FLOATING WITH PENNYWISE

ONE

There's something about the rain that I just love. Well, honestly, I only do love it when I'm inside the house to watch it pour behind the window. But now that I'm thinking about it, it would be nice to dance around in the rain like the old times. I'm moving out today and to the city for school. It's time to be a grown up now, my father said. Time to grow up.

I'm not complaining. It'd be better to live like an adult than to be treated like a child. Once I move out, reality starts for me. But while I'm still here, I might as well take advantage of the situation. 

Fog is beginning to blur my view from the window. It's drizzling outside and it's tempting me to do something I can never do again without being branded as childish. My parents are both at work and I'm left alone. I guess a little walk in the rain wouldn't hurt.

-----

My eyes watch rain water slide immensely down the gutter. My hand is still on the door knob, but finally, I decide to shut it and take a step closer out of the shade of the front porch.

Just for five minutes I can enjoy being a child for the last time.

I finally stepped on the pavement and felt large drops of rain hit every part of my body. I tried to look up at the sky but a raindrop fell right on my eyelids. I laughed at my own stupidity and ran towards the street. I twirled around in the rain once I knew I was the only one there.

The street was empty, inviting me to twirl around even more. I pulled my dress away from me as I turned around. Instead of feeling like a child, I felt so feminine. I felt seductive now as I realized I was drenched in the rain. My bra completely visible under my wet garment. I looked around didn't care. The street was empty anyway.

-----

I stepped a little further away and twirled again. I realized I was in the middle of the empty street. My feet played with the puddle, making a wave at the street. The rain was so hard that it almost flooded the gutter. I twirled again as I enjoyed the splashing sound and sight it made.

As I splashed the puddle with my foot again, I immediately stopped when I heard a quick, sharp scream. I was alarmed, because I thought I was alone. I was fully aware that my dress was drenched. I was just about to run back into my house when I eyed a young boy kneeling down the gutter far from where I stood.

My guts told me to help out the boy. I mean, why would a young boy be out in the storm peeking through the drain in the gutter? Smelled like danger to me.

I groaned as I knew I wouldn't turn a blind eye on it. I suddenly remembered my favorite cousin. I know I wouldn't like it if it was my cousin out in this storm.

I ran to approach the kid, also trying to cover up my top. But when I saw the boy look up at me, I realized he is harmless. I asked him what he was doing, and he just stared at me, as if he's waiting for me. Then I looked down the drain, and there was nothing.

"What are you doing?" I asked again,

He stood up, the rain poured on us both and I could hear the rain pat on the kid's raincoat. It distracted me. He said something but I made him repeat it again,

"You can have the boat..." the kid's voice was trembling. Probably because he was shivering like I was. It was too cold now. Then I realized, what boat?

It was too late. He ran away from me already, leaving me hanging. I groaned, thinking that I just wasted my time and started walking but then I heard somebody whisper, "Psst."

I stopped and turned around to look. The street was empty.

"What the..." I mumbled and turned around again but I heard it again, making me turn around and look. But this time, the voice continued, and it seemed to come from the drain.

I stepped away to get a good look under it and saw nothing. I stared for a while, trying to make out something from the dark in the drain, and was startled when an unfamiliar and strange face appeared, smiling right back at me. It was holding something when it shouted, "Boo!" then snickered. I fell on my ass with a gasp. I couldn't get my eyes off him and realized I was looking back at a clown in the drain.