You'd think the sky hated this town. I'd been born and raised here. Once I turned eight years old I was out like the passing wind. Moved into the big city, took on the big kids. Crowds got bigger, rules got stricter. You either went big or you didn't even think of going in the first place.

        I thought I did fairly well with my life. Got a good education, a well paid job and even started my own family. My parents were proud of me and so were my friends. I kept in touch with everyone and tried my best to keep up with their lives. Never once had that small town appeared in my mind for the entire thirty years I'd been away from it.

        It was such a small town; you'd be surprised to hear it even existed. Way out in the fields, away from civilization. There were maybe fifteen houses, a school and doctor's office, and a tiny little convenience store. It was mainly for elderly people now; a quiet little place to feel at peace. I read about it in the paper and how it was soon to be demolished for building apartment buildings.

        I decided to pay it a visit; a small tribute of appreciation for helping raise me and giving me a home. Ever since I left it's been nothing but big cities and large buildings, so when I pulled up the dirt road into the scent of pine, it was like entering a new world. I stepped out of my car and walked up to the convenience store. I bought my favourite brand of gum and started towards the pond.

        I remember sitting with my friends by the water's edge and splashing around with the ducks. Yet every single memory I had of this place was filled with rain. I'd bet a million dollars that this town hadn't seen sunlight in the past hundred years. It came down thick yet warm. The ground was always soaked and muddy and the washing machines were old and overused. Everyone in this town was so used to the rain they hardly even used umbrellas. Everything was wet but fresh, and worms were the most popular pets besides rocks. If you fell down no one would laugh, and you'd just get up and keep going.

        Something about the endless dark clouds or the deafening silence sent chills down my spine, despite the warm temperature. The town felt old, almost too old, and every hole or ditch was just a scar from the countless battles lost. This town had probably been through every world war and every depressing time. The clouds seemed like some kind of shield, a barrier keeping the town from spreading its misery to the rest of the world.

        I pulled my hood up farther over my head and ducked for cover under the roof of the school. I stepped inside and looked around the old building. The paint was long faded and the desks were ancient. The chairs had been replaced; the old ones already broken. If the school wasn't a part of the doctor's office, it would've been torn down years ago. There were no kids left, all of them grown up like me, scattered around the world. They were all probably oblivious to the existence of this place. The smell of rust and dirt filled the room and I let out a small cough.

        Another chill ran down my spine as my body protested going back into the rain. I walked over to the houses, I remembered mine being on the far end of the street. Memories of soccer and hockey games on the road came back to me as I trudged through the thick muddy grass. The house I thought was once mine looked abandoned. I assumed it hadn't been used in years. I tried the door and it opened. I shook the water out of my hair and took off my shoes. I slowly crept up the squeaky stairs into the master bedroom.

        The window had the perfect view of the rest of the town. It was covered in dust but one swipe of my sleeve and it was clean. Little droplets of water accumulated on the sill as I watched the townsfolk wander the streets. They probably had about a week to move out. I assumed the government had given them all places to go; you can't just kick old people out on the streets. I heavily sighed as the room suddenly got brighter. The walls went from a dull grey to a lighter yellow tone. The dust on the floor swished around. I looked out the window to see the rain had slowed down and almost stopped.

        I shoved the window open with some force and a small breeze flooded the room. I felt a breath of refreshment and sighed again. I looked up and saw the sun very slightly peering over the thick clouds. People on the streets stopped and looked up, surprised at the sudden change in weather. I had assumed most of the elderly were people who have lived here for years, and I felt sudden overwhelming happiness that they got to witness this in their lives.

        I took another deep breath and spotted a small but vibrant rainbow stretching its way across the sky. A smile danced around on my face as I started to head to the door. I continued to smile as I passed by townsfolk. They were shocked and amazed at the once-in-their-lifetime scene. I couldn't help but laugh as they all started to talk amongst themselves like small children opening their Christmas presents. I made my way across the lot and into my car. Just as I started it, a saying my mother always told me appeared in my head.

        "Enjoy the small things in life. However simple or often they appear."