text: Hello! Had to do some vignette exercises for class, feedback is much appreciated. This city is beautiful in the rain. I’m standing under an awning, inhaling hot smoke from the dangling cigarette between my lips and watching the rain fall in icy sheets over the most beautiful city in the world. It sparkles under all that cold rain, and I’m in love. My cigarette smoke collects under the awning in a cloud as I exhale, and the chilly winter air suddenly filling my lungs stings in contrast. Behind me, I can hear the faint clink of glasses and soft murmurs between friends or lovers (or, both, maybe, if they’re lucky) escaping from the open door of the café out of which I’ve just stepped. The warm, golden light spills onto the sidewalk next to me and calls me back inside, but nothing is more inviting than the city in the rain. Icy water is beginning to seep through the soles of my heels (I wore them for you, you know) and the warm tears that have collected in the corners of my eyes, and which are now sliding down my cheeks, suddenly feel scalding. Soon I’ll drop my cigarette onto the wet sidewalk and extinguish the ash with the toe of my now-ruined shoes, thumb the hot tears away, square my shoulders and turn back to the café to finish telling you goodbye. Goodbye to you, because I can’t say goodbye to this city. Because you are too silly to stay, and the city in the rain is too beautiful to leave. But for the moment I’m standing under the awning, enjoying the burning sensation in my lungs, and the city is shimmering just for me.