It’s on the dark and gloomy days, that you never expect anything good to happen.  Those dark gray clouds roll in, hiding the warm sun. Sometimes it rains, or snows just adding to the dreary day. Most people find those days miserable and much rather take a bright sunshiny day over a dark day.

Not me though, something about the gloom and doom just makes me happy, giddy even. Even before I first saw her, the darkest days were my best days. This day wasn’t much different than any other rainy day.  There’s a park not far from my apartment that I always seem to stray to on days like these.

Decked out in my long leather trench coat, and very fine wide-brimmed hat, I strolled along the quiet park. There’s never anyone here when it rains, which is partly why I like it. No one screaming as they throw Frisbees or play soccer. No dogs running around barking and eyeing your show like a fire hydrant.  Just peaceful pitter-patter of a soft rain hitting grass and leaves.

I’ve wandered this path more times than I can count. I don’t even watch where I’m going anymore, I just want it on auto-pilot. When you know something so well, you can spot when something is out of place fairly easily.  My ears heard it first. A different rain sound. Each drop more deep and hollow, almost like rain splashing down on something plastic, like an umbrella.

I listened to the sound for a short time then shook my head, deciding I was most likely hearing things. So I walked onwards down the path into a more wooded section of the part. I was a bit surprised to see enough light fighting its way through cloud and leaves to light the wooded area enough I could see around quite easily.

That’s when I spotted the mystery rain sound and where it came from. Carefully jammed into the park bench sat a dark blue umbrella. Lovingly wedged into a crack and positioned to cover someone who I never expected to see. I didn’t know her but she caught my interest rather quickly. She had her legs pulled to her and crossed, and she was just small enough to fit under the oversized umbrella and still have enough room to sit a book in her lap and read.

The girl herself I could hardly see, but she caught my heart in my throat just at the sight of her. Something about her pulled me towards the bench.  Slipping through the rain with a splish here and a splash  there, I soon found myself standing near her. I still couldn’t see the small girl but I quietly spoke.

“Excuse me… but um… do you mind if I sit?” There was a jump and she bumped her umbrella making collected rain flick off of it. She made a small cute panic noise and quickly closed her book holding it to her to be sure it didn’t get wet. Once she was finally certain no water was daring to come close to her sacred collection of words she dipped her head low enough to look at me.

“Um-um… I-I guess… I-if you want too…” Her voice was gentle and quiet, if the rain had not almost drowned her words, I would have been able to tell she was a little scared. Not that I blame her, a tall man appears in a long black coat and a hat that hides his face rather well. Scary stuff in an abandoned park.

I didn’t quite get to see her full face when she peered at me, and once I said thank you and sat, the umbrella did well to still hide her from me. My hands in my pockets, the rain hitting my hat and her umbrella in an odd sort of rhythmic melody. We sat there in silence, she continued to hold her book to her as I stared out into the trees.

Finally I had to break the awkward silence. “I don’t usually see anyone out in the park…let alone someone reading…” I turned my head to look at her umbrella, trying to picture what she may look like behind it. From what I could see of the rest of her, I might have been wrong in calling her a girl. She wore blue jeans that looked a bit worse for wear, and simple sneakers. I could just make out the bottom part of a denim jacket.

“O-oh… I-I’m sorry…I d-didn’t know it w-was st-strange…” She shivered a little, more from being nervous than cold I think, and another spatter of rain came flying off her umbrella, this time hitting me in the face. She made a small yipe sound and finally moved the umbrella enough to look at me. Her deep green eyes looked up at me from a porcelain face. She was much older than I thought.  At least twenty if not older, her face was round and small, but it had the look of someone who spent more time with her nose in a book than anything.  The lines around her lips and eyes were stretched with worry. “Oh…oh… I’m so sorry I didn’t mean to get you wet!” She retreated back under her umbrella before she could see my reaction.

So I let out a small laugh and smiled despite it all. “I was already wet anyway, it’s kind of a given when I walk out in the rain.” I slid one hand from my pocket and pushed my hat up a bit and looked towards the sky. “And it looks like it will be raining for awhile.” I looked back down towards her and she carefully slipped a bookmark into the book. “What book are you reading?”

She froze for a second or two then slowly laid the book in her lap, and ran her fingers over the title as her quiet voice read the words. “The Old Swordsman…” She spoke it almost as if she would be reprimanded for reading it. I merely smiled and nodded.

“Ah yes… that’s the old story about Rienzi isn’t it?” I had a copy of the book myself. It was a very old tale and no one was ever sure who it was written by. I heard a noise which I guessed was her turning her head. Soon enough the umbrella was pulled up again and her lovely face looked out at me.

“Y-yes it is…D-do you know it?” Her eyes and face seemed to change expression, less fright and nervous, and more curious and hopeful. I wasn’t sure what to make of the hopefulness but I smiled nonetheless.

“Sure do, I’ve read it a few times.  My father used to read it to me, I ended up having to buy a newer copy since the old one was almost falling apart having been read so many times. It’s a good story…” Memories of my father rolling his eyes with a smile, as I begged him to read the story to me again, drifted to my mind and brought a small smile to my eyes. She watched me and slowly smiled, I thought my heart was going to skip a beat at how her simple smile lit up her entire face.

I hadn’t noticed, but as her smile reached her lips the rain seemed to lessen, just a little. “I-I love the story…how tragic his life was until he met the dryad… a-and how it h-had a happy e-ending…” She looked towards the book and hugged it to her chest. She seemed to grow sad again and the rain picked up a bit more. I must have looked a little worried when she glanced back at me. “D-did I s-say something w-wrong?”

I couldn’t help but smile and shake my head. “No, no. Not at all. Stories like, The Old Swordsman, remind me that there are happy endings…even if things seem horrible now, and stay horrible for years, I still remember there could be a happy ending just around the corner.” I sat back against the bench and my eyes looked out at the trees. Her gaze stayed on my face for a time before following my eyes to the trees. Though her voice sounded sad, the rain let up a bit again. Even a small ray of sunshine burst through  the clouds and found it’s way in front of us.

“I-I wish t-that were true…b-but h-happy endings d-don’t happen for ev-everybody.” She shifted  again the rain on the umbrella hitting me again. “S-sorry…” She fidgeted a bit and we sat in silence again for an impossible amount of time. Finally I declared, after some thought.

“Maybe not everyone, but you’ll get one I think. “ Her umbrella moved a little and she looked up at me curious again, and maybe a little confused. I continued. “Don’t ask me how I know… but I just do.” I held out my hand as a few drops of rain fell. Slowly the rain stopped and more sun poked through the clouds. She looked up at me, and was smiling again, this time it almost seemed warm. “Besides… it can’t rain all the time right?”
She still smiled at me but something, a thought maybe, passed through her mind and her smile diminished. The clouds grew dark once more but no rain fell. She unfolded her legs and closed her umbrella. She stood as I did, she was a head shorter than me . I glanced over her and slowly took off my hat. Her hair was cut short and so blonde is was almost white, though there was almost a blue tint to it. She bowed her head a little to me and said quietly, her voice distant. “I-I’m sorry b-but I h-have to go…p-please have a n-nice winter…” She turned and started walking away but I held out my hand and said.

“Wait…huh… I’d like to see you again…and I don’t know your name…” She stopped and slipped the umbrella under her arm. The book still held close to her chest with her other arm. She half turned toward me and looked at me, and there was no mistaking the sadness there.

“M-my name is…K-Kora…” I smiled at her but it seemed to have no effect. I took a few steps towards her but something strayed in her eyes and I stopped.

“Nice to meet you Kora… that sounds familiar…isn’t that another name for Persephone? And something to do with the goddess of spring?”  She studied me then turned away. Her gentle voice is quiet again, and I felt a few drops of rain fall on us.

“Y-yes…s-something l-like that…” she started to walk away again but for some reason I couldn’t just let her go so easily. She seemed so sad and lonely. Maybe I’m a bit more chivalrous than I claim but I couldn’t just let her walk away looking so sad.

“I would really like to see you again… maybe talk books… or meet at a Border’s or something… I’ll buy you a coffee and a book.” I already started planning on the route to Border’s but she stopped and didn’t look at me. It started raining a bit more.

“I-I would like t-that…b-but I c-can’t…I-I’m sorry I r-really must go…” her voice drifted off as the rain started almost pouring again, I could vaguely make out her putting the book under her coat as she started to run down the path and out of sight.

I sighed, and a crack of thunder didn’t even shake me. The rain fell down on me soaking my hair and face. I’m sure the look on my face seemed as down as the downpour assaulting the earth. I didn’t know why I wanted to cheer her up so badly, but I did. She seemed like she had the weight of the world on her shoulders and there was nothing I could do about it.  I shoved my hands in my pockets, my hat tucked under my arm. I started back for my apartment but then decided to head to Border’s anyway. I could use another copy of The Old Swordsman. The rain beat down on me and I quietly muttered. “It can’t rain all the time… but it sure is raining right now…”