The sky was dark. In the distance, the ominous clouds rolled over each other as if they were caught in the midst of a battle. There was a vast contrast between the threatening clouds over the horizon and the warm breeze that played with her hair as she stood in the desert and observed. Sara inhaled the sweet breeze and with it, the scent of rain. No matter how many times she breathed in the scent of a thunderstorm, it always hypnotized her. The faint rumble of thunder in the distance caught her attention and she looked up just in time to see a bolt of lightning streak across the sky. She loved the patterns that it created as it branched out, reaching from one corner of the sky to the other. Something about the power and beauty of lightning had always captivated her.
She sat down in the sand and watched the storm roll in for almost an hour. What finally brought her back to reality was the first raindrop of the impending storm. It was warm and refreshing and she welcomed it. As more raindrops continued to fall, she simply sat and maintained her vigil. Within a few minutes, the heavens opened up and she was thoroughly soaked. The rain was warm, and as the storm began to unleash its fury overhead, the gentle breeze shifted and a brisk wind emerged. In the background, the thunder increased in intensity. She was enveloped by the lurid atmosphere that the storm had created. It was as if night had suddenly swallowed up what was left of the day. She could not see the sun, but something else allowed her to see. The flashes of lightning became brighter and more violent as the storm drew dangerously close to the field.
She was mesmerized by the raging splendor of the thunderstorm. It reminded her of how small and finite she was. At any moment, the storm could take her life. But she continued to watch it. Somewhere in the back of her mind she heard her mother's voice reprimanding her for placing herself in the direct path of the storm, but she had grown accustomed to ignoring this voice. Nothing could keep her away from the awe-inspiring beauty that she saw in the combination of the sweet rain, the menacing clouds, the roaring thunder, and the magnificent lightning. She continued to watch as lightning struck the trees that were far and few between. Even if she had wanted to, she could not move now. She was now face to face with the storm.
All hell broke loose as lightning struck the trees that were scattered throughout the desert. One of the trees caught on fire and crashed to the ground. The fire began to spread, but was quickly overcome by the rain that cascaded from the dark clouds overhead. Still, she continued to watch. She knew that the storm would move on as quickly as it had appeared, so she relished every raindrop, every gust of wind, every peal of thunder, and every flash of lightning.
As the storm passed her and continued on in its destructive path, something in the distance caught her eye. She could see someone emerging from the hills in the distance and a smile crossed her face as she recognized him. He always found her here in the desert after a storm. He never told her that she was foolish for placing herself in the middle of an open area during a raging thunderstorm, and she appreciated this very much. It wasn't that he didn't care. In fact, it was just the opposite. He cared for her very much. He respected her and he knew how much she cherished her time in the storms. As he drew closer to her, she noticed that his black t-shirt and jeans were soaked. She always found him to be the most attractive when he was in this condition. It didn't take long for her to realize that he had been watching the storm from safety of the foothills. This brought a new smile to her face because it meant that he was trying to understand her. She arose and ran to him. When she reached him, she enveloped him in a wet embrace. When the rain slowed to a heavy mist, they ended the embrace. He reached for her hand as he silently offered to walk her to her car. Neither one of them spoke as they slowly made their way across the desert. They simply absorbed the silence and the awesome power of the storm that had passed.