Pain, A Short Short Story

Pain. It came at her so suddenly that she didn't have time to brace herself for it. She frowned and clenched her fists at her sides. She wasn't supposed to feel this…this hurt.

She felt suddenly helpless. This couldn't happen, this just couldn't! She thought she'd handled herself pretty well. She'd kept her distance and hadn't committed her heart. She had actually prided herself at being so mature about it. But this, this pain…

It contradicted everything.

Unconsciously, she raised her eyes up once more. They were still there, standing together across the street. Smiling into each other's eyes. Holding each other's hands.

Everything else seemed to blur, or move in slow motion. The street, the cars, the other people. All she could see was the stark reality of them.

Fool, she thought numbly. Stupid idiot.

She wanted to run away, to escape the truth she'd been hiding from for weeks. But her body wouldn't respond and she simply stood there. Frozen. Aching.

How could she have let this happen?

If only she could cry. But it seemed her tears had dried up as well.

A lone thunderclap pierced the evening air. She jumped, and for a moment her eyes left the lovestruck pair across the street to look up at the sky.

A giant raindrop hit her right on the nose.

She gasped in surprise as the rain suddenly poured down in full force. Everyone around her dashed madly about, looking for shelter. She stood stunned, then slowly lifted her hands up, palms cupped, catching the raindrops.

She stared in wonder at the little pool of water in her hands.

Her gaze wandered back to them. They were drenched, and struggling with an umbrella, looking rather… comical.

She began to laugh. She shook the water from her fingers, pushed her hands into her pockets, and smiled gratefully up at the sky.

The pain would go away. She would forget, somehow, and move on. She would not lose herself.

After all, it wasn't often that the heavens cried for her.