Thunder Dragons

I glanced up to the overcast cloud filled sky, smiling absently as the rain hit my forehead.

Diane was standing a few feet off, gazing at the few animals that lurked about; donkeys, mostly, for her family kept strange animals like that. Sweet, stupid animals, they were.

I came up behind her, the borrowed tennies squelching in the mud. I paused near her shoulder, looking up into the rain again. She did the same, and for a while we stood there, not saying anything, feeling the heavy droplets splatter against our cheeks then roll off, forming clear rivulets down the sides of our faces.

A streak of lightening flew across the light grey canopy of sky, brightening the area before dying away. A few seconds later, the low rumblings of distant thunder were heard.
I slid my eyes over to Di.

"Do you know what that is?" I asked her.

She turned her head, long light brown hair hanging limply by her ears.

"What, the lightening and thunder?"

"Yeah."

She grinned. "Lightening and thunder."

I laughed and spun in a circle, strands of hair slapping against my lips. I paused, facing her. In a Chinese accent I said, "You’re thinking too literally, grasshoppah."

"Am I? Forgive me, Great Master, and teach me correctly," she replied, with a smirk.

I tugged my face into as serious look as I could conjure.

"Dragons," I told her.

She raised a brow, then turned and began walking toward the water-soaked trees, ignoring the clumps of grass that clung needily to her heels. I stood in the same spot for a moment, then jogged over to her, and fell in synch with her steps.

"How do you mean, dragons?" She queried after another few minutes of silence.

"The thunder," I said, in a matter-o-fact tone, "are the dragons doing just that - roaring."

"Lions roar," she murmured, in a mock-thoughtful tone.

I sniggered. "Sure, they do. Good observation, Di." She swung an arm at my shoulder, which I slid away from. My feet caught underneath me and I almost slid to the ground, but regained my balance and shot a half-glare to her.

"Can I continue?"

"‘Course," she said.

I rolled my eyes, which ended up, at my toes.

"The lightning’s their fire."

"Fire’s red."

"So?"

"So?"

"It doesn’t have to be red."

"Yeah, it does."

I halted, watching the lightening flicker wildly across the sky. She stopped a few paces ahead of me, and swivelled slowly on her heels, an almost understanding look residing in her eyes.

"Dragons."