The gates swung open and a Fig Newton entered

[sovay]

As we walked away from Prospect Hill Park and the mysteriously foreshortened fireworks display on the Esplanade, it became apparent that the ghostly flashes we had seen reflecting off the cloud cover through the surrounding trees were not neighborhood fireworks or flash photography, but lightning. Not so much thunder, curiously, but there was enough obvious storm impending that rushthatspeaks offered me and derspatchel and jinian rides to our respective homes.

Within a few blocks, the sky looked like someone had set an irregular rapid strobe behind the clouds. Lit-up, livid, a kind of lowering ink-pearl. People were moving faster, hoping to get inside before the rain loosed. There was thunder now, rattling constantly across the street. There were green flashes. We were seeing cloud-to-cloud strikes. Things were starting to look apocalyptic. Truly, I cannot remember when I was last out walking under that much lightning, especially that kept changing color. I distinctly recall saying to gaudior that "the last time I saw something like this, it was followed by a kaiju breach."

About forty-five seconds later we heard a characteristic sputtering noise as we passed a house with a garden in the side yard. "Oh, sprinkler," Rob said, I said, "are you ever about to become unnecessary."

And then the people half a block in front of us started screaming and running. That pelting wet sound was not the sprinkler after all. In a minute, we were screaming and running, too.

I mean, it was a tropical storm, not a poison-skinned monster the size of a skyscraper from beneath the sea. I was laughing out loud and running, soaked to the skin in seconds and trying to wrap my jacket around my cellphone and keep hold of a suddenly irrelevant bottle of seltzer. Somerville was not laid waste; Rob and I sheltered on the porch until Rush, Jinian, and Gaudior arrived and got us towels from inside; we got a ride home and the cats were a little freaked out, but the lights were on and our computers were all right and a tree hadn't blown into the Mystery Shack or anything. Our clothes are drying over the shower rail and the gate at the top of the stairs. I just ate a coconut ice cream sandwich because going out to J.P. Licks now is a patently silly idea. My hair is thinking about starting to dry.

But man, was that cinematic.

Comments

[cucumberseed.livejournal.com]

"the last time I saw something like this, it was followed by a kaiju breach."

We saw something similar in Hartford, right before Fairfield avenue disappeared for half an hour. It came back, though.

[nineweaving.livejournal.com]

Spectacular squall. I stayed on the roof until I couldn't--and then the entire sky, fire and water, flattened itself against my windows.

Nine

[swan-tower.livejournal.com]

Man, I miss thunderstorms. There's been about two since I moved out to the Bay Area six years ago, and both were merely adequate by my Midwestern standards.

[zdenka]

I was caught in it too. It was very impressive! I actually had a rain poncho in my bag, but I was soaked to the skin in the few seconds before I could put it on.

[ashlyme.livejournal.com]

*a kind of lowering ink-pearl. People were moving faster, hoping to get inside before the rain loosed. There was thunder now, rattling constantly across the street. There were green flashes. We were seeing cloud-to-cloud strikes.*

Prrt. Please post me this storm for aesthetic reasons as much as air-cleansing.

* "the last time I saw something like this, it was followed by a kaiju breach."*

Hee! How can we be sure you're not a very lyrical kaiju?

[hawkwing-lb.livejournal.com]

That sounds like one hell of a rainstorm.

[radiotelescope.livejournal.com]

I was not out in it, but I went back outside as soon as the torrent stopped and walked a ways with lightning retreating into the distance. It was impressive.

Coulda done with another one later in the evening, though.

Moment of self-promotion: I wrote a thunderstorm audio iPhone app, http://zarfhome.com/pocketstorm/ .

[ap-aelfwine.livejournal.com]

Glad it was cinematic and gladder that ye got through it safely.

We had the power out from last night until eight this morning, but all in all things were fine and kaiju free.