most important: please recommend it to as many friends as
possible. Thank you for helping me spread the word.
Please email me if you have any feedback: jasonwchan@hotmail.com

Visit my blog where I have in-depth discussions about some of my favorite love
stories: www.jasonwchan.blogspot.com
If you liked this story, check out my Amazon author page:
http://www.amazon.com/Jason-W.-Chan/e/B004OMMIMS/ref=sr_tc_ep
qid=1324187501
There, you can find many more of my ebooks. If you liked this novel, I would
recommend Hiding In His Dreams, Meet Me at Taylor Park, A Romantic Ghost Story
and The Patter of the Spring Rain, all love stories.
Thanks for supporting me.
Always Yours,
Jason W. Chan
***
Synopsis: When 10 year-old aviator enthusiast Lucas meets the spunky rain spirit
Shayley, a journey of mutual friendship begins that restores Lucas’ faith in himself.
Lost in the Clouds is coming-of-age fantasy that will remind you of the magic in
life, bring you back to the innocence and wonder of childhood and make you believe in
dreams again.
Short Story: 4,000 Words
***
Chapter 1
“You can’t be a pilot. You don’t even have perfect vision.”
Lucas sat at the dinner table as his fourteen year-old brother Steve, a gangly,
awkward teenager with acne, pointed out why his dreams were impossible to achieve.
Lucas’ mother, a tall woman with long dark hair, turned to Steve. “Hush now.
You can’t tell your little brother that. He can do anything he wants”
“I’m not little anymore,” Lucas piped up. “I’m ten years old.”
“Not yet,” his father said, a man with glasses and receding hairline. He took a sip
of his water. “Your birthday isn’t until tomorrow. Are you excited about your party”
Lucas nodded. “Sure am.”
His brother Steve still wouldn’t let the matter go. “How can you be a pilot with
those glasses Pilots need to have perfect 20/20 vision.”

Lucas touched the frames of his glasses. It was subject that he had always been
self-conscious about.
His mother shrugged. “So Lucas can always get laser eye surgery.”
“What’s laser eye surgery” asked Lucas.
“You’ll find out when you’re older,” replied his mother, spooning some more
corn onto his plate.
Suddenly, Lucas heard his favorite commercial come on the television set.
His eyes widened as his heart beat harder. “May I please be excused” he asked,
practically jumping out of his seat.
His father frowned. “Yes, but I thought I turned the TV off….”
Lucas leapt out of his seat and dashed into the living room, just in time to hear the
lively music playing and see the image of the Cessna plane gliding majestically in the
sunny sky.
The pilot did a loop-de-loop in the cloudless sky and then dumped a load of water
on a forest that was on fire. Then he landed gracefully and spoke directly to the viewer.
“Sign up at Jer’s Pilot School if you want to save lives.”
A young lady came up to the pilot and kissed him, thanking him.
As he was watching, Lucas imagined himself as that pilot. He wanted to be a hero
and save lives. He wanted to be the one gliding in the night air. He wanted to be the one
the young lady kissed…well, maybe when he was older. For now, he wasn’t thinking
much about girls yet. All he wanted to do was take to the sky and see the world. But he
was too young for flying lessons and besides, they were expensive. His father made a
modest living as a government bureaucrat, but he couldn’t afford flying lessons for his
son.
Outside, it started to pour. Lucas looked out the window. Gigantic raindrops
splashed down as the wind whistled through the tree branches.
In the far distance, thunder rumbled.
His favorite time to fly was night. Lucas imagined himself as a pilot soaring
through the night sky. He started zooming around the room, his arms outstretched like the
wings of a plane.

A flash of lightning illuminated the enormous moon. Then, the sound of thunder
inched closer.
Lucas froze and stared out the window.
His mother’s voice came from behind him. “What are you looking at, honey”
Lucas pointed to the sooty sky.
The rain spilled down, soaking the sidewalks.
Then, thunder banged, resonating throughout the house.
Lucas jumped back, straight into his mother’s arms.
His mother chuckled. “How are you going to be a pilot when you’re scared of
thunder”
Lucas thought about it. She was right. He had to be braver than that.
***
Later that evening, Lucas’ mother was tucking Lucas into bed.
His mother kissed him goodnight and was about to leave when Lucas grabbed her
arm. “Mommy”
His mother turned around. “Yes, honey”
“Is it true what Steve said That I can’t be a pilot because of my eyesight”
His mother chuckled. “That’s ridiculous. You can be anything you want to be.”
He sat up in bed, eyes wide. “For real”
His mother tucked him back in again. “For real.”
She kissed him again and left the room.
Lucas stared out the window. The moon was a bright yellow pie, shrouded by
wisps of clouds.
Thunder rumbled again.
Lucas hid under the covers. His mother was right. He had to get over his fear of
thunder. It was just a loud sound.
There was nothing scary about thunder, he tried to convince himself. No, nothing
at all.
He pulled his blanket with a picture of an airplane on it closer to him. His father
had given it to him as a gift a year earlier. It first sparked his interest in aviation.

But how could I be a pilot now He wondered. I wear glasses and I’m scared of
thunder.
I wish I could be a pilot, he thought.
He kept stroking the blanket and pretty soon, he must have fallen asleep, because
the next thing he knew, he was not in his room anymore.
He was lying on something soft and fluffy. The chilly wind brushed past him.
He sat up. In front of him, a fluffy white cloud was grinning at him. “Lucas!
You’re here.”
He had a funny voice, kind of like Mickey Mouse’s. His eyes were big and dark.
Lucas rubbed his eyes. “Where am I”
A dark empty vastness surrounded him.
The cloud merely smiled. “You’re in the clouds. I’m Stratus the Cloud. Take me
for a ride. You know you want to.”
***
Chapter 2
“Why am I up here” Lucas asked. He stared at the cloud. It was the size of a
refrigerator.
“Someone must have heard your wish, you lucky little boy. You want to be a
pilot”
Lucas nodded. “More than anything.”
“Why”
“Because I want to be a big boy, like that man in the commercial. He gets to fly
all over the place and explore.”
He glanced around. “It sure is dark up here.”
The cloud floated closer, so that Lucas could easily step into it.
“Who cares why” Stratus said. “Someone liked you enough to get you up here.
Now come for a ride.”
Lucas knew he shouldn’t trust strangers, yet Stratus the Cloud seemed totally
harmless.
At first, he was apprehensive. He had never really flown anything before. This
was going to be his first time.

Lucas climbed into the cloud transport, holding onto a solid steering wheel made
out of fluffy cloud vapor.
“Ready” Stratus asked.
Lucas was hardly able to contain his excitement. “Let’s go!”
And away they went.
Lucas rushed through the clouds, the wind whooshing through his hair. They
zoomed above and below the clouds. When they were above the clouds, Lucas could see
a vast emptiness. When they were below the clouds, Lucas saw a different view. Houses,
rivers, sparkling lights, forests, mountains, oceans – all of it seemed so beautiful.
His heart pounding, Lucas lost himself in the delightful ride.
As they were flying, the cloud transport said, “See You can fly even wearing
glasses.”
Adjusting his glasses, Lucas smiled. He was right.
I could do this, he thought. I can be a pilot one day.
After a while, the cloud stopped. They were hovering somewhere above the
clouds.
“Why are we stopping” asked Lucas.
The cloud trembled as it spoke. “A storm is coming.”
And so it was.
Dark clouds were gathering not far from them. The air was even colder than
usual.
“We should escape while we can,” whispered Stratus.
“Alright,” murmured Lucas. “Let’s go.”
They were about to take off when Lucas noticed a young girl with blue hair
floating around the gathering storm clouds.
Lightning flashed and thunder rumbled.
Lucas felt his stomach churn.
She looked over at them with a forlorn expression on her pretty face.
Lucas gripped tighter onto the steering wheel. “We can’t leave her here.”
Stratus shrugged, which shook the entire transport. “You’re the boss.”
They glided over there and Lucas gestured to the girl. “Come on. Get in!”

The girl climbed into the transport. “Thanks.” She looked at the impending storm,
her eyes filled with fear.
After scooting over to make room, Lucas gazed at the girl. She was beautiful. She
had an angular face with dark eyes. Her blue hair flew in the wind.
Stratus took them farther and farther away from the whirlpool of clouds.
“I’m Lucas,” said the little boy. “And this is my new plane, Stratus.”
“I’m not a plane,” said the cloud transport irritably.
The girl smiled. “I’m Shayley.”
“What are you doing up here, Shayley” asked Lucas, the wind rushing into his
face.
“I’m a rain spirit,” replied Shayley. “It’s my turn to drop down to the Earth, but
I’m not ready.”
In the distance, thunder crashed and both Shayley and Lucas jumped.
Lucas’ eyes grew wide. “You’re afraid of thunder too”
Shayley smacked her pink lips and nodded. “When there’s a storm, the air gets
cold and lightning and thunder soon follow. That’s how I know it’s time for me to drop
down, but I’m just not ready.”
Stratus slowed down and Lucas examined the rain spirit. She was certainly pretty,
albeit a tad shaken up.
Lucas asked, “Why aren’t you ready”
“Because,” she answered indignantly. “I have so much to see up here before I
drop down to the Earth.”
“Like what” asked Lucas.
“Well…uh….”she stammered.
“The Earth is beautiful,” said Lucas. “There are mountains and rivers and lakes
and oceans and lights. It’s so beautiful you’ll lose yourself in it”
“Really” asked Shayley. She looked convinced.
“Yes, for sure. And I get to see all that from the skies, when I become a pilot.”
“You want to be a pilot That’s so cool.”
“Sure is.” Lucas thrust his chest out. “Except….”
“Except what”

“Except I’m scared of thunder and pilots can’t be scared of anything.”
Shayley’s face grew sad. “That’s too bad. My mother told me that we’re all here
to fulfill our destinies. If it’s your destiny to become a pilot, then you’ll do anything it
takes to succeed.”
Lucas digested that information. She was right, of course. And he knew that it
was his destiny to become a pilot.
“Dream big,” said Shayley. “Don’t listen to people who tell you no.”
“Thanks,” he said, feeling better about his dreams. “What’s your destiny”
Shayley sighed. “I guess it’s to fall down to the Earth as a rain drop.”
“What are you waiting for”
Shayley glanced at the gigantic, smiling moon.
“I don’t know,” she said. “It’s my first time. And it’s scary.”
“I know how that feels. This is my first time flying. It feels great.”
Shayley looked unconvinced.
Lucas patted her shoulder gently. “If it’s your destiny, then shouldn’t you look
forward to it, no matter what obstacles are in the way That’s what you taught me.”
“I guess you’re right. If I didn’t follow my own advice, that would make me a
hypocrite, right”
“What’s a hypocrite” asked Lucas.
“Never mind.”
For a minute, they rode in silence.
The view remained unchanged, except for when they passed a spot in the night
sky where thousands of stars were glittering gently.
“That’s beautiful,” whispered Shayley, afraid to disturb the silence.
“Yeah,” agreed Lucas.
The glowing stars were moving, rearranging themselves so that they were spelling
out a message.
The message read Believe in yourself.
The note flashed for a few seconds, and then disappeared completely.
Lucas felt his mood uplifted. So what if he was afraid of thunder He had to
believe that he could conquer it.

He looked over at Shayley, who looked deep in thought.
Pretty soon, lightning lit the sky again. Thunder growled not too far away.
Lucas tapped Stratus on the head. “Let’s go! Faster!”
Dark storm clouds were heading their way, chasing them.
Shayley looked behind them and let out a piercing scream. Stratus sped up. They
were now zipping through the air like a peregrine falcon.
The sooty storm clouds soon took on human faces complete with pairs of glowing
red eyes.
“You can’t get away from us!” the ringleader, a big, puffy gray cloud, shouted at
the three of them.
The temperature plummeted, becoming icy cold.
Lucas could see his breath as he exhaled.
He tapped Stratus on the head. “Faster, Stratus, faster!”
“I’m going as fast as I can!” Stratus replied, his voice echoing in the empty void.
The storm clouds were catching up. No matter how fast Stratus went, the storm
clouds inched closer and closer.
Shayley looked at Lucas with tears in her big eyes. “Maybe I shouldn’t fight it.
Maybe I am ready. Maybe it’s time to go.”
Lucas nodded. “Goodbye, Shayley. It’s going to be fine. I promise.” Of course, he
had no way of knowing that it was going to be fine, but he wanted to assure her
nonetheless.
Shayley reached in for a hug. Lucas felt her cold body on his.
She was transforming before his very eyes.
Shayley the rain spirit was turning transparent. She was also ballooning up.
Lucas grabbed onto her hand, but she was soon plucked into the air, joining the
storm clouds.
The wind howled and battered the dark clouds. Lighting flashed, illuminating the
process.
Other transparent rain spirits were joining Shayley.
They were all moving around in a circle, surrounding the dark storm clouds.
Thunder roared.

Lucas stood his ground. He did not look to Stratus for comfort. He was facing his
fear. Shayley had taught him that.
Thunder roared again, but Lucas didn’t bat an eye.
He was too distracted by Shayley, who was now barely recognizable as she joined
the other transparent rain spirits.
“You were right,” shouted Shayley, amid the howl of the wind. “This isn’t so bad.
Bye Lucas!”
Lucas watched as Shayley and the other rain spirits plummeted to the Earth.
He waved goodbye to Shayley.
***
Chapter 3
When Lucas woke up, he was amazed to see that he was in bed. He looked
around: Stratus the friendly cloud transport was gone and Shayley’s screams had stopped.
She was nowhere to be found.
Lucas wondered whether it had been a dream.
He felt water running down his face, splashing onto his chest.
He remembered the storm that had taken Shayley.
That was how he knew it wasn’t a dream.
***
That following evening, Lucas’ family gathered around the dinner table and sang
happy birthday to him.
“Now, close your eyes and make a wish,” his mother said.
Lucas was debating between two wishes. On one hand, he wanted to wish that he
would become a successful pilot. On the other, he wanted to wish that Shayley would be
OK.
“Hurry up,” his brother complained.
Lucas closed his eyes and did nothing. After a while, he wished that Shayley
would be OK.
Everyone applauded and Lucas’ mother gave him a box wrapped with a red
ribbon.
“Go on,” his mother urged. “Open it.”

Lucas looked at it with a sense of wonder. He wondered what it could be.
When he unwrapped it, he found that it was a toy airplane.
He smiled, his face lighting up. “Thanks, mom.”
His mother put a hand on his shoulders. “You can be anything you want to be.
Don’t you ever let anyone tell you otherwise.”
Lucas nodded. He was unable to stop smiling.
Outside, thunder rumbled. Soon, it began to rain.
Lucas rushed out of the kitchen and into the living room.
“Lucas, where are you going” his father asked. “We haven’t had cake yet.”
Lucas pressed his nose against the cold window glass and watched.
Where’s Shayley He wondered. I hope she’s OK.
Soon, the rain came down in torrents.
Quickly, he scanned the area: the houses across the street, the giant cherry tree in
his front yard, the mailboxes of each residence. But he knew it was hopeless. There were
so many raindrops. How could he possibly see Shayley
He began to cry.
He felt a hand on his shoulders.
He turned around to see his mother looking at him with concern in her wide eyes.
“What’s the matter, honey It’s your birthday. It’s supposed to be a happy time.”
“I’ve lost a friend,” he said. “She’s this little rain spirit that was supposed to fall
from the sky the next storm.”
His mother gave him a confused look. “Who’s this friend You’ve never told me
about her.”
Lucas continued to sob.
His mother whispered in his ear, “Alright, let’s say it is a rain drop. It’s OK
because she’s OK.”
Lucas stopped weeping and looked up at his mother. “What do you mean”
“Didn’t your teacher teach you about the water cycle in school”
Lucas shook his head.

His mother said, “It’s all part of this cycle. Rain falls down from the sky, only to
go back up as water vapor. It’s called condensation. Then, it falls down again. It’s called
precipitation. This cycle continues on forever.”
Lucas’ bright eyes lit up. “Are you sure”
“Of course, honey. It’s always been that way.”
Lucas wiped his tears and smiled, staring out the window. Somewhere out there,
Shayley was raining down, but she would go up again. She was going to be fine.
Lucas hugged his mother tight and his mother hugged him tight too.
Outside, the rain continued to spill down rhythmically, but Lucas didn’t care
anymore. Shayley was going to be alright.
***
Epilogue
Fifteen years later…
Dressed in his official pilot’s uniform, Lucas sat comfortably in the pilot’s seat in
the cockpit as he flew a big commercial jet nonstop from New York to Paris. He glanced
out the window. The water below him glittered in the sunlight.
His co-pilot Jay was making himself a cup of coffee.
Lucas was stroking a piece of his blanket with an airplane image in one hand. He
glanced at the headboard. His model toy airplane was bobbing up and down.
Jay took a sip of his coffee and smiled. “Still holding onto childhood memories,
huh”
“Yeah,” Lucas replied. “I’ve had both for fifteen years.”
Jay put down his steaming cup of coffee. “Did you ever think we’d have this I
mean, I wanted to be a pilot since I was fifteen.”
“Yeah me too. Since I was ten. I never thought I could though.”
“Why not”
“A lot of reasons. But this girl made me believe again.”
“Always a chick, huh”
Lucas remained silent, deep in thought.

He scanned the horizon, hoping to catch a glimpse of the rain spirit Shayley. He
wondered how she was. He wondered if she’d gone through the water cycle again, like
his mother had told him.
Jay interrupted his thoughts. “So what happened Why didn’t you believe”
Lucas remained silent.
Finally, he spoke up again.
“My brother said that they don’t allow people with glasses to be pilots and I was
wearing glasses back then.”
“So what did you do”
Lucas turned to his co-pilot, a mischievous glint in his eyes.
“I got laser eye surgery,” he said with a grin.
Jay chuckled.
Lucas returned to navigating.
At 20,000 feet above the ground, Lucas could feel when they were about to face
turbulence. Dark gray storm clouds were beginning to gather around the plane.
Thunder rumbled close by. Lucas barely even winced. He had long since gotten
over his fear of thunder. Shayley had helped him do that.
Soon, tiny raindrops were sprinkling against the windshield.
Lucas raised an eyebrow, taking a closer look at the windshield.
“What’s wrong” Jay asked, but Lucas did not reply.
He wasn’t sure, but for just a moment, he thought he saw a raindrop with
Shayley’s blue hair splashing against the windshield.
It smiled at him briefly and then was gone.
In a while, the rain disappeared and the sun came out, shining a gentle rainbow on
the very spot that Shayley had been.
***
A Message from the Author
I hope you have enjoyed reading Lost in the Clouds.
I have a few tiny favors to ask of you:
1. Please post the link to this ebook on your facebook and twitter and other social
media networks.

If you liked this story, please write a review for it, on whichever site you found it.
This last part is the most important: please recommend it to as many friends as
possible. Thank you for helping me spread the word.
Please email me if you have any feedback: jasonwchan@hotmail.com
Visit my blog where I have in-depth discussions about some of my favorite love
stories: www.jasonwchan.blogspot.com
If you liked this story, check out my Amazon author page:
http://www.amazon.com/Jason-W.-Chan/e/B004OMMIMS/ref=sr_tc_ep
qid=1324187501
There, you can find many more of my ebooks. If you liked this novel, I would
recommend Hiding In His Dreams, Meet Me at Taylor Park, A Romantic Ghost Story and
The Patter of the Spring Rain, all love stories.
Thanks for supporting me.
Always Yours,
Jason W. Chan