"Daddy, daddy, look it's raining!" she cried, tugging on his arm.
Her father looked up and out the window. "It sure is," he said with a smile.
"Let's go run in it!" she begged, looking up at him with pleading eyes.
He laughed as he gently ruffled her hair. "Not me, it's too cold and wet. You can go if you want though," he told her before turning back to the stove.
The girl let out a sigh of disappointment but perked up a moment later as she cried, "I'll go ask, momma!"
She ran to her parent's room and burst through the door, already talking a mile a minute. "Momma, let's go run through the rain!" she said, bouncing up and down.
"Whoa!" her mother said with a smile. "What's up?"
"I said let's go run in the rain," she answered impatiently. "Come on, momma, before it stops!"
"I don't think so, honey. It's been a long day and I'm tired."
The girl's face fell slightly. "Okay," she said reluctantly, walking back to her room.
She flopped onto her bed and watched the rain pouring down. A moment later she sat back up. I'm gonna run through the rain, even if no one else wants too! she thought. Leaping up she ran back through the house, shouting her plan to her father as she passed.
"Have fun," he called after her.
She dashed down the step into the garage and hit the button to open the garage door. She gasped with anticipation as the door slowly went up, unveiling a new world. The wet gravel gleamed dimly in the faint light, puddles dotted the ground here and there with rings of water rippling the surface as the raindrops fell, water dripped softly off the leaves of the surrounding trees. The girl took a deep breath, savoring the smell of the rain. She laughed out loud as she kicked off her shoes and took her first step into the rain. She laughed again then took off running, splashing through the puddles as she did so. Several minutes later, out of breath and soaked through, she stopped and stood, trying to catch her breath. The rain had slackened only slightly and she reveled in the feel of it upon her skin. She raised her face to the sky, closing her eyes as she did and spreading out her arms. She loved the rain, not just because it was a rare occurrence, but because she always felt the rain was cleansing the earth, washing away the dirt and making everything new again.
She smiled as the rain began to fall harder again. She gave a little twirl, then let out a shout of laughter as she began to dance in the rain, spinning, leaping, and whirling about. She didn't care if anyone was watching or what anyone thought. She was pure and innocent, untouched by the world.
Years later, in her early twenties, she once again looked out the window and was delighted to find it raining. Excitement made her a child again and she rushed to beg her parents to run through the rain with her, too self-conscious to go alone. Just as they had those years before, her parents both declined. Dejected, she stood at the window, watching the rain fall on the street in front of the house. A lot had changed over the years. She stood in a different house, in a different city. Time and the world had changed her, hardened her, broken her, and disappointed her. The happy, innocent little girl of the past was gone. It had been years since she had run through the rain or even felt the desire to, but now desire and excitement coursed through her. Something held her back though. What if someone saw her? How embarrassing would that be! Someone like her frolicking through the rain? Anyone would point and laugh or be disgusted! She chewed on her lip, gripped by indecision. She looked down as something cold and wet pressed against the back of her leg. The big brown eyes of her dog looked back up at her. She smiled as she bent down and gently rubbed his head. Her smile widened as a sudden thought occurred to her, she didn't have to go out into the rain alone after all!
She hurried to the front door and pulled it open, stepping out onto the porch as she called for her dog. She laughed as he bounded out, excited to be outside. He dashed into the rain, tail wagging, ears flopping as he ran from rock to bush, bush to tree, taking in all the scents. After making sure there was nothing interesting about he trotted back to the porch stopping just short of it. He cocked his head slightly, looking at her as if to ask why she wasn't playing in the rain too. She gave him a sad smile as she looked out at the rain. Her self-consciousness was telling her to just go back inside, fix a cup of tea, and read a book rather than risk humiliating herself. She didn't see anybody out, but that didn't mean they weren't watching the rain from the windows. As she turned to go back inside, a loud bark sounded behind her. She looked back at her dog. He wagged his tail at her slowly then let out a low whine.
"Oh, fine," she said, throwing her inhibitions aside.
Her dog barked happily as she ran out into the rain, prancing about her. She laughed at his antics as she ran into the street, holding her arms wide open. The rain kept falling as the pair played in the street, chasing each other around and splashing through puddles. After a while the dog walked back to the porch and flopped down, completely worn out.
The young woman remained out in the rain with her face upturned. As she stood there she felt as though the rain was washing away all her insecurities, all the pain and suffering she'd experienced, all the trials she'd struggled through, and making her new again. She felt the years slip away until she was once again a little girl, innocent and full of life and laughter, hopes and dreams. And as the rain began to fall harder, she let the world around her slip away, and she danced.
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