The Smell of Rain

vi- looked

Joseph’s parents noticed his absence of two days and forced him out of bed, so he got up. But that didn’t mean he was happy about it.

Even so, he went to the only place he was ever at peace, the only place he was actually, truly, properly happy. And after being numb and angry for so long, this was major.

So he went to the bookstore. Sapid Sanctuary.

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It was raining when Joseph left the house. After being on the receiving end of twenty questions from his parents, for a solid ten minutes about where he was going, he finally got to head out the door. He felt even more mentally drained and peeved off than usual.

The rain reflected his mood. ‘Pathetic fallacy’ he thought it was called.

The rain got heavier as he walked. You could hear the thunder of his steps and the squish squash of his Doc Marten Air waves.

DMs. Boots his parents didn’t approve of. One more thing added to their long list of ‘Things to avoid, if you don’t want to be a misfit.’

His jacket was soaked through, his hair was even more drenched and his glasses were all steamed up. But he didn’t care. He really did love the rain.

He thought it was like the earth was washing itself clean of all things dirty.

But of course that didn’t happen. The earth was still a hell hole.

But then of course people will say ‘The earth is what you make it,’ yeah well it’s a bit difficult to make it anything other than a hell hole, when you’re a 17 year old failure who can’t please anyone, let alone himself. Who doesn’t have the foggiest as to what he’s doing with his life or what he’s going to do. His career’s advisor said that that was perfectly alright, and that he had plenty of time to decide.

But he also said, ‘Reading does more harm than what it’s worth.’

True, it can make you more cynical, but books seem to be the only thing humans have ever done right. He didn’t value his opinions too much.

He continued to walk and when he reached the bookstore, he stopped outside. He hadn’t been in three days. Which wasn’t all that unusual, because as much as he loved it, (it was his favourite place after all) he just couldn’t find the will to get out of bed. To live. Let alone come to Sapid Sanctuary. After all it was all just fiction, all just an escape from his reality.

But he loved it. No, he adored it. Books were his complete and utter escape, as much as drugs were to an addict. And he never wanted to give them up.

So he opened the door, to hear the ding-a-ling-ling of the bell, but more importantly to see her.

Well not her to be precise, more her coppery hair. Which could be seen from atop the bookshelves. And that lavender scent. That lavender scent was very much prominent.

As the lavender engulfed him, he watched her coppery hair glint off the lights. Shades of blonde could be seen more clearly and he found himself being mesmerised.

Then he realised what he was actually doing, staring at a girl he didn’t know, and realised how very creepy that was, so he looked away. But he didn’t want to.

He walked over to his sci fi section, (it may as well have been his, he was practically the only one who spent time there) and sat down on the ground, after selecting a book, Battle Royale from the shelf. He fell into the book and found himself almost as mesmerised as he was by the girl. Almost, but not quite.

Then he heard a tapping of a foot. He thought nothing of it, until it got increasingly louder and got so annoying he had to look up. The place was empty, bar the coppery haired girl who was in front of him.