The Tide

Chapter 3

     I stick my hand out and I let the rain drip down onto it. It's much colder than I expect rain to be, and I stand almost completely still as droplets come together become large enough to fall off of my hand..

Why are you crying Romi?

I shake my head a bit and I throw the unwanted memory out of my mind. I began to realize that I shouldn't stay outside for much longer since the rain would soak my bag, and whatever food I had left. Sadly, That man rushed me out of his house really quickly.. I kinda wish he had let me stay while this storm was going by. I make my way across the marshy grass area the man lived by, almost slipping as I try to keep the weight of my bag balanced on my back. I had clothes, food and a folded up tent crammed in that poor little bag, and it was probably due for retirement soon. 

"Just hold on a little bit longer, ok?" I whisper to the bag, It tore a little as I said that, as if on cue. I roll the bag off of my shoulders and I inspect where I suspected the sound was coming from. The tear in the abused green bag exposed one of my white t-shirts, which was slowly starting to get soaked. "maybe I should've packed this thing a little less tight.." It had been a very long time since I considered rain as an obstacle, and this was going to be frustrating. My heart sinks as a thought pops into my head. 

What if it never stops raining..? 

I push the thought out of my head as I imagine giant floods overtaking the city after raining non-stop for months on end.. and this rain was so cold too. Something about it felt so unnatural. Although, I suppose "natural" isn't exactly a good word to use to describe this situation, but this rain. It was freezing actually. Cold enough to where I would suspect it to have become snow, right? I looked up at the sky to try to piece everything together when I heard a bush rustling behind me. I whip my body around to keep a strong eye on my surroundings, but I couldn't even find the bush where I had heard the sound coming from. I felt this deep sinking feeling in my stomach as bent over and picked up a sturdy stick that I saw on the ground. 

Romi! Put that thing down. You'll poke somebodies eye out with it.

More of these bizarre unwanted memories.. I shake my head again. I heard a bush rattling in the distance again. Please don't be one of those creepy little fish goblins that are eating people alive in the city.. 

"Romi."

A voice comes from behind me. I raise the stick up like it's an actual weapon of some kind before the voice starts again

"Romi...?" I try to turn myself around, but it feels as if my legs are frozen. I can't move. I can't even breath without my throat feeling ragged and tight. 

"Romi isn't the rain cold..? You should really head inside." The voice had a lightly toned edge to it, as if a little girl was using a voice changer. Something about the way she sounded was so.. uncanny. As if she was calmly drowning and she just kept moving on while doing so, bubbles violently erupting out of her throat as she calls my name. It felt like maybe I was the one drowning as my breath began to sink in my own body. My eyes had this horrid feeling that I couldn't ignore, this strange jabbing sensation, as if my eyelids had icicles hanging off of them and they were ever so gently stabbing at me every time I blank. I couldn't move still I was melting.. sinking into the floor I couldn't get a hold of my breath and I-

"Why are you crying Romi?" 

After that... the rain stopped and I was left there in the grass, frozen in place until I managed to get myself back out of my own head.