The Woman in the Rain

It really looks like it could rain

She’s running through the trees

Her dress is flowing in the wind

And catching at her knees

The clouds, so dark and heavy

The air, so fast and thick

The young girl just kept running

Like she had some fight to pick

At one point, she was sprinting

And tripped over a rock

I thought she’d maybe stop at this

But she got back up and walked

Eventually, it started to rain

But something wasn’t right

The woman just continued to run

With what seemed like all her might

The rain it hit her face with anger

Begging her to stop

The woman didn’t care at all

As if she didn’t feel a drop

The thunder didn’t scare her,

Though it was yelling in her ear

She simply kept on sprinting

Like a small and frantic deer

Then, the lighting fired down

In angry, white-hot streaks

This is when I noticed

The tears rolling down her cheeks

The woman kept on running,

Fearful yet unscathed

The woman barely broke her stride

Yet she didn’t seem unfazed

The more she ran, the quicker she got

With thunderclaps and rain

Then all of a sudden, she started to scream

As if she were in pain

I wanted to send her some help

Or ask her where she’s going

But as I went to do just that

The woman started glowing

Her hair was the first to start to shine

It went a sort of gold

And then I saw her fingers turn

And she looked sort of cold

It was such a very shocking sight

I didn’t know what to think

The gold, just then, encompassed her

And then I saw the drink

It sat there right beside the girl

Empty and afraid

The sight alone was super strange

So I stayed in the shade

The rain stopped pouring silently

And the woman seemed to calm

She sat down on a nearby log

And began repeating psalms

I turned around to walk away

I’m scared out of my mind

But as I turned to leave, I swear

The woman caught my eye

She stood up tall and waved at me

In an evil sort of way

I knew just then, I had to run

And as I ran, I prayed

I ran so fast that my shirt was flying

Darting through the wind

I heard her distant steps get closer

And saw her gold arm extend

“Drink this, please,” the woman called

Sticking out a vial

As I went to grab the glass

I swear I saw her smile

I grabbed the drink and tossed it out

Into the thick, gross mire

The woman looked as mad as ever

As if what I’d done was dire

I ran so fast I almost screamed

But then I saw a boy

He peered behind a giant tree

Sat watching like a ploy

The gravel behind me starts to shift

I know she’s getting closer

Before I even start to think

She grabs me by my shoulder

I turn to see the woman’s face

For what must be the first time

Her eyes were sunken, deep, and gray

Her teeth, covered in grime

Her hair looked stringy, lined with grease

And somehow, she seemed scared

She asked me, then, about a drink

She wanted me to share

It was in a pretty, shimmery bottle

Wax sealed and a bow

I shouldn’t have trusted her, the thought crossed my mind

But I figured I should know

I grabbed the bottle, shaking a bit

And held it to my lips

And as it slipped down my throat

Something in me flipped

It all seemed to happen just like it started

Fast and so unknown

Then her skin began to change

And reach its normal tone

Suddenly, she seemed alight

Yet now I was in pain

Just as the woman turned to leave

Well, it began to rain

She was gone, now, once again

And I was standing still

And then I saw this younger boy

Coming up the hill

- B.G