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Kissing
Rayne
Voice
sweet
rasping
against
the
clouds,
she
says,
“Watch
boy.
Watch.
You
ever
seen
rain?” That
smile
of
Rayne’s
coming
on
like
a
thunderstorm.
Big
and
quiet.
Creeping
in
like
a
soft
breeze.
And
then
the
crescendo
that
stretches
out
and
hauls
you
screaming
and
kicking
into
the
middle
of
it
all. “So
beautiful
and
amazing.
It’ll
break
your
heart.” She
runs
down
the
street,
laughing
through
the
thunder.
People
hurl
themselves,
frustrated
and
angry
into
ornate
doorways
and
screeching,
spitting
taxis.
She
turns
back
toward
me,
running
full
out.
Arms
flung
wide
open,
dark
hair
whipping
in
the
wind,
amber
almond
eyes
shining
with
excitement.
The
air
sparks
around
her
tiny
body,
charged.
Leaps
into
me
through
the
emptied
street. Lips
collide
and
everything
stops.
Just
stops
like
it
was
all
turned
off.
People
frozen
in
place,
tires
halted
in
midspin.
The
entire
city
on
pause.
She
tastes
like
beauty
and
confusion
and
desperate
grace. The
light.
A
timid,
faltering
thread
of
sunshine
that
managed
to
break
through
the
heavy
bloated
sky
becomes
a
wavering
backlight.
Shimmering
everything.
It
all
shivers
with
potential. And
the
rain.
God,
the
rain.
Rayne’s
rain. Silence.
Drops
hang
suspended.
Rainblossoms.
A
million
thousand
starred
constellation
in
the
shifting
light.
I
raise
a
finger.
Touch
one.
Smooth,
like
liquid
silver.
Mercury
stroking
my
skin.
It
bursts
into
golden
diamond
dust.
Pixilated
mica
snowflakes. Sound.
A
note.
A
bell
layered
over
a
voice.
Single,
sustained
syllable.
I
tap
three
in
rapid
succession.
Angel
speech.
Clear
lyric
in
a
language
I
can
feel
kissing
the
edge
of
awareness
without
slipping
through
into
comprehension.
Just
out
of
reach. Rayne
looks
over
and
grins
and
grins
to
swallow
up
the
whole
world.
This
is
her
place,
her
time.
This
is
her
allowing
me
in.
She
winks,
holding
a
finger
to
her
lips
to
hush
my
questions.
She
spins
with
arms
thrown
wide.
Tight
arc,
controlled.
Just
barely.
Fast
out
past
wild
'til
the
music
speaks.
Glitterstars
trail
out
from
her
fingertips.
Out
over
everything.
Sparkles
glisten
on
her
skin
and
in
her
hair.
Angel
voices
sing
a
mad
wild
song
out
into
the
moment.
Frozen
and
eternal.
A
lifetime
in
an
instant. The
music
spills
into
me.
Pulling
and
caressing
until
I
am
seduced
completely.
I
spin,
heart
races.
Feet
pound
out
a
rhythm
that
build
and
builds.
A
deafening
crescendo
and
I
can’t
stop.
We
lock
hands
and
scream
and
laugh
and
weep.
Faster
and
faster
til
the
ground
loses
us,
concrete
tumbling
away
in
a
tempest
of
iridescence.
Sky
burns
and
I
smell
heaven
just
the
other
side
of
her
lips.
Clouds
part
and
we
are
everywhere
and
everything
and
it
can’t
stop
and
I
lose
it.
Slip
slide
past
myself
and
down
into
her
where
it
is
all
shiny
and
bright
and
beautiful
fluorescent
oblivion. Thunder
roars
through
me
and
the
rain
falls.
The
sun
hides
behind
the
roiling
clouds.
City
noises
swallow
the
last
ringing
echo
of
the
music.
Rayne
spins
and
spins
and
laughs
calling
my
name.
Her
dance
throws
water
into
the
hiding
places,
calling
out
curses.
Face
upturned
all
teeth
and
long
lashes
and
beautiful
wildness.
Her
hair
and
skin
still
sparkle. I know I won’t ever forget kissing Rayne. |
I
want
to
know