Whenever the air smelled like rain all of the boys hurried down to the pond to watch the first raindrops paint circles on the surface of the water. The lighter the rain the further the circles spread before overlapping, and the better the show. Downpours were no fun at all.

Bob Thurber is the author of six books. Regarded as a master of Flash and Micro Fiction, his work has appeared in Esquire and other magazines, been anthologized 60 times, received a long list of awards, and been utilized in schools and colleges throughout the world. He resides in Massachusetts. Visit his website at BobThurber.net.