To be a Water Drop. Alternate Title: Cloud computing.

"what is it like to be wet?" asked one water molecule in a cloud.

The cloud never replied to the sole molecule, all the others were more worried about their purposes. The others were finding other molecules and gathering together to create raindrops. The cloud was getting darker, darker, heavier, more and more raindrops were being made, and the molecule asked it again: "what is it like to be wet?".

The cloud kept growing, heedless to the question, gathering more water molecules unto itself, more molecules to join together to create raindrops. The cloud was almost ready to let its rain loose and the molecule asked again, while all around him other molecules were joining in raindrops, "what is it like to be wet?". You see, the molecule had never experienced wetness, didn't know what it was like.

Soon enough, though, it was joined into a raindrop. It experienced a fullness like never before. It could affect things! It not only understood what it was to be wet, but also understood what it was like to make other things wet. And then on one clear sunny summer day, the cloud rolled over a lake and decided to let its' rain go.

All around the little molecule other raindrops were falling, and soon enough it was dropped as well in its' own raindrop. As it fell it could feel the excitement all around it and couldn't wait to hit the giant mass of water below it and join in the great wetness. On the way down though, it hit a patch of brilliant and warm sunlight, and was separated from the rest of its' drop and began drifting back up to the cloud. Surrounding the little molecule were thousands of excited and happy raindrops falling to join the great mass of wet below. The molecule would ask as they hurtled past "can I join you? Can I come?" however, the molecule kept rising, the raindrops kept falling, and none paid him any attention.

Finally, the molecule reached the cloud again, and began looking frantically for another molecule to join with and fall. However, none were nearby; the cloud was nearly empty, and the last few raindrops were falling. Some time later, the cloud began to grow again, began to make new raindrops, and as the molecule ran to join in and become a part of another raindrop, he passed a new comer to the cloud, a young water molecule, and heard it ask this simple little question: "what is it like to be wet?".

The older molecule remembered a time when he too asked this, and faltered in his step. The molecule remembered another time when it too had asked that question, and it all rushed back. It made the molecule pause and think back for a short moment of its time in the cloud, and falling only to be pulled back up. Hurriedly the molecule looked for something to join with, but none would take it. The drops were full. Even the young molecule it had met was in a drop and excited to take the plunge.

Once more the molecule watched as thousands of raindrops began to fall, and this time saw them all hit their mark. It watched as they all fell, excited to journey down, and fairly soon, the water molecule was the only one left in the cloud.