Title: Rain

[swirlsofpurple]

 

It rattles the windows, trying to get in. She runs, through to the back of the house. But it rattles the windows there too. The house is surrounded. Rose whimpers, sinks to the floor, covering her ears with her hands- fingernails digging into flesh.

“It’s okay. It’s just the rain. It won’t hurt you.”

The words make no sense. Why would it be attacking otherwise?

“The clouds are already clearing. It will stop soon.”

It won’t stop. Not until it gets her, why would it? They always win in the end.

“You’re safe now.”

It stops. She stays coiled on the floor, waiting for it to come back. It doesn’t.

*

“It’s weather, like the sun.”  

Rose flinches at the mention of sun, she’ll never get used to the ever-present brightness of Above Ground. It hurts her eyes. And now there’s more, even scarier, weather to go with it.

*

It’s drizzling. It’s the same as the attack: the thing called rain. She doesn’t believe how silent it is this time.

She agrees to go outside, to see it for what it is- apparently this will make her less afraid, she’s doubtful.

Once outside, she sees it’s the same- it hits her, lots of sharp pellets against her skin.

Rose screeches and runs back inside.

*

It can’t get her inside. Rose understands this now. Her heart still beats wildly in time with it.

She blasts music to drown it out.

And stops going outside on cloudy days.

She doesn’t go outside on sunny days either, so she’s just inside all the time.   

It’s like being Below again.

*

For a long time she stays inside, days and weeks and months.

At times Rose reaches a hand out to the rain for a newspaper or a package, snatching it inside quickly- and then slower.

Until one day, it doesn’t feel like such a big deal anymore.

She steps outside, tilts her face to the sky and lets the rain fall on her.

 

 

Comments

[adoptedwriter]

I enjoyed this. Weather can seem brutal if you don’t understand it or cannot acclimate. At 1st I thought Ross might be a dog or cat. Possibly a sensory challenged person?

[swirlsofpurple]

Thank you, glad you enjoyed :)

[bsgsix]

I love Rose's journey here - the attack of fear that really creates a sense of agoraphobia. It's - at least for me - a relatable fear. But in that ending, her brain lets her try, and I love that turning point - where she can slowly hold out a hand and see the world isn't so terrifying. It's not longer a big deal. She can be part of it. Rain is just a perfect symbol for that.

Nice work here. I truly enjoyed this and found wonderful depth to it!

[swirlsofpurple]

Thank you, so glad you enjoyed and found a depth to it :). And *Hugs* on the relatable thing.

[bleodswean]

You captured so much emotion in this, J! The tension and fear is real. I love the slight ambiguity, too. It's fantastic to be reading your words again!

[swirlsofpurple]

Thank you, so glad you liked the emotion and tension and ambiguity :).

[alycewilson]

This makes me want to know more about this character and her story. Of course, having just been binging "The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt," I have some ideas that may not entirely gel with what you were going for!

It's interesting to think about the experience of weather and rain for someone who's never seen it. I can imagine it would be disturbing.

[swirlsofpurple]

Ah, it may be closer to that vein than suspected ;).

Thank you :)

[halfshellvenus]

I understand why Rose might be afraid of rain. If you've never experienced it before, a rainstorm could feel like an assault, and it would be all around you, everywhere you turned.

[swirlsofpurple]

Yep, exactly :).

[gunwithoutmusic]

Wow, this was very subtly freaky; well done! I don't NEED the backstory here to understand what's going on, but the little bits you stick in had me hooked in; there's quite a lot here in this small package.

It's so good to see you back in the competition! I really liked this and I hope to see more from you. :)

[swirlsofpurple]

Thank you so much, glad it had you hooked, and I'm glad to be back :)

[murielle]

This reminds me so much of our little dog Angus. He hated the rain and whatever door he was at if it was raining he'd run to the other door to see if it was raining out that door too.

This is beautifully told. Wonderful! Brava!

[swirlsofpurple]

Thank you, glad you found it wonderful :)

[flipflop_diva]

I love the vagueness of Rose's backstory in this, and the hints that it's part of a much larger story, but at the same time this small piece of the story is so understandable. Especially when she runs to the other door to find the rain attacking there too.

And I love the end and how she is finally able to go outside and let the rain fall on her and know it won't hurt her. That's such a sweet moment, and I'm glad she was able to finally do that!

[swirlsofpurple]

Thank you, so glad you liked the vagueness and the hints and ending, I was hoping it would work :).