Swinging in the Rain

Ellie had decided long ago that if she had nowhere important to be when it rained, she would go dance. She had fallen in love with rain when she was much younger, staring entranced at the drops on the window as the car drove into the storm. They were pretty little circles, and some she could see herself reflected in. The raindrops would fall ever so slowly downward, gaining momentum and getting larger as they trickled down the window.

When she grew tired of the raindrop races, she would look past her window into the trees rushing by on the highway's edge. The trees always looked so vibrant as they soaked up the water from the sky. Everything seemed to come alive in the rain. She wondered if the universe was trying to tell her something. Maybe, she speculated, the rain is to the trees as blessings from God are to me. She felt like many of those blessings came through the rain. Like on some summer days when she felt like she was melting, God sent her relief through the rain. After those days, Ellie decided to treat the raindrops that fell on her as a sign of God's love for her.

On days when the sky promised rain, she dressed in a long flowy dress – light enough material to spin in it when wet, but a fun print and fashionable style. Ellie had one dress, in particular, she loved to wear; it was dark green and matched her eyes. When she wore the dress, she felt the elegance of a royal elite and the joy of a little girl who believed she was in a fairy tale. It wasn't overly flashy, though, and easily blended into the business casual that her classmates wore. The dress fit her well, as the form-fitting top sported a boat neckline and cap sleeves. The tiered skirt started at her waistline and flowed halfway past her knees – a perfect length for spinning. The dress had pockets, too, a bonus to bump it up even higher on her list. Her long dark hair complemented her outfit as she left it down and flowing every time it was raining. The dress, she believed, was perfect for rainy days.

On one particular day, after the weather forecast had promised rain in the early afternoon, she donned her dress, grabbed her sandals (for she only wore sandals after multiple incidents of uncomfortable soggy socks for long periods), and swung her backpack on her back. She called goodbye to her friends, who told her to bring a rain jacket and at least put on close-toed shoes, advice that she promptly ignored, then headed to her first class.

It began to rain during the last class of the day in the mid-afternoon.

When class wrapped up, she packed up quickly, racing the other students to the door. Most of her classmates congregated just before going outside, donning their rain jackets, opening their umbrellas, and completely zipping up their backpacks. One boy hadn't prepared for the rain and, instead, not wanting to get his hair wet, grabbed a plastic binder to hold over his head. Ellie walked briskly past them all and pushed open the door in anticipation of the rain and wind.

The wind wasn't blowing hard. Instead, it danced around her and gently picked up the ends of her hair. It hadn't been raining very long, but already she could smell the rain. People told her it was just "wet asphalt," and maybe that was what she smelled, but she liked to call it rain. The clouds were dark and heavy with water and covered the whole sky. She couldn't see the tops of the mountains because the clouds were so low. Even though there were still several hours before the sunset, it was as dark as twilight. She heard the gentle lull of the raindrops splattering on the sidewalk and the numerous splashes as her classmates hurried through the puddles.

She meandered slowly over to the bell tower in the middle of the campus. It couldn't have been bigger than six by six feet, with tall arches on each side. She figured it was the best place to set her backpack and stuck it squarely in the middle. She quickly grabbed the clip of her sandals and yanked them to loosen the strap, then slipped them off and put them next to her backpack. Once she was done, she stepped lightly to the middle of the grassy lawn.