I woke to the gentle patter of rain on my roof and thunder rumbling from far away. I pushed the blankets off, immediately feeling the warmth of sleep begin to slip away. I swung my feet over the side of the bed and sat up, rubbing the crust from my eyes. I stood up, my bare feet pressing softly against the soft carpet, and walked towards the window. The glass was splattered with rain drops, as even more came down. The clouds swirled lightly above my house, their pale grey color suggesting a long, mild storm. A stream of water came pouring from my neighbor's gutters, towards the soaked grass below. Before even getting dressed, I decided that I needed to take my umbrella to mall with me today.