Melodic Rain

Lanterns hanging off the quivering branches of trees light up the skinny and winding dirt track. Despite the heavy wind and strong rain, the lanterns seem almost frozen in place and only the gentle flames inside them sway slightly. The path I walked on was like a miniature valley nestled in between two green mountains. It was a miracle that the rain hadn’t formed a tiny river on the track or else my feet would have been even more soaked than they already were. Either way, there was no escaping the cold rain. Although the trees were plentiful and close neighbors to one another, their canopies couldn’t protect me.

    Each raindrop was an icy needle that stung my neck, cheeks, and nose. I was so soaking wet that my clothes were sticking to my body and every time I shivered the clothes would just make it worse. At the very least I was able to keep my arms slightly warm. Although not totally dry, I could push off a good bit of the rain and warm them up by rubbing them.

    Further down the path, I heard a faint tune. It was so quiet that for the first few minutes I thought it might have been the wind or rain, but the closer I got, the more and more it resembled music. Eventually you could start to recognize piano keys and its somber, yet uplifting tone. The entire song was only about 40 seconds, but whoever was playing it looped it continuously. The loop was completely seamless, yet at the same time seemed to naturally add to the song instead of abruptly cutting off and starting over. My best bet to get out of here or at the very least find some shelter was to keep following that song.

    The song grew louder and louder as I continued. Eventually, I could see a brighter light than that of the lanterns coming from behind a corner of trees. The brighter light gave me new found strength and I pushed on. Behind the corner stood a modest size wooden cottage. The roof extended further than the walls of the cottage and the rain fell off of it in mini streams. Hanging from the inside of the roof was a circle of lanterns identical to the ones hanging from the trees on the track. They circled around the cottage and despite being the same as the others, the flames inside each of them were strong and ready to burst out. There was only one, simple window to the left of the door from where you could see a blazing light inside. The dark wood the cottage was made out of seemed swollen and in heavy need of repairs or replacement and the door looked like a flattened tree with a door knob stuck in it.

    With what felt like the last of my strength, I approached the door, but completely forgot about knocking. The shelter of the roof and the warmth from the dangling lanterns calmed me immensely. After a few seconds, my shivering hand rose to knock on the door, but it took me a few seconds to muster up the strength for the next knock.

    The piano player stopped abruptly, but there was no movement inside for a while. Finally, footsteps could be heard from inside the cottage and they rang louder as they neared the door. I heard the doorknob turn and the wooden door creak as it was opened.

    “Goodness! You’re soaked! You must be freezing out here!” exclaimed a gentle voice.

    I looked up to see a tall lady standing just behind the door frame. I wasn’t the shortest, but she towered over me. She couldn’t have been less than seven feet, maybe even eight. The tall lady wore a very simple white dress with a light black sweater over it. Her height and the way the dress fanned out like a cone made her look like a lamp. Her pale skin and beaming eyes only added to that effect. Two tiny legs peeked out from under the dress. They looked frail, but had to be strong enough to be able to hold her up. In one hand she held a lantern and her other hand covered her open mouth.

    “Could...could I...could I w-wait out the rain pl...please?” I sputtered.

    “Say no more. Save your strength. Come in, come in,” she said as she waved me in.