~Rain~

Chapter Nine

Chapter nine

A man walked slowly to the window and looked out at the deserted street below. He could not see very far, as the rain that pounded heavily down on the hurricane proof glass was getting thicker by the second, turning to snow.

He vaguely wondered how the monsters would take it. He doubted that they could feel the cold, but he had never really thought to ask. A movement on the other side of the street below him caught his eye, even in the darkness of the night. A long figure was walking hurriedly along the path, their feeble attempt of protecting their hair failing terribly.

The man waited, making no attempt to catch their attention. He was too high up, the rain was too heavy and the glass of the window far to thick to open. He just watched, a little bemused, as the figure ran forward, seemingly trying to get out of the rain, which was now falling in thick white clumps.

And then another, unmistakable figure appeared from behind, and the first person was dead, lying still on the ground while the Nelia moved on. Paling, the man turned away in disgust, wishing he could help in some way, but knowing he could not. He could not put anybody else in danger.

An empty bottle of water lay on the floor, dripping slowly onto the lino, but he ignored it. It was just a drop, just like all those other millions and millions of other drops that were falling from the sky right at that very moment. Except this drop could save someone’s life.

With a sickened glance, the man pulled another, full bottle from the cupboard and pressed it to his lips, hoping against hope that he would never see a day where that last drop could mean life or death to him, like it did to so many other people scattered around the country right now, hoping, preying for another chance.

Contented, the man set the bottle steadily on the counter, risking one last glance into the outside world, not caring that the inside of the building was as dark as the night. By morning light would come again, and the light would bring a new day full of new horrors for him to face. For now, he would have to be content with drinking his water, watching the snow fall onto the abandoned streets and hoping that he would not see another death that night.

…

 Willa made one last, desperate bid for freedom, only to be stopped by a thick, sharp claw, which swept toward her.

‘Help me!’ she cried uselessly, watching from the corner of her eye as the broom handle Tyron was fighting with was whipped from his hands and Alice turned a dark shade of grey.

There was no time for Miles to check the spot where Taya had been again, but he knew that somehow, she was gone. He also knew that only minute before, he had heard her neck snap and seen her lying without breathing on the floor. And now, she was gone. Simple as that.

‘Taya?’ he called out cautiously, as he reached behind him for another laptop to throw. His hand closed around thin air, and panic shot through his body like a tidal wave, filling him from head to toe.

‘What?’ The sarcastic brightness in her voice was forced, but the bitter smile on her face was genuine; the situation was grim.

‘Taya!’ Tyron cried, dodging from where he was trapped and leaping up onto the nearest table before the Nelia could stop him. Flinging a lone protractor toward his pursuer like a frisbee, the boy glanced back at the girl who he could have sworn was dead just a second before.