We were driving my friends hoopty Saturn back from Vegas to LA on hwy 15, we had just turned 21, and a flash flood was tearing through the desert. I've been in hurricanes and tornadoes but I've never seen rain this heavy to this day. So when the brake lights in front of us reached from the top to the bottom of the windshield after a semi truck poured a waterfall onto us I suggested we pull over.

Once we reached the side of the road we stay and waited a bit, talked to our friends in the other car over the walkie talkies and they pulled over with us when they caught up. When suddenly it hit me, I've been in hot ass desert for a week now, I would love to soak up some rain!

So I tell my buddy I'm going to "Experience the storm" and step out of the car and raise my hands up Shawshank style. And feel all the hair on my body stand up.

Since my earliest childhood I remember a photo of my parents on our living room wall, standing on either side of their beat up Toyota hands raised in a jumping jack pose. And I also remember my father's retelling of the taking, in which they all dove into the car because their hair began to stand on end.

So I dove back into the open door and heard a thundercrack.