Lightning strikes illuminating the silent darkness and thunder rolls across this flat, dry land. The rain begins. Softly, quietly. Tip tap, tip tap, tip tap until its erotic dance crescendos, and the cadence becomes loud and distinguishable. Lightning strikes again. The pooling water quenches not but boils, its steam lifting slowly toward the dark sky in a driving rain that cannot pull it back to the earth. The fire rages on.
