Damaris was already on her way down the railroad tracks when the first drops fell. She debated whether to keep on walking or take shelter. She had walked in rain before and did not mind it, but she knew the things she carried would be soaked if she did not find some place to tuck them away. When a grove of trees not far to her left came into view, Damaris ran for it. Her eyes looked back to the storm clouds. She hoped there would be no lightning or she wouldn’t be safe under the trees. The storm was not a thunder shower, so Damaris crept as close to the trunk of a big tree as she could. She tucked her belongings beneath her skirts, hoping to keep them dry. “I hope it doesn’t last long,” she murmured. Then she reached for her supply of bread and water. She might as well refresh herself as she waited. Maybe she would even be able to sleep. She allowed herself half a slice of bread and drank sparingly of the water, not knowing when she might be able to fill her water bottle again.
