Rain

            He stepped under the awning and set down his umbrella. In a few deft movements, he unlocked his door, threw his backpack inward and stepped inside. He sometimes hated having to come home to such a large and empty house every day. His mother was rarely home, which meant he spent most of his time on his own. Most of all, he hated how silent it was in the house. Every small shuffle seemed to thunder throughout the colossal rooms. He cast a look at his backpack and knew right away that his homework was soaked through. It was a small umbrella, after all.

It was November—the rain season was in full swing. Blue headed up to his room without turning on any lights. A new family with a son his age had moved into his neighborhood. For the past week, Blue had become accustomed to seeing him pass by under his window after he walked home from school each day—Blue always seemed to get home right before the other boy did. Today was no different.

Curiosity getting the better of him today, Blue flung open the window as the boy passed by underneath and called down to him. “Hey—hey!” The boy stopped suddenly and looked up, his face slightly obscured by inky black hair.

“Hey…”  Blue hadn’t thought about what he would say. “…well, I’m Blue… Santiago. You just moved into 2302 right? What’s your name?”

The boy stared at Blue expressionlessly, and finally answered, “Black Chang. Pleasure to meet you.” An uncomfortable silence passed as the two eyed each other uncertainly.

“Does it always rain this much?” asked Black finally.

Blue laughed, slightly taken aback by the abrupt question. “It stops eventually.”

2 Now the springs of the deep and the floodgates of the heavens had been closed, and the rain had stopped falling from the sky.

3 The water receded steadily from the earth. At the end of the hundred and fifty days the water had gone down.

-Genesis 8:2-3