Chapter 1

"I love the sound of the rain. The feel. Even the taste. Most people find rain dreary, but when I hear the inviting pit pats on my roof, I know that happiness is right outside of my front door. Rain is my lullaby at night and my comfort in tough times. Rain is more than just weather, rain is my friend. Rain is the splish that lands on your forehead, that tells you "spring is here." Rain is the bouncing of water, but not just the bouncing. Rain is playing. Rain is jumping and leaping excitedly--and sometimes angrily. Rain is spilling onto my skylight right now, soothing me into a zen state of mind. Clearing my problems--diminishing them. Rain is the one that tells me "it's okay, I'm here." When rain is here, and it feels like lightning is striking me even though there is no lightning, rain makes the crack of thunder fade away. Rain makes me dance and sing and cry and every other possible thing I could do. Rain makes me contemplate, rain makes me romantic, rain makes me smile. Pit pat. The rain taps steadily on the skylight, slowly growing faster and faster. The sound evolving from a distant pitter patter to loud footsteps, now distinctly banging over and over, faster and faster, quicker and quicker. The rain is not just any of those things. The rain is me, and I am the rain."