Foolproof Forecast

This is to bless Mikeydred’s April Challenge with a few cool showers.

Honesty involves a little drizzle—and some courage. —Michelle Liew

☂️🌧️☔🌂☁️☔🌧️☂️🌧️☁️☂️🌂☔☂️🌧️☔🌂☁️☔🌧️☂️🌧️☁️☂️🌂☔

In Everdrizzle, the rains knew no schedule–they fell, and simply stayed. Mira Weather, a whimsical ‘emotional meteorologist’, read emotions the way true weather girls read maps. The town looked forward to her forecasts every April Fools Day—not for their quality or accuracy, but for a few laughs.

This year, Mira’s forecast wasn’t that funny–it was more of a dare. Her board read: “Heavy truths expected. Have courage. And maybe some cake.” The confessions were a mere drizzle; a little wet, but harmless.

That is, until odd confessions came to the surface. They started with small truths that could be lapsed into silence. “I cheated Mrs. Grimm of five cents,” a shopkeeper admitted. “I stole a library book,” admitted a dishevelled teen. A neighbour admitted, “I pretended to like my neighbour’s podcast—for four years.”

The truths did break hearts–but in the best way. People cried in public, except for stoic Bob, who pretended to be his shoe for five minutes. Grudges dissolved. Marriage proposals made impulsively were called off with relief. People cried in public–but no one looked away.Except Bob, who pretended that his shoes were wet from the rain for about five minutes. The air was dense, not with doom, but with clarity.

Mira forecasted the truth–then vanished like mist. No one saw her leave, but everyone felt her echo. In her place was a wax-sealed letter pinned to the town’s bulletin board. “The noise of April showers makes it easy to lie about the little things,” it read. “But you will tell the truth–without the background noise. Have courage. Also, please water my plants.”

The rain never stopped falling. Neither did the truths. The villagers forecast their own fates–with small acts of honesty, year round.

Despite the rain, their heavy days grew lighter.

So Mira reshaped her forecast: “Forecast—showers of blessing. Trust your own skies.” She gave them the weather, but the climate was of their own choosing. “It was never about the weather,” she said. “It was about the courage to be honest.”

☂️🌧️☔🌂☁️☔🌧️☂️🌧️☁️☂️🌂☔☂️🌧️☔🌂☁️☔🌧️☂️🌧️☁️☂️🌂☔

This work is entirely original. Any AI tags are coincidental.

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This is a collection of my horror stories, Echoes in the Dark, free for download here.

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