Whispering Falls Prologue

The drought began there in 2011, and lasted for more than 3 years. The dirt cracked, houses cracked, hearts cracked. Trees died, wildlife died, friendships and love died right along with them. The economy, like the house foundations, shifted. People bought rain barrels and soaker hoses, they put up signs that said: “Pray for Rain!” When they weren't writing letters to the newspaper editor regarding fighting against those “Crazy Liberal Politicians,” they were writing to admonish local and state representatives across the board for their inability to create water from thin air. The wind blew, hot dry furnace air; this air hung heavy with dust. Birds jumped on skinny little feet, their mouths open from heat exposure and lack of water. Squirrels starved and coyotes moved inside the city limits. Racoons met people on their back porches and deer flung themselves into cars in full-on suicide missions. The grasshoppers came out and ate the trees to the bark...