My Book Of Everything Else.

The Story of a Water Droplet

   I knew I had to get out of there. There was no way I could stay in Lake Morgan forever, right? All of us have to move around sometime. It's just our life.

I really wanted to get out, to feel attached to someone. To have a friend. A friend is something I have never had. And if I stay here like this, a friend is something I never will have.

Sighing, I felt myself sink to the bottom of the lake. That's what always happens when I think of these things. Typical.

'But something else is happening,' I thought excitedly. I felt myself sinking into the dirty sands of the soft-bottomed lake, sinking deeper and deeper until I stopped. 'I have heard the other droplets talk about this. They call it 'groundwater'' I remembered, thinking about my non-existent friends again. Even then, I felt myself sinking lower still.

I barely had any contact with any of the other water droplets, as they slipped in and out of view behind rock and sand particles. But really, it was just another day in the life of me. Lonely, still alone.

I got used to it quickly. It wasn't that hard, really. Hiding from the other droplets behind rocks, never speaking to anyone. The hardest thing was the amount I had time to think. I thought about my non-existent friends. I thought about how I would probably be under the ground for a really long time, just like I was in Lake Morgan for a really long time. I even went as deep to think about our existence. I had just realized that I would probably be here forever when I felt a sort of an upwards pull. Up, up, up I went until I met the other water droplets. We kept moving upwards until we met open, fresh air.

We all sprung out of the ground at the same time, in a small spring. I knew where we were headed. A river.

The Forge River was a pretty one. The water was clear, the fish were healthy, the banks were clean. I almost felt as if I was polluting it with my thoughts. "What a horrible thought, I said to myself.

Everyone around me was talking. To each other. No remarks, no words, no sentences were directed towards me.

Except one.

"Hello!" The voice said, loud and clear, from right next to me. I looked up in surprise. "Um, were you talking to me, or......" I said, quite awkwardly. I realized that I had never carried on an actual conversation with another droplet. It was kind of an embarrassing thought.

"Yeah I was talking to you! How are you doing today?"

"Good, I guess. I just came out of the groundwater. How about you?" I said, a little more confident.

"I'm doing great. What's your name? Mine's Jasmine."

"Well, um, about that.... I don't really have a name. I've never really needed one.... No one has really ever talked to me...." 'Well, such a good way to continue a conversation. She will think I'm some friendless freak now' I thought bitterly.

'But maybe that's what you are.'

"Ooooooooh." She said. "Awesome! Now I get to help you pick out a name! This will be fun!" Jasmine said, sounding delighted.

I stared at her.

"Hmmmmmm. Maybe Julia? Actually, no. How about.... Lavender? No, that's not right either. Oooooooh, I got it! Rose!"

"U-um sure." I stammered.

I think I just found my first friend.

"Hey, Rose, do you feel it? I think we are...... Oh my gosh! We are evaporating! Hold on tight...." Her voice trickled off as we seemed to melt into the sky, hugging each other tight.

As friends.

The clouds were darkening by the minute. We could all tell that we would soon fall and pitter-patter into the ocean. Jasmine and I talked about nothing in particular, ranting on from random thoughts. It felt nice, to have a friend.

We could all tell as soon as the rain started. We could hear the first droplets falling. Now, I had a sudden wonder to know all their names, to hear their stories.

Me and Jasmine held on tight to each other once more as we quickly fell through the tropical air, streaking towards the ocean like miniature comets. We pelted down, blasting into the water's surface, still together.

Our time in the salty ocean was short. With the tropical heat, we evaporated really quickly, still holding onto each other.

Then the cycle repeated again. We condensed in the clouds and fell back to the ocean. Then we moved up to the clouds again, but this time we found ourselves over Lake Morgan. We fell, fell, fell, hitting the surface of the lake. It was just as I remembered, but this time I had a friend-Jasmine. We stayed there for a long time. Many days later, it happened.

I heard Jasmine scream my name. "Rose, hold on!" She yelled, desperately. But I felt it. She was moving upwards, and I was sinking into the sand. I was groundwater again.

And Jasmine evaporated into the clouds.

And right then, I knew I would never see her again.