Scorcher

He always waited as long as he could before he'd give in. Some days it'd be hours, others only a couple minutes. It all depended on how sociable the sun was feeling. Was it going to be skittish and protect itself, hiding behind a layer of clouds? Or was it feeling adventurous, presenting itself for all the world to see - illuminating the sky with its brilliance.

On a day like today, the sun wasn't shy. It hung high, in all its glory, smiling brightly on the people below. Its grin beat down on his back, pasting his shirt to his skin. It clung to him, soaked in sweat only after a few minutes. He didn't mind though - it felt nice as the liquid evaporated, offering his skin a brief escape from the heat. It wasn't only him that was feeling the effects though. The other children seemed to labor about, either moving slowly amongst the jungle gym or hiding in the shadows of the structures. Waiting. Hoping for a cloud to pass by to offer a slight escape.

He pushed on though. The park was his for the time being. Swings were open. No one dared touch the monkey bars. Even the slide was wide open, but he quickly learned his lesson the first time he went down it. The sun had left its stamp - the metal heated enough to singe the back of his legs, right below where his shorts ended. Not enough to hurt him, but enough to persuade him to not to do it again. He didn't as much slide and he skidded down it.

The longer he played, the warmer it got. It was a challenge. Who could cave first? Would he give up and abandon his play, or would it? Falling from the sky or disappearing behind a wall of clouds.

It wasn't too much of a surprise that he broke first. It was just too much. His skin was pink, covered in beads of perspiration. He could feel the salt from his sweat seeping into the corners of his eyes. His mind was becoming fuzzy. It just wanted refreshment. He just wanted salvation.

Before he bent down and let his lips welcome the liquid, he let it run first, just for a few seconds. It was always warm at the beginning, carrying with it the irony taste of the pipes. He knew the cooler, fresher water was deeper in the pipes, just waiting to come out.

It was one of the oldest tricks of the trade.

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