**After the Rain**
**After the Rain** In the small town of Willow Creek, nestled between rolling hills and dense forests, the rain had been relentless for a week. The townsfolk were used to the occasional downpour, but this was different. It was as if the sky had opened up and decided to pour its soul onto the earth below. Streets turned into rivers, and the usually gentle creek that gave the town its name swelled with a roaring ferocity. Amelia Hart, a lifelong resident of Willow Creek, sat by her window, watching the rain. Her small cottage was perched on the edge of the forest, offering a view of the town in the distance. The rain was soothing at first, a rhythmic percussion against the roof, but as the days wore on, it became oppressive. The world outside was a blur of gray, and the only colors were the occasional lightning bolts that split the sky. Amelia’s garden, her pride and joy, was now a soggy mess. The flowers she had tended so carefully were battered and bent, their vibrant petals plaster