It begins to rain again, and I am reminded of tears.

The wind was cold during my walk across the dry empty spaces in the campus parking lot as I stared out towards the setting sun as dark clouds begin to gather above me. The leaves danced to the melody of the coming rain as they circled, sped, and fleeted by me, and all the while, I just said to myself, "Oh shit"

I felt for an umbrella or something to shield me from the rain but there was none. I was going to get wet, that was for sure. The leaves on the trees rustled violently as the wind picked up speed, the cold breeze numbed my face upon contact. It was cold and I knew, the rain was going to heavy so, I tucked my hands into my pockets and ran to my car, fumbling for the keys to keep myself from the rain. But as I did, the first drops fell on my hand and I realized that I was not opening the car anymore but instead just standing there, keys in keyhole, not turning. Tears, so many of them. They fell on me like so many nights when I sit alone and wonder why sleep couldn't bring tomorrow any faster.

I would wake and see no light in my room and as I try to sleep again, I cover my head upon blankets hiding from some mysterious monster that knows I exist, lurking somewhere I can't see. I could hear the rain patter against my window, like the tears on my pillow somehow telling me that I was still crying and as I touch my cheek, I find it wet with tears yet never realizing as there is no light in my room. The rain grows stronger and the patters turn into thunderous thuds and I, I bury my head on more pillows and blankets hoping to shut them out and find enough silence to sleep again.

The rain kept pouring and pouring and pouring, I felt like my room might be crushed under the heavy rain and me with it. The wind bashed against my windows, spending a shower of splintered glass flying towards me. They cut me; face, body, arms and legs and I could feel my blood start to trickle like the tears on my face. Then I wake up, only to realize that it was a dream and there I was again, in the dark, unable to sleep.

I was back in the parking lot and everything remained the same. A storm was coming but not yet, raindrops were falling but not as much. I was standing still, nothing new. Finally, I opened my car and climbed in; seatbelts on and cd on the player, the beat of Driver's High beginning to play. I turn it off and instead, listened to the raindrops falling on the front window and even as the engine roared and I begin to drive away, the sound of the rain never stopped. *Pitter-patter-pitter-patter* I drive away as the rain started to cover the earth I was in, consuming everything and I still wonder, when will I wake up?

I then drive home, afraid.