Sunbeams and Thunderstorms (now published so sample only)

Chapter 1 - First Meeting

Chapter 1 - First meeting

Summer Sunshine Rae's birth happened during a massive thunderstorm. The moment her first screams resounded, the rain stopped, and the sun shone bright in the sky. With the sky clearing and the sunshine bright in her hospital room, she received her name.

By the time she was five, a desperate drought was on the land and her family's farm was nothing but dirt and sticks. Her parents worried over the situation, never once seeing their sweet daughter as the problem.

A brief holiday to cheer themselves up showed the secret that their daughter never knew about herself. The moment they left, the rains came strong and welcoming waters spread across the lands providing quenching relief.

They returned home to find crops growing beyond control, dams filled to overflowing and much healthier cattle. They knew none of the rain, only the results, as sunshine beamed back down upon the land.

Her parents puzzled over the odd occurrence for another year. With nothing but blue skies, the strange weather baffled them. When they sent their daughter away to spend time with family a theory grew as once again the rains poured.

With money tight and the family farm nearing foreclosure, her parents gambled on this strange talent of their daughters. For the next ten years, they took their daughter to places that wanted the end to the rain. The sun would shine through the flooding waters and the people would reward the family.

The world labelled her with the name of Sunny Rae. She was a mystery; an enigma that people weren't sure how to treat. The public shunned her as much as they welcomed her and she grew up in a spotlight brighter than the cheery sun. She was never sure whether to be thankful for her obscure talent or not.

Today was her sixteenth birthday and she fit the old rhyme well. Nobody had ever kissed her, let alone touched her but her parents. The general populace carried fear and apprehension whenever she had to work with them. Distrust was something she had learned to live with daily. There was only one bonus today, she now had only two years until she could make her escape.

"Sunny?" she heard her mother's cheerful voice and tried not to cringe.

She focused on the seascape painting in front of her. With a deft hand, she added touches of detail to the bright sky, wishing she could paint the rain. Summer had only ever seen it on television, and she found it hard to envision such an occurrence.

"Sunny, are you listening?" her mother called out again sounding too gleeful.

The second her mother showed happiness, she discerned that her family would come into money soon. For the strange girl with the talent, it only meant more eyes that stare, more curiosity, but also more anxiousness.

"Yes, Mum?" Summer, as she preferred her name, replied in a forced polite tone.

"Did you notice the horrible flood on the news?" her excited tones made Summer's heart sink.

It shouldn't have surprised her that her mother would notice the flood more than her birthday. The general population of the world thought of her family as heroes, and her parent's encouraged the notion. Summer hated that they found reward in others devastation and bad luck. Her parent's behaviour disgusted her and she couldn't wait to escape.

"Oh, that's lovely work, dear." Her mother gushed, but it seemed insincere when she never looked toward the painting.

"Thanks." Summer's sardonic reply fell short on her mother.

"I want you to pack a bag. I'm certain that the call will come through soon."

Summer slumped in defeat when her mother left. She had no control over what she did, or any other aspect of her life. She was still a minor, but living in what she saw as corruption belittled her every day.