A lot of people love rainy days, it's a good excuse to stay inside, curl up with a warm drink and a nice book. Maybe watch a movie or work on a hobby. She use to be like that, but when she was older you could always find her walking around getting muddy and soaked.

Her fascination with the rain began when she was about 7. There was one day when the rain was falling in a steady drizzle. Her mother had dressed her up in a cute froggy raincoat and boots. She hopped around from puddle to puddle, covering every inch of the backyard. She squealed with joy after each and every splash. Of course like any young child she paid no mind to the path she followed, slowly she strayed from her garden toward the back pond.

She almost didn't realize the pond was not a puddle, but the rain dancing on its expansive surface caught her eyes and mesmerized her. She squatted at the water's edge watching the gentle ballet. Each drop that fell onto the surface performed its own part of the dance before disappearing, replaced by a new droplet. However, something else soon caught her attention. Hovering above the pond was a faint silhouette, skitting from place to place as though dancing with the rain drops. The silhouette was unaware of the young girl watching their every move.

"Ahnali!" the loud voice broke the natural silence. It was in that moment that the silhouette finally noticed the child sitting on the shore. She waved her hand vigorously at the silhouette. "Ahnali, what are you doing out here? I've told you to stay in the garden." She stood over the child with an umbrella in hand and a loosely wrapped trench coat covering her body. "Come on dear let's go back. There's a nice warm lunch waiting for us at home. She picked up the child and began to walk back to the house. The girl rested her chin over her mother's shoulder, waving one last time at the silhouette. The silhouette followed them, staying at a safe distance, they seemed curious about the little girl.

Upon reaching the house the mother set the little girl down on the porch "wait here for just a moment sweetie, I'll go grab a towel to dry you off." As her mother disappeared through the door the silhouette approached the porch, slowly reaching out a hand to the little girl. She copied them, her fingers brushed against theirs, it was wet but it was also solid. The silhouette pulled back their hand examining the finger she had touched. "Ahnali, I'm coming back, you better be where I left you." They both looked up at the door and finally she spoke.

"Bye bye, I hope I can see you again!" her smile was warm and hopeful. The silhouette quickly reached out their hand and gently tapped her nose before moving away, leaving behind a single raindrop on the tip of her nose.

"Oh such a good girl!" her mom turned her around and began taking off her rain gear. She wrapped her up in a warm fuzzy towel, "Alright love, let's go eat some tomato soup and grilled cheese." she led her by the hand into the house, closing the door behind them.

After that time Ahnali would watch the rain, trying to see the silhouette again. Sometimes she felt as though they tapped her nose while she was walking down the street or waiting at a bus stop, but she never saw them, not like the first time. Of course time passes quickly and with it her memories of the silhouette began to fade. She stopped looking for them and then completely forgot about them. In the meantime she grew to be kind and smart, she was now about to begin her freshman year in college, and only days away from moving into her new dorm.