Stand in the Rain

Her bare feet slammed painfully on the wet tarmac as she ran as fast as she could away from that house... that man.

She never slows down. She doesn't know why but she knows that when she's all alone, feels like it's all coming down...

Blood dripped down her cheek from the wound on her cheekbone. She tried not to thing about it, but it was difficult not to, what with the rain forcefully landing on the raw flesh and making it sting.

Her breathing came in ragged gasps, her body craving oxygen while she ran. She tripped, and the pair of heels flew out of her grip as she fell. Her knees and hands collided with the tarmac.

Alone in the midnight storm, on her hands and knees, she began to sob.

She won't turn around...

Her heart skipped a beat when she heard footsteps. Her breath quickened, and she didn't dare move.

Paranoia getting the better of her, she turned her head slightly to look behind her.

There was nobody there.

She slowly dragged herself to her feet, dashing forward to collect her shoes before running once more.

The shadows are long and she fears if she cries that first tear, the tears will not stop raining down...

She stopped eventually, leaning on a lamp post for support. Her hand went to her cheek, but she didn't know if it was her tears or only rain that was mingling with the blood.

So stand in the rain,

Stand your ground,

Stand up when it's all crashing down.

You stand through the pain,

You won't drown,

And one day what's lost can be found...

She began to sob again, and she knew there were tears as their warmth felt unsettling against the cold raindrops. They sank into her cut, the salt bringing pain.

But the worst pain was in her heart. She felt like it had been torn from her chest, ripped apart over and over, and then brutally stuffed back in.

You stand in the rain...

She won't make a sound...

Quietly, she sank to her knees, silent sobs wracking through her torso.

Alone in this fight with herself and the fears whispering, if she stands, she'll fall down...

She knew she had to tell someone, but she also knew that she couldn't... not if she valued her life.

"If you tell ANYONE, anyone at all, that cut won't be all you have..."

His voice echoed through her mind.

She wants to be found...

She knew she needed someone, and the only person she wanted was her sister.

As if by magic, she appeared from the next corner. Her sister ran to her side, taking her in her arms.

"What happened?"

The only way out is through everything she's running from...

She choked on her own tears.

"He - he..." Another choke. "He raped me."

Wants to give up, and lie down...

She collapsed to the floor, with blood, tears and rain running down her hands as she hid her face from the world.

So stand in the rain...

Hours later, her sister stood, refusing the lift with their mother.

"There's something I have to do."

Stand your ground,

Stand up when it's all crashing down.

She went to his house, she needed to protect her sister. She needed to protect others - this couldn't happen again.

"I know what you did to my sister," was the first thing she said when he opened the door.

You stand through the pain,

You won't drown...

She looked back at him, a handprint already blossoming on her face.

"It's too late," she said. "The police already know." She turned to leave.

And one day what's lost can be found...

"I hope, for your sake," she added, "that my sister can get over this. Prison will seem like Heaven to you."

You stand in the rain...

Lydia walked home to comfort her big sister, and it seemed unlikely that Gloria would ever learn to love again.