I had to get out, that much was clear, knowing that if I stayed even a single second more I would explode like a package of microwaved Peeps. Grabbing a pair of well worn leather sandals from beside the front door, I prayed no one would notice my vanishing act; knowing I could do it but once, and pulling off an encore would be incredibly difficult. As silent as the ever darkening sky, I slipped through the house.
Upon reaching the back door, I unthinkingly tugged the heavy sliding glass open quickly. It let out a shriek, as if to prevent my escape and warn the others. I froze, only my eyes moving as I strained my ears, listening for the telltale footsteps that would force me back. Mercifully, all I heard was the laugh track from a sitcom playing in the living room and the protesting whine of the whole-house fan. Without looking back, I slid outside to freedom.
The air was heavy, with the promise of rain hanging in the sky like the rolling gray clouds above me. Crossing the yard hastily, I dropped down behind the lone grapevine that hung like a living curtain. I was invisible to all but the bugs, the whining mosquitoes, clouds of gnats, and the occasional wasp, drunk on sweet juices of the ripe grapes behind me. Bolts of sliver light tore into the increasing darkness above me; breaking it into jagged pieces, shattering the sky like a broken mirror.
Without further warning, the sky burst into tears as the lightning continued to crack against the clouds. The thunder rumbled it’s sympathies as the rain poured on. Something inside me broke and I too found myself crying, crying with a midsummer storm.