After The Rain © K.

All Characters - Lilly and Peter - are © creations of K. on the 11- 1-04 All rights reserved.

She held the envelope in her hands, slowly tracing a finger over the inscription of her name. Lilly - written in his messy handwriting...was he in a rush when he wrote it? Did he know that it would be the last thing that he would ever say to her?

Lilly held onto the envelope tighter, feeling the pain of his death well up again. She was too damn young to experience such loss - at 15 she was mourning the death of her best friend...her best friend who hadn't even confided in her his illness. And this, his last legacy, which was now being held in a death like vice grasp in her hand. Did she really want to know the contents of it? What would it serve but to make the pain worse?

The cold air grew stronger, becoming more intense and ferocious - it whined and whispered through the trees, carrying with it the golden crisped leaves that lay in bundles on the forest floor. Her gaze fell to the ground, letting an unnoticed tear escape and dive towards it demise. She thought that she had stopped crying - now she wasn't even able to control her emotions.

Furiously she tore open the envelope, hesitating, as she saw the folded paper. Lilly closed her eyes and took a deep breath, swallowing all the pain that was trying to escape. She unfolded the paper, and was presented with neat writing - good, she thought, he did take his time.

"Lilly,

Well, this, as you can see, is my final farewell to you.."

Lilly closed her eyes, as a sharp pain rendered in her heart, leaving her momentelary breathless.

"I knew that If I told you about my illness, you would not except the inevitable. I knew that you would do your best to "cure" me - but this is the way things were meant to be - "que sera sera"..or how ever the hell you spell it! I know that you will be dissecting my prose, spotting spelling mistakes, and grammatical errors..I always told you, you are a natural born teacher, you should follow that path you know.."

"Aye, that's cos you were always crap at spelling!" She huffed, not letting the laughter that crept inside her from spilling out.

"When I was first told about my condition, it was a year or so ago. And, to tell you the truth, I really believed that they got the results mixed up. It really wasn't until started feeling ill that it all sunk in; that I was really going to push the daisies".

"Push the daisies?" She mused. That was his favourite term for when someone died - that or "kicked the bucket" "has a meeting with the big boss" "has gone to the great beyond". Peter was always one for making serious situations into a comedy - he never took life seriously..he was too damned free spirited.

"That's when I came to excepted my fate - as shitty as it may be..at least now I will be able to walk through walls and scare the be-Jesus out of everyone! Be certain, I will be paying you a little visit soon, so sleep with your bedroom light on!"

This time she did laugh out loud, although tears did fall; it was such an unusual feeling, laughing and crying at the same time. It was as if the two emotions were trying to fight for dominance.

"And, do you know who I will be paying a very special visit too? Yup, wee Margo - that little wench has not heard the last from me, now that I am one of the undead, I will use this to my best advantage. You can tell her that I said hi, I'm sure that will freak her out".

Ah, Margo. Lilly remember cleary how she would always tease and torment Peter, made his life a living hell for a while - until she moved school. Lilly would always tease Peter about the importance of standing up for yourself, to which he would reply - "Aye, but not, but not if she is built like a shit house!"

The phrase, "one of the undead" to describe himself seemed surreal. Yes, he really was dead, gone - never to return. She would never see his face again, or hear him would never come back. How could he treat this subject so if it would not effect her, that she would laugh it off?

"In all seriousness though - I was terrified would be more accurate. The first couple of months were hell for me. It was hell not being able to tell you that I didn't have long to I knew that you wouldn't be able to handle it if I did tell you. So, I kept my mouth shut, knowing that my time was slowly ticking away, and there was nothing that I could do about it. I'm sorry, Lilly - I'm sorry that you are pissed off with me right now...don't deny it cos' I know you are! But, you know, I done what I thought was right - and I hope it was the right thing to do. I really do."

"You know me to well Peter." She whispered, holding the paper tighter as it were a life line to her soul. Soon, the words of the page began to blur, as tears welled in her eyes. Lilly silently cursed herself - there was no point in crying! It would never resolve anything...never make anything better.

She wiped her tears away angrily, and began to read again.

"When everything began to get too much, and I was scared, all I had to do was see your face and I would feel safe again. Anytime that I heard your voice, I knew, that somehow, everything was going to be alright. I'm not scared to die, Lilly - you know the dead have sooo many privileges.."

Lilly laughed again, happy that his letter wasn't completely dripping with sentiment, He never really was the hallmark kind.

"Not only do I get to walk through walls, and defy gravity - but I'll also be able to see Cindy Crawford naked! Yeah, I know, I am a perv - but I can't help it..Cindy, get ready!"

"Sicko." She murmured.

"Well, I guess this is the last things that I will ever be able to tell you - that is of course, if you try to reach me with the ouiji board! .What I want you to do for me right now, is to go down by the River - go to the board walk, and feel under the tenth plank. Don't moan about it..get off your arse and do it."

Lilly rolled her eyes, and placed the note carefully in her jacket pocket. She began to walk in the direction of the lake; over head the sun grew hazy, setting the sky a deep crimson and orange burning over the edges of the horizon. The air still had a certain nip to it, but it did not assault her like it had before.

The lake came into view; she could see it covered by the towering trees. It looked still and quiet, only a few swans wadded in and out of the water - it's bluey surface was tinged with the burnt red of the sun.

She made her way to the spot of the board walk, sat down, her legs dangling over the edge, nearly hitting the water below her. Her hands lingered underneath the plank of wood. She felt a little packed taped, and tugged it gently until it gave way.

Yet another envelope, why could he not just say what he had to say in one letter - Jeez, even from the beyond he was annoying. She opened it gingerly, to find yet another folded piece of paper. Just as she was about to open it, she felt the first touch of the rain, It drizzled a little, and only appeared as a thin mist hovering over the lake. Lilly sighed, just her bloody luck - she hated the rain - detested the way it left her hair the way it made he smell like a wet dog.

She remember how Peter always loved when it rained.

Lilly opened the folded paper, shielding it with her hand.

"This is for you, Lilly. I wrote it and thought of you:

Moonbeams drench the world in silver, Cover the ground in a sheet of white. But these shy beams, Do not last forever - they are devoured By the morning light.

Which sheds a glare on the world's Imperfections - daily grit and Dirt of days gone by. And all these things make the World somewhat duller, Cover bashful beauty, from a roaming eye.

The snow which falls like stars from heaven, Cover the world in a peaceful glaze. But are soon demolished and melt into submission, By the golden light of the suns angry haze.

Little droplets fall from above, And cleanse the ground below. Clearing away the now dirty slush, That had once been the beautiful snow -

These precious crystal dewdrops, Clean the world of building grime, And rest on wilting treetops, To which they take their time -

In loving and caressing, Like a mother to a child. Their soft hands addressing, Their subjects soft and mild.

And once their job is over, And they done what they came to do- They leave the world, after bathing It in their cleansing morning due.

I observe it's finished masterpiece, As I lean by the window pane - Dullness now faded to newborn colours, Only after the rain.

Goodbye, Lilly, I love you. Peter x"

She caressed the paper one last time and placed in securely in her trouser pocket. She was grateful of his last legacy to her - that his last words held some sentiment and, of course, humour.

The pain of his death still jarred her heart; but knowing that he was at peace now, rested some of her quaking nerves. Lilly stared into the distance, watching as the rain stopped - the low mist now dispersing from the waters of the lake.

Peter had given her a gift with his words; she now saw these newborn colours in the trees and forest grounds, she could feel the remnants of the rain cleansing her skin and her soul. And, as the rain clouds fled over the horizon, she somehow knew that everything was going to be alright; that she would cope somehow - thanks to Peter - His memory would live on.

The world looked somewhat different, after the rain.

THE END