I'm not dying with you tonight

house on a hill

Egon Spengler hated rain. It was loud. It was cold. And it was annoying. He hated it because it made his farm muddy and it made his house flood. Rain was stupid and rain was harsh and rain was infuriating. Rain brought back good memories, and rain brought back bad ones.

It always rained in Summerville.

Egon Spengler used to love rain. He loved the smell. He loved the sound. He loved the way it would bounce off his skin so effortlessly. He would spend hours just laying in the downpour and thinking, or driving and listening to it as it tapped against his car. Rain used to be his favorite thing. But he screwed up and moved away. And rain was never the same.

-

Sage started to regret her decision very quickly. The rain got heavier and soon she couldn't even see where she was going. It was a guessing game. She picked up her pace and started to run, trying her hardest to see anything, and splashing through mud. The sky got darker, the clouds grew, and the thunder roared.

She was screwed with nowhere to go, and nothing to stop the rain from freezing her to death. As it slashed onto the ground and turned the mud to ice, running became a dangerous act, but walking was too risky. So she kept running, taking turn after turn, dodging trees and street signs, stopping only briefly to catch her breath before running again.

"There has to be something..." She thought aloud, gritting her teeth as her eyes searched the fields around her. "I'm not turning around." She cried, huffing frozen breaths and pausing, her arms wrapped tightly around her torso for warmth. "I'm not going home. There has to be-"

Through the downpour of rain and snow, Sage saw just what she had been looking for. At the very top of a long hill was a farmhouse, dark and tall in the distance. She smiled and shivered, forging on. The roads were entirely ice now, and she felt heavy with cold, being weighed down by her rain soaked clothes. Every step was slow and every breath was short. She could only focus on where she was going. So lost in the thought of a warm house, or dry clothes, or a blanket, or anything, she didn't notice her feet slip until she was falling.

-

Alex Parker hated Christmas break. He knew that was a weird thing for kids his age, but break meant no school, and no school meant home. And Alex hated being home.

His house was old and scary and when his parents were home it was loud. He didn't think he'd ever adjust, and honestly, being in the new house made him miss his old one even more. This house was always cold and dull. There were no Christmas decorations like in New York, and even if there were, it wouldn't cheer him up. This Christmas was going to suck and there was nothing Alex could do about it.

-

Sage's back hit the ground first, her head following not long after, and she desperately sunk her nails into the mud in pain and fear of falling more. She laid, dazed and numb, waiting for the energy to get up and continue on, but it was cold and she was tired. The rain wasn't going to stop anytime soon, so why should she keep going? Why should she waste all that energy for nothing? For all she knew there was no one in that stupid house on the hill and she all she was doing was walking straight to her death. Why? Her phone buzzed and, with a heavy sigh, she slowly reached into her bag and grabbed it.

Ray- Just making sure you got home safely :)

A new wave of ache hit her and she closed her eyes tightly, cold tears trailing down her cheeks. Ray was checking up on her. He was making sure she made it home. Somehow that thought made everything hurt more. What the hell was she doing?! She sighed one last time and stood up, stumbling and wincing in pain. Her left arm was hot and sticky with blood, and her head felt light. She shouldered her backpack again, gritting her teeth, and walked up the hill to the unknown farmhouse.

-

It seemed like days before the door opened. It was slow and cautious, but it opened.

"Can I help you?" A seemingly old man asked, squinting to see through the rain. Sage didn't know what to say, merely wiping tears and blood from her face.

"Um... I... Can I come in? It's really cold and I think I hit my head..."

The man paused slightly to think about it before opening the door wider and grabbing her bag. She thanked him and was instantly hit with warmth. Walking in she noticed the fire in the fireplace, the kettle on the stove, the candles lit around the house, and the many blankets shoved in the corner of the couch. The man followed and placed her bag on the table, pulling a chair out for her to sit on.

"I'll go get some towels and dry clothes. Don't... touch anything." And he was gone. She laid her head on the back of the chair, taking small breaths and closing her eyes. Her entire left arm was throbbing and she could feel the blood dripping slowly down her arm and onto the nice man's floor.

"Shit." She muttered, sitting up slowly and pulling her arm into her lap. She looked up slightly when she heard the man stumbling down the stairs, his arms full of towels and bandages, and she smiled softly, grabbing her phone from her bag and typing one single word.

Safe :)

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