Scales

Chapter 2

"Ah, look at the time, I better go get ready and go to work. Bye." He turned the camera off, and walked over to the bathroom. Rain started a video-journal two years ago, and since then, before his morning started, he'd make one. Sometimes, before going to bed, depending on how well his day went.

It was a way to let his feelings and frustrations out, without having a breakdown. At least, that's what his expensive therapist told him.

After his shower, Rain started on his breakfast. He didn't have much of an appetite, but he needed to take his medicine. They were at the peak of the winter so he opted for some porridge. It was easier on his stomach, and over the years, he learned to enjoy it.

Once he finished his breakfast, Rain cleaned the counter top and put the bowl in the dishwasher. The thought of leaving his house with dirty dishes made him anxious. He wasn't like this before, but then when he got sick, he started to have these anxious thoughts.

'What if I die while out of the house and they have to come in and everything is dirty?'

'What if I die and there's dirty laundry everywhere?'

That would be so embarrassing, Rain would probably die a second time.

Even though the house was small and a bit old, it was exactly what he needed. One bedroom, one bathroom, one kitchen and one living room. Everything for one person. He also had one small balcony where he could keep his tiny version of a herb garden. He loved tending to flowers and plants in his free time. The only downside to it all? Rain didn't have a green thumb. It was more like the thumb of death. His plants always perished. If they were doing great, somehow, pests always found a way to get to his plants and kill them. Heck, he managed to kill cacti, and those are pretty hard to kill.

He sighed in defeat. His phone alarm went off.

"Time to take those bad boys and go to work." He mumbled while reaching for his medicine cupboard. He opened the cabinet and low and behold, a plethora of meds greeted him. He groaned. Rain never enjoyed taking medicine when he was a child, and now as an adult, that did not change a bit. He took the ones for the morning and pushed them down with a healthy glass of boxed juice.

It helped him with the taste.

Rain looked at his wrist watch and hurried to get his suit jacket and his briefcase. It was eight-thirty and if he wanted to get to work on time, he needed to leave the house immediately.

The streets of Jersey City were bustling with people rushing to get to their jobs. The street performers were already working hard to get a few coins. And the street vendors had their stalls up and running for whoever wanted to buy what they had to offer.

Surprisingly enough, the weather was nice. Despite the streets being covered in snow and the trees bare, the sky was clear, and the outside pretty. A deep blue hue covered the sky making everything prettier. He smiled while taking a deep breath. Although he regretted it immediately when the cold air made him choke.

After a few coughs and deep breaths, Rain composed himself and rushed to get to work. The shops were busy with their customers getting started for the holidays. Christmas was around the corner and everyone wanted to get the good gifts first.

'Christmas.' He thought. It used to be his favorite holiday of the year.

Cliché, but still a reality.

Since Rain was a child, Christmas was always filled with magic and wonder, right up to his adulthood. A high christmas tree in a corner of the living room of his parents house, lots of gifts underneath it. His nieces and nephews jumping on his bed on Christmas day; the smell of warm waffles with hot cocoa and marshmallows for breakfast. The awful ugly sweaters aunt Margaret used to knit for them every year. Even the elf on a shelf prank.