When It Rains

For, she had always loved the rain. The ground was wet. The sky that once shown a beautiful blue horizon was damp and void of color. The droplets falling from the shy echoed in the puddles they left on the ground. It smelled of rain.

    That lovely, wonderful smell. She remembered that day clearly. It was in the morning and it was just her and her father in the second story of a hotel. She looked out the window and it was raining. It was quiet and peaceful; with only the sound of rain to hear.

    Now it was raining once again. This rain was different. It was louder; harder, than before. A tsunami like wave of dark clouds rolled in. She looked around. All of her neighbors were closing the blinds; locking their doors and windows.

    The darkness intrigued her and she slowly opened the front door and walked outside. It was truly lovely. The rain trickled down her face and she smiled, waving her hands in the air. She danced in the rain; splashing in the puddles.

    A small calico kitten jumped out of an overturned trash can. She looked off into the distance and saw a flash of light.

She counted to three before the boom of thunder rang in her ears.

The sound scared the kitten and it ran back into the trash bin. She slowly walked over to it holding out her hand; welcoming it into her arms.

    Another crackle of lightning illuminated the sky and along with it came the sound of thunder. This time she could only count to one.

The lighting was getting closer. She got down on her hands and knees and tried to forcefully grab the kitten.

    She could feel the static. It made the hairs on her arms stand on end.

She leaped and pushed the metal trash can out of the way. Lightning poured down from the sky.

    Her father and all of her neighbors heard it. The scream echoed through the desolate neighborhood.

She laid there lifeless. Her father and all of her neighbors didn't come out, they didn't look out of the windows, they did nothing.

    The kitten came out of the trash can and rubbed its head in her hand.

She didn't move and the kitten walked away. She laid there, staining the street red. She laid there, forever smiling. For, she had always loved the rain.