Storytime: The swallow (trying to put some C1 vocab into practise, I created such a kind of fiction) Scorching heat escaped the Navias Delta a couple of hours ago, bestowing unbroken sunshine and light wind as a gift for all dwellers of the Bald Banks. The sky was turning gold as the sunset was drawing nearer. A lonely cloud was sleeping in the lofty heavens, motionless in its most idle manner, for it had no aim to flow anywhere else. White butterflies were having the time of their evanescent lives on the sandy shore, soaking up the sunshine, field mice were restlessly running around, hiding cereals into their clandestine storage, a swallow was teaching her offspring how to fly high. The birds were surfing in the air up and down, demonstrating their maneuvers to the sleepy sun. Yet to waken was the cloud and it did not like the birds' jocund play. The only thing it ached for was to forget about the annoying air-divers. Grumbling in hatred it began to swell. The lethargic yellow round noticed the unexpected guest's endeavor, but was too weak to cease its growth. Suddenly, gale-force winds hit, whistling among the trees. It was the cloud which had summoned them. And being doomed to surrender, the winds called it 'the darkness', for it had covered the sky with a nebulous gloomy blanket. The swallow was crying and sobbing in order to alert her kin. In vain! As the winds were picking up, she had no chance to be heard - her chants were muffled by rumbles of thunder. She swooped low to the river, which had burst its banks, spread her wings and soared up into the blackness. It was pouring with driving rain. Although heavy drops were striking the bird, she had no determination, but to defeat the darkness in her last fight. Higher and higher, up to the very zenith, up to the very edge did she fly. Dashing through the cloud, she decided to look back at her shady haunt, catching a glimpse of the familiar trees and brooks to which she had become so attached. It was the last thing she saw, for she was soon covered with dense, suffocating fog. And then the endless clap of thunder blared out, and the blinding flash of lightning struck.