Deep thunder rolls

Deep thunder rolls as the temperature drops ever so slightly. A cool breeze flows through the open windows. I rush to shut off the lights and twist open the blinds just enough to see the sky – another far off rumble. I wait in silence for a spark to illuminate the heavens. My patience is rewarded with a furious and dazzling flash. I count out the seconds before the thunder tumbles in. The distance is still large. It is followed by a great silence, as if all of nature hushed in respect to the oncoming power. Everything is still. I hear the sound of rushed footsteps passing by trying to outrun the downpour, as others shut their windows. The smell of new rain precedes the droplets. A patter fills the air as the leaves dance with each raindrop’s descent. The sound grows as the rain seeks out every corner – it now permeates the air. Jagged white tears in the sky trigger brighter flashes. A sudden clap of thunder overpowers all other sounds for a brief moment, giving way to the crescendo of the rain tapping perpetually. The water begins to satiate the soil and blanket the sidewalks and roads – the asphalt glimmers under the golden glow of the streetlights. Another sequence of blazing light fills the air and penetrates the room – the resulting rumble enters from all around. The storm is near…