Alone

Chapter 12

We drove in silence. My forehead rested on the cold glass window as I watched the trees fly past. The sky was dark. Large clouds loomed overhead and small rain drops had begun to sprinkle across the windshield.

"Mind if I turn the radio on?" Harry's gruff voice asked.

I shrugged, not removing my eyes from their lookout. There was a click of a button, and a woman's voice filled my ears. "And now we have not only received warnings of severe thunder storms, we are now issuing a tornado threat...." Harry pushed the button, cutting off her voice. The car veered to the side of the deserted road. My head bumped the window as Harry made a quick U-turn, changing directions completely.

"Harry..." I started, already knowing what was going through his mind.

"I'm not letting you go home Kate. You'll stay with me."

"Harry-"

"It's too dangerous. I'm not leaving you alone."

"Harry-" I tried to get a word in, but he continued to interrupt me.

"I'll take you home when its safe again."

"Harry I don't want t-"

"Please Kate." He had taken his eyes off the road, his hands on the wheel as his eyes pleaded with me. "I want to keep you safe." He begged. His eyes were round and innocent, like a child's. I sighed, giving in.

The skies had grown blacker, and the rain now splashed down all around, making it difficult to see. A flash of lighting flew across the sky, followed by the roaring thunder. My heart thumped loudly in my chest. It's not that I was scared of storms...they just made me anxious.

The car stopped, although I couldn't see a thing outside the windows. "We'll have to make a run for it." Harry shouted over the rain pounding on the rooftop. I nodded, pulling the handle and pushing open my door. Immediately I was soaked, sprinting to the front door as Harry struggled to unlock it. The rain hammered down on us, viciously biting our eyes and attacking our bodies. His wet t-shirt clung to his chest and his previously curly hair hung straight down over his eyes. He swept it back with his hand, fiddling with the key before pushing the door open.

We stumbled inside, slamming the door behind us. Harry immediately ripped off his shirt, throwing it aside. He then turned to me, pulling off my soaked jacket and letting it fall to my feet. "I'll get you some dry clothes."

I kicked off my shoes and followed him quietly through the dimly lit apartment, listening to the roaring of thunder and the whistling of the wind. He disappeared into his bedroom, and quickly reappeared holding a wad of folded up clothes.

"Here."

I took the soft pile from him, stepping into the bathroom and shutting the door. I peeled of my wet shirt, and struggled to pull down my wet jeans which gripped my legs tightly. Finally I succeeded, dropping them to my feet and kicking them aside. I unfolded Harry's dry clothes, pulling up his soft, warm sweatpants. They were greatly oversized, as Harry was much taller than I, but nonetheless, they were comfortable. I pulled the baggy white tee over my head, stepping in front of the mirror. I wiped some of my dripping makeup from under my eyes before snatching a towel off the rack. I squeezed out my hair, trying to get all the water out.

Suddenly the lights went out. My breath hitched in my throat as I waited for them to come back on, but they didn't. I whirled around, facing the loud snapping sound coming from outside the window. I stepped caustically closer, peering out the dark glass. A tall, dark shadow loomed over the window before I realized it was falling. In no time, the tree had smashed through the window, sending glass fly everywhere. I let out a terrified scream as I was thrown backwards, the back of my head slamming into the floor. Strong winds rushed through the window and heavy raindrops stung my eyes. I turned over, wincing in pain as the shattered glass bit into my hands. I stumbled several times before fully standing up, yanking the door open and sprinting into the hallway.