Metamorphosis: About Rain

April showers bring April short stories!

Metamorphosis is a 4 week short story collection between Elora Gunn, Christine Diamond & Myself All our last names are nouns-even if Christine is the only one spelled "properly". Coincidence?....Yeah, it's genuinely a coincidence.

This week's theme is 'About Rain'. It was so fun to see the different ways each of us took this same topic. Mine was the darkest. It's a gift.

Check out Eloa's raegunnwrites.wixsite.com/eloragunn & Christine's christinediamondthewriter7.blogspot.com stories as well. Let us know what you think.

The Salvation of Rain

By Deborah Moore

Aleski walked up a dirt trail in dress shoes, because he would not wear boots. He was the only hiker without proper shoes. Plenty of people seemed to notice as they glanced disapprovingly at his feet. A young girl, around four years old, ran up to him and stared down at his feet.

“How come you’re wearing slippy shoes,” she asked.

“Sorry about that,” her father said as he ushered her along.

“But, he’s wearing church shoes. Why do I have to wear hiking boots,” the girl asked as the pair made their way along the trail.

“That’s probably all he can afford. Leave the old man alone,” her father said in what he probably thought was a quiet voice.

Aleski heard every word. He thought it was funny the way parents rushed in to whisk their children away for asking an “impolite question.” At least the children noticed him. He preferred that over pity, but he let it go.

The truth was that he wouldn’t have been able to answer the girl’s question. If he tried to explain it too simply, then she wouldn’t understand. Children rarely were satisfied with a simple reply that he “just didn’t want to.” He doubted their parents would appreciate the real answer, and so he played the part of the quiet old man whenever he went out. It seemed easier on everyone that way.

A gentle breeze brushed against his face. Aleski stared up at the sky. The grey clouds were still gathering overhead. He suspected a light sprinkle of rain was on its way. It was the whole reason he had decided to go for a walk. He hoped that it could help heal him in a way that time never had been able to.

The older man walked forward, but his thoughts drifted back eighty years ago, when he was a little boy. Most of his memories back then involved being cold or dripping with sweat. Logically he knew that there must have been days when the temperature was moderate. Greece was known for mild weather, but it didn’t change the memories.

War did that. It affected the way everything felt. His father was sent away. Back then he was too young to join the army. No one needed an eleven year old to enlist, but he still had plenty of ways to help. Most of the time he still did his regular chores on the farm, but with gun shots in the distance or airplanes flying overhead. At other times he would check on neighbors or deliver messages. He wanted to do what he could to make his father proud.

His perspective changed that fateful day. It was cold that afternoon when he headed home after giving some onions to a neighbor. There was an explosion. Aleski tried to run, but tripped over a pair of boots. There were feet inside them, but nothing else. The rest of the body had been blown apart. It was hard to take in the scene, but there wasn’t time.

He scrambled away as another explosion erupted. There were so many footprints left in the dirt. Would they come after him? His feet were frozen in place as he continued to stare down at the boots lying on the ground. He knew he needed to run, but couldn’t make himself move.

Then the rain poured down. It dumped down with tremendous force. Aleski watched as it washed away his tracks. Mud and a tinge of blood were picked up in the rain. Despite this, he was grateful. The rain made it possible for him to run home to his terrified, but relieved mother. Nothing was the same after that. It took years before the brutality lifted up.

A bird chirped overhead and brought Aleski back to the present moment. He paused on the trail as he thought back on that frightened little boy. If he had stayed frozen in place, he would have been injured or worse. He was no longer in harm's way, but he was still haunted by the memory of finding that first dead soldier.

Aleski walked around a bend. He caught up with the father and daughter who had passed him earlier. They were huddled by a tree as the young man stared up at the sky.

“I don’t know if the weather will hold up,” the father said to his daughter. He urged her to leave. The girl was reluctant to leave, picking up a few small leaves that had fallen on the path.

“I hope it doesn’t,” Aleski thought. He held onto so many heavy memories. They could use the cleansing power of the rain.

The girl walked past him and reached out to hand him a small flower. It was crushed from her holding it tight. It was beautiful to him. Aleski slipped it in his pocket for safe keeping.

“Thank you,” he said. A small smile crossed his lips as the father and daughter walked away. Then he turned his attention back up to the sky. His heart already felt a bit lighter as the rain drops began to fall.

He might even be able to wear boots again.

Elora made the wonderful image using my words, with the help of Vlad Chetan (Instagram handle @vladchetan.co )

who posted the free shareable image on Pexels.com

Pencil Illustration created by Deborah Moore/the author March 30, 2021