The Lies I've Heard in the Rain

Beneath gray skies a young woman stood freezing; frosty water droplets sinking into her hair. Darkness began to swarm around her, black and quiet. After a moment, it began to grow louder and louder, the rain pouring down from the clouds in sheets. The darkness whispered terrible things, the worst imagined realities became vivid in her mind. As she began to believe the falsities, they became her world.

Everything around her became hazy; she was alone. No one was there to hold her tight as she tried to cry tears that wouldn’t come.

As the wind whistled through the trees, she ran for home. She strained, but it was like swimming through molasses. The bottoms of her jeans became soaked with water, her boots stuck in the mud.

Once she finally made it to the front yard, she discovered carved grave stones, one for each of the family members who lived on the country property with her. One for her mother, her father, her grandparents, and her siblings. All of them were six feet beneath the cold, soggy ground. She fell to her knees, continuing to listen to the lies.

She traced over each name, imagining the fate of each as the storm blurred her vision. Car accident. Fire. Disease. Suicide. A fatal fall. The darkness fueled her distress, giving her new reasons every second.

Fearing the worst, she burst open the door to find an empty, drafty house. All the happy moments seemed like memories from a different life. She thought quickly of the family who didn't have graves just outside.

“They won’t want you,” the dark laughed at her. “They don’t love you.”

“Yes, they do!” She screamed. She whirled around to try and find the owner of the voice, but all she found was the distorted version of her beloved home.

She fled from the house, wishing to leave the voice trapped in the four walls.

Another chuckle sounded in her consciousness, “You can’t find me, you can’t outrun me. I am you.”

Still, she continued to run, passing the corpses of precious animals she once had names for and the pickup that seemed to be more deteriorated than usual.

Then her vision changed; she was once again in her hometown, the place she spent her childhood. She was in the driveway of her cousin's home.

She walked silently up to the front door and knocked. It was opened. The family who resided there crowded at the door and stared on with glossy eyes.

The dark slithered over her shoulder, “Look at them. They know you were the reason your loved ones died. They will never take you in.”

The gray faces of those she once thought she knew nodded in agreement. The door was closed in her face and she was left to wander down the street. The houses seemed to lean in and whisper that she was unloved and unworthy. It was so still and dark that even the lights of the big city didn't shine through.

Once she was nearly at the end of her wits, the scene changed and she was back to the graves.

This time, she heard a new whisper, one that was filled with sweetness.

She looked over her shoulder to see a light. So different from the darkness, it was filled with a promise of color.

But the evil voice spoke up, “You don't want that. You think it looks so much better, but it’s all your imagination.”

“No, you’re my imagination. I know it. None of this is real.” She pushed towards the shining light but was pulled back.

Over and over, it was the same cycle.

Truth then lies.

One step forward, two steps back.

But as she fought against the pull of darkness, a flame of defiance ignited within her. Each time she pushed on toward the light, she gathered more strength, fueled by a growing belief that she could triumph over the darkness.

“What are you doing? Who do you think you are? You have no power!” The voice of the darkness was already fading, but still within her mind.

Pushing the voice away, she recalled the warmth of genuine smiles, the echo of loving voices, and the touch of hands that had lifted her up when she faltered. These memories formed a foundation that she clung to, stronger than the darkness nipping at her heels.

With each agonizing step, the light seemed to grow nearer, and it began pushing away the shadows clinging to her, suffocating her. Gradually, the whispers of doubt and despair receded, replaced by a chorus of voices. They called her name. “Wake up!” They said.

Finally, she broke through the last barrier of darkness. The gray world around her transformed, color seeping back into the landscape. The graves faded away, replaced by a front yard filled with life. The darkness could no longer hold on, it took off with a roaring howl into the horizon.

Her heart, once heavy with despair, now soared with the realization that she was never truly alone.

The rain and wind had long ago stopped, the sun peeking through the clouds. Her family was standing above her, looks of concern and worry written on their faces.

She waited for the darkness to take it all away and laugh in her face, but it never did. Warmth and encouraging words seeped into her mind, reminding her that she would never be alone. Reminding her that there was a power of light stronger than the power of the darkness.

As she lay there, absorbing the new scene around her – the truth –, she felt a renewed sense of purpose. Her family, their eyes filled with relief and love, enveloped her in a protective embrace. Their presence reaffirmed the truth she had fought to reach: that the power of light and love is a formidable force against the encroaching shadows of doubt, fear, and lies.

The light that had once seemed distant now enveloped her completely, a testament to her resilience and the strength she had discovered within herself. As she took a deep breath, she realized that this was just the beginning. The challenges were not over, but now she understood that facing them with courage and the support of those who loved her made all the difference.

The darkness might always lurk at the edges, but it would never again consume her spirit. She held a light that could never be extinguished. A torch to be held high for the whole world to see.

She knew the lies were the making of the darkness, and the darkness was not inside her.

She had, with the help of the true light, conquered the snake that wanted to choke her.

Not only did she have a testimony, she had a purpose. Deep inside, the most loving voice of all gave her a mission: “Go,” it said, “And share my light with everyone who will listen to you. This is your calling.”