preamble

The rain fell, ever so gently, like flakes of ash from some unseen bonfire.  But it was rain. It fizzed weakly as it came into contact with the grey rock that was everything, reacting to give off smoke with every impact. Each drop a miniature bomb, eroding the surface slightly, adding a tiny hollow to the geography of the world.  Each one insignificant by itself, but over the years, the dogged, unceasing work of billions of insignificant reactions had proved too relentless an attack for the strong hard rock.  The concrete, the cold blue steel and iron, even the plastic which existed in such abundance, all in the end fell to the onslaught of insignificant attacks.