Alyssion reached her hand out and tried to hold onto the rain. She didn't want it to leave. She wanted it to rain forever. Rain was different. It was always changing. It was here one minute and gone the next.
It's almost... magical.
No one in the city believed in magic. It wasn't explainable, or common. And everything had to be explainable.
"Comrades are reminded that RAIN is a natural occurrence and does not require any sort of emotional reaction. It also does not excuse absence from work."
Alyssion stepped out into the street. The rain splashed across her face and ran like tears down her cheeks. She looked up into it, her eyes closed, and let it run across her face.
"Comrades are reminded that BEHAVIOR POLICE is a natural occurrence and does not require any sort of emotional reaction."
Alyssion looked up, her eyes scanning the streets. The people underneath their mushroom umbrellas moved faster, ducking into buildings and alleys, to avoid the coming policemen. Alyssion knew that soon the police's big gray boots would be clomping up the street to strike down anyone who dared stand apart from the crowd.
Alyssion didn't run from them. She walked. Briskly, she walked, like everyone else. But Alyssion wasn't hidden under a black umbrella.
"Comrades are reminded that BEHAVIOR POLICE is a natural occurrence and does not require any sort of emotional reaction."
She heard the stomping on the street. It boomed in her ears like a thousand drums, but she didn't turn around. She could feel the eyes of the Police on her back, but as long as she did what everyone else did, she was safe.
"Psst!"
Alyssion didn't stop; she couldn't. No one else was stopping.
"Psst! Alyssion! Over here!"
Alyssion looked in the direction of the voice in astonishment. No one had ever used her name before. Even her coworkers called her by her call number. Rain ran into Alyssion's eyes, and she squinted to see a lone figure huddled in a dark alleyway. He beckoned for her.
