A sound resounded in her ears as she closed her eyes. She sat alone in the small room, waiting for nothing and everything. She had been alone for so long that she was accustomed to the solitude it afforded her. Her brow furrowed slightly as the noise reverberated in her ear canal. It was an unfamiliar sound. It was like a crash but quite different all in the same breath. She let out a steady breath and made to open her eyes when the sound fell upon her sensitive hearing once more. It sent shivers down her spine as she let it shake her very foundation. This time her eyes shot open with the sound. They took in the pitch blackness of the room around her. Even in day the room was filled by darkness, the darkness of her own gaze. She had find out where this noise was coming from and what it meant. She was not used to her solitude being disrupted.
Slowly she stood on shaking legs in search of the way out. She reached her hands out to find the wall before her. It was her guide to the outside world. Without it she was lost, sent spiraling out of control within her mind. Her fingertips collided with the solid surface and her heart slowed its beating. She had found her comfort. She let her fingers guide in the direction of the outside world. One hand finally made it to the doorway. There was no door there. No one ever came to her.
With tentative steps she crossed the threshold out of the room that she had known for so long as her sanctuary. She felt something chilling spread over her and she stopped moving. This sensation too was unfamiliar and it made her anxious. But she must find out what the crashing noise was. It drove her to keep moving, farther and farther away from the small room to her back. Her hands continued to guide her with unknown sight towards the final exit into the outside world. She reached the doorway and felt the rough wood barring her exit.
Her heart fluttered in panic as she fumbled with the doorknob. The contraption felt foreign beneath her sensitive fingertips. Finally she managed to release the lock and the door squeaked open. The crashing sound was much louder from this vantage point and despite her curiosity she almost retreated back to the safety of her room. Just as she was about to turn away another sound caught her attention. It was a plopping reverberation at her feet. Her bare toes felt the wetness. This new feeling overrode the curiosity to know the crashing noise. Whatever this feeling was overpowered her senses.
She stepped over the final threshold and was surrounded by the plopping wetness. Droplets clung to the fabric around her body, sending shivers throughout her whole frame. But the cold did not seem to faze her. She took several more steps away from the doorway as she felt the water begin to touch her skin. It felt gentle and soft. Her hands rose to meet her hair and felt it moist from the droplets. A broad smile spread across her lips as she tilted her head upwards to catch the feeling with her eyelashes and cheeks. She wanted to feel every droplet on her skin. Her palms turned upwards, catching drops, cradling them protectively.
As she spun around in tight circles a memory shimmered to the forefront of her mind. This was rain. She had been told long ago what it was but had never felt its affects until this moment. She felt salty tears drifting past her lips to mix with the rain. This was a magical moment, her first rain. She did not cry because she was sad. She wept because of joy. She would know what it was to be caught in a rainstorm; the pure ecstasy of the water covering every inch of you indiscriminately.
She stopped spinning and let her legs collapse beneath her. Her body hit the ground with a soft thud. She didn’t move. She wanted to feel the entire experience with every sense she could. With her head upturned again she opened her mouth and caught several fat droplets on her tongue. She swallowed and couldn’t help but laugh aloud. It was a beautiful experience and it was uniquely hers. No one else could steal this memory.
