The crack of thunder. Low rumbling. Purple grey skies, and it was raining. Not the kind that hurt or splashed into your eyes, but a steady thin stream from everywhere as if to be cleansed.

The girl walking through the forest cast her face to the sky. Listening to the quiet thunder. Distant rumbling. The sound vibrated through her and she stopped to look at her hands. Outstretched to the sky where raindrops fell and cascaded gently down her palms around her wrists swirling down the curve of her arm until it got lost.

It had been so long since she had felt rain. Felt water. In the dry uplands, distant dusty mountains. Rocks, mineral, gravel rolling underfoot, were her friends. But down here in the forest. Deep within the dark green lush branches reaching closer and closer to her, to each other and creating a kind of ceiling. 

She quickly stepped along the path. Careful footing. No slipping. She moved with speed, but every moment she was treasuring in her mind. As she went sround the bend, she saw it.

A beautiful pool of water. Still except for the plunks of raindrops punctuating its surface. With one look, she ran up to it and jumped in all at once. In one go. Sinking down beneath the water’s edge. Bubbles and bubbles surrounding her like a garment. She exhaled and one by one, the big ones trickled from her nose up to the top.

Then, pushing herself up to the surface as she chased them and up out of the water back to the rain.

She kicked her feet up.

She closed her eyes.

She floated on the surface.

For quite sometime.

As the raindrops slowed.

As they dropped upon her eyelids.

As the water let her rest.