“The rain hung from his earlobes like delicate jewelry.”

“He raged for hours. And the skeleton, ever the frail and solelmn philosopher, hung quietly inside, saying not a word, suspended like a delicate insect within a chrysalis, waiting and waiting.”

“The air was warm and heavy as sprinkles began to fall from the clouds high above. The Triton glided through the waters and the whoosh of the ship combined with the steady beat of the rain to make a concerto, like a pianist fluttering his fingers on the keys at one end and running his fingers up and down the scales at the other. Expectancy hung in the air as the tune moved to a crescendo.”

“My world was delicately balanced, but the scales never hung even. When something improved, something else had to crumble.”

“It almost rained Saturday.The clouds hung low over the farm.The air felt thick.It smelled like rain.In town,the sidewalks got damp, that was all.”

“Death, jewelry, or magic; it sounded like Valentine's Day.”