I'm sitting at my desk in school. Mr. Abersold is teaching about chemistry. I'm the only one in the classroom besides him. He lectures me for hours. I try to get up, but my legs feel like lead. Suddenly, the fire alarm wails, and the sprinklers in the ceiling turn on. Immediately, I'm soaked.

The water starts rising, but Mr. Abersold keeps lecturing. I'm stuck in my desk. The water reaches my arms, my neck, all while the alarm splits my eardrums. I struggle to get air, but I can't. Just as the water reaches my eyes, I jolt awake.

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!

Heart pounding, I open my eyes to the beeping of my alarm clock. It was just a dream. I calm myself down and roll out of bed. In the otherwise silent air, the sound of rain hitting the roof enters my ears.

My stomach flips. It's been raining for a week and a half. And where I live, it almost never rains.

I get dressed and get ready for school. I eat a small breakfast, and then brush my teeth. Just as I start out the door, my dad walks in from the hallway. "Morning," I say as he makes a cup of coffee. "Hey, Dad?" I ask, "What do you think about the rain?"

He looks up at me as he takes his first sip of coffee. "It'll be fine, Laura."

Suddenly I'm in a hospital, sitting in the waiting room. I'm nine years old and terrified out of my mind. I try to remember how to breathe as a doctor walks out of a door to my right. My father stands up and starts talking to him. They use medical terms I don't understand like 'hemorrhaging' and 'miscarriage'.

I stand up, legs wobbly. I pick up my baby sister who is sucking her thumb ignorantly. After the doctor leaves, I tug on my father's sleeve. "Daddy," I ask with tears in my eyes, "is mommy going to be okay?" He looks at me and in his eyes I can see that something is deeply wrong. "It'll be fine, Laura."

I snap back into reality and sling my backpack over my shoulder. I walk out the door. I open up my umbrella and walk along the sidewalk towards school. I don't usually use an umbrella, but the rain is coming down so hard that I'd get soaked if I didn't.

Cars drive by with their windshield wipers on full speed, and I can only hope that they don't skid off the road and hit me. Through the fog, I can see school up ahead. Kids walk in silent groups through the pouring rain, not gossiping or chatting like usual.

I open the doors and immediately feel the heater. I close my umbrella clumsily and walk to class.

I look out the window most of the day, hoping to see some change. Nothing does. I don't get called on at all, my some miracle. By third period, the rain pours harder than it has for the last week and a half. I start to get worried.

At lunch, I go on my phone to check the news. Same things as usual. "Will The Rain Ever Stop?" "Car Accidents Increase. The Culprit? Monster Rain"

I don't eat. Students crowd around the windows and Instagram the rain. Oh, yeah. Great idea. Like that will help. For the fifth time today, I text Courtney. 'Where are you? Are you okay?' No response. My only friend at this school isn't here when it's most important.

Suddenly, everyone clamors and points outside. My heart beats. Has it stopped? I run to the nearest window. It's silent. It's stopped! I laugh with joy, and hug strangers. It's over. It's finally over!

"NO!" Everyone screams as it resumes. I'm filled with dread. Is this my life now? Hunkering in a cafeteria yelling at the rain?

School passes with no pauses in the rain. It's coming down even harder now than before. I grab my umbrella and march out of school. Courtney still hasn't answered.

I very carefully cross the street and walk towards Willowbrook Elementary. From here, I can see Sasha standing at the gates. Their system is horrible. No breaks during class, horrible cafeteria lunches. Then, cram them behind gates like animals, with no cover from the rain, only released when someone picks them up. It's inhumane.

I check in and an attendant opens the gates. Sasha comes running out to hug me, and I get her under the umbrella. She's shivering from her soaking wet clothes.

We hurry home, and I get a nice warm bath going. I throw her clothes into the wash and lay out pajamas for her. I sit on my Dad's bed across from the bathroom and play on my phone. Even though she's six years old, she's scared of the rain. She changes into pajamas and I do too.

We sit on the couch and she binges on cartoons while I check the news. Nothing good. I apparently fall asleep watching 'My Little Pony'
Because when I next open my eyes, it's 6:00.

"Oh, dang, you have to eat!" I say, and rummage through the fridge. I throw together leftover spaghetti, which I let us eat on the couch. I make sure she doesn't spill.

By 6:30, I start to worry. Dad should be home by now. The rain pounds against the roof. "Since Daddy's not home, can I stay up?" Asks Sasha, and I let her.

We fall asleep a few hours later, in the house alone.