Wiping away tiny droplets of water cascading down the glass, Amy slowly peeked out into the world. She saw the storm, raging on with its booming thunder and sharp lightening, and wished that she could be out there, dancing in the pounding water as it fell to the ground like a waterfall. All she wanted was the cool liquid touching her skin, beating against the pale white.

She sniffled, and turned her dark eyes away from the window. Her legs curled underneath her, she could just begin to feel the prickling sensation when they were about to fall asleep. Lighted candles glowed in the corner, giving the room a cozy feeling. Crimson drapes hung heavy from the grand window at the front of her bedroom. Her bed was made, the same color as the curtains, with large plush pillows and fluffy quilts.

Her mother had left some tea and cookies near the door on her end table, but she couldn’t bear to eat them. She had so much, a beautiful home, a wonderful family, a lovely boyfriend. Frank was amazing, that boy of hers, he would sweep her off her feet every day and bring flowers just for the fun of it. Even though she had all that, she craved the thrashing water.

Most everyone where she lived despised the rain. It never stopped. Day after day the water would fall from the sky, with people huddled in their houses praying that tomorrow the sun would shine. All the lakes were flooded, pooling onto the drenched roads that barely ever felt the rough rubber against them. Some people remembered when it was sunny, birds would sing and people would run about the parks. That’s all anyone wanted again.

Amy didn’t though. She vaguely remembered the light shining from the heavens, adding a glow to everything it touched. The brightness had never been that great to her, and she never understood what everyone liked so much about it. She loved the rain. The way it would beat against the rooftops, patter against the windows, splash with all its brothers and sisters in the pond.

Lightly, she put her fingertips to the cold glass. She could almost feel the pulsation of the water through the thickness. All she wanted was to be out in the rain, twirling in her little pink dress and getting chilled to the bone, but alas, she was wrapped in robes and warm in that crimson room of hers.

The door creaked behind her, and she turned to see Frank. He was soaked, with a goofy smirk crossing his lips when he saw the brightness behind her eyes. “Darling,” he crooned, almost floating to where she sat, “I have good news.” He took her hand and kissed it, leaving a little pool behind.

“Yes?” she pleaded, uncurling her legs and standing beside him. She ran her hand down his sleeve, water dripping onto the blood red carpet.

“You can leave,” he sang, grabbing her by the waist and twirling her around, “Your mother just informed me of the news. The doctors have made their consents, you can leave!” She was being chilled from the leftover liquid on his coat, and she loved every minute of it.

When he set her down, she ran to her slippers and put them on. “Come on now,” she said, heading towards the large oak doors, “Let’s go!” He stopped and furrowed his brow anxiously.

“Are you sure you want to go right now?” he asked, walking up to her, “It’s dark and there’s lightning.”

“Of course I am!” she yelled, grabbing the umbrella near the door, “I don’t have to be afraid of the cold any longer. I can finally feel the rain on my body, the silky smooth water running down my face. That’s all I want Frank, is to feel the water.”

He still looked concerned. He was one of the first people to notice her aversion to the cold when it first started to rain. She would start to shiver next to fires, sweat in the frigid air. For some reason, her body seemed to react badly to the cold weather. She had been told by many a doctor to stay away, and it was so hard on her, but she had done it.

Finally, the illness seemed to go away. After years of yearning, one doctor, by the name of Matthews, said that the tests came back negative. Her body no longer needed to be away from the cold. It was a mystery what had changed it, and no one wanted to question why it had happened, they just wanted Amy to be happy.

That is why he didn’t resist her begging

Sprinting down the stairs, Amy reached the front doors and swung them open with a heavy thud. She spun into the storm, laughing and grinning and dancing about. The umbrella swung unopened by her side, dancing right along with her. Frank stood at the empty doorway, his body silhouetted by the light behind him.

But as he beamed at her, a radiant electric shock rushed down from the sky and hit the closed umbrella. The lightning skipped up the metal rod, right into Amy’s grasping hand. Her arm quivered, making way for her entire body to begin pulsating as she fell to the ground. Frank was frozen in shock, only distantly hearing the loud clap of thunder sounding.

Amy still trembled, her feet tucked under her crumpled body. The umbrella lay dead beside her, steaming as the cold water hit the burning metal. Frank turned away from the horrific scene, not being able to see his lovely Amy in such a state any longer.

He grabbed the doorknob, pulling it towards him until the doors shut loudly behind him. He walked onto the grass, his brick-like feet pounding into the ground. He could smell smoke, and a putrid scent that could only be burning flesh. His hand was on fire as he held the scolding pole, the hurricane around him easing its power.

Slowly, the rain began to clear and soon stopped falling all together. He held the now cold pole in his fiery hands, salty teardrops running down his face, one of them falling smoothly onto her blackened hand.