Ronan: To the Moon and Back

42. The Rain Above and the London Street Lights Below

Rae should have known something seemed a bit off when she was leaving Ronan for the night. Should have paid attention to the little envelop Ronan pulled from under his pillow and shoved into the back of her pocket. However, she was listening to Olivia's very animated story about how she conned Liam and Zyan into playing Princess Fairytale with her. Laughing when Olivia said she made Zayn wear her plastic, glittery tiara. So, she barely registered feeling a little hand slip into her pocket, not giving it a second thought.

She should've known something was strange again when she arrived home, with how the front porch lights were already on just as the sun was setting. She knew her mother wouldn't be home, obviously, since she just left her. Not of her own choice, since her mother practically forced Rae to go home after insisting that she'd stay the night with Ronan instead. When she made to get out of her car, leaning over to grab her bag, something crinkled in her pocket. She forgot Ronan put something there, so she pulls it out, pausing from closing the car door mid way. It's not just a piece of paper in the envelop, not with the sound it makes when she crinkles it again. It feel a littler thicker, she can feel the slight outline of a square. Rae opens the unsealed flap, pulling out the envelops contains, well, just a single item.

A polaroid. It's a polaroid picture of a digital clock, bright red numbers shining 8:30. Confused, Rae checks the time on her phone, sees that it's nearly eight now. She finally closes the door, making her way up the two steps to her front door, still staring at the picture. When she looks up from getting her keys, she's met with another polaroid, this one a picture of a nice outfit. 

Rae raises her eyebrow in a silent question, because what? What does an outfit, clearly taken from a fashion magazine, have anything to do with the first time stamp picture. She pulls the polaroid from the tape on the door, then opens it after unlocking. She cautiously makes her way inside, hoping it isn't Kari playing a prank on her, just to jump out and scare her.

It's when she's toeing off her shoes and passes the kitchen does she stop again, doubling back. There's a third polaroid taped to the frame of the kitchen wall; this one being a picture of food. Rae actually chuckles, because the food is of one of the frozen dinners in the ice box; clearly someone has been, or is in her house. However, the feeling of being jumped at fades away as she slowly begins to cotton on, curiosity now spiking.

Rae searches for other pictures in the kitchen but finds none. So she's got three pictures in her hand; time, an outfit, and food. Rae thinks for a moment, beginning to piece together the pictures as she makes her way upstairs, but stops again because she has this feeling there's another clue.

She turns out to be right, pulling off the fourth picture from the banister, this one being a photo of her own camera. Which makes her frown a bit. She did leave her camera home for once, wanting to focus all her time with her mum and Ronan, off duty from snapping picture for the newletters. So how would someone, a certain someone, know her camera stayed behind. Soon, Rae can't stop the slow smile creeping it's way across her lips, clearly coming to terms that this wasn't done alone. She shakes her head in amusement, finally making her way to her room, with the door closed and another picture plastered to the front.

This one is a little harder to make out, so Rae has to squint and lean closer. It's a bit more abstract and the lighting isn't very good, and the quality of polaroid cameras aren't the best. It takes her a few moments to figure out what the object is, and when she does, that little smile is now full blown. The abstract picture is the London Eye, taken from a distance, with the nights lights shinning around it. Containing her excitement for just a little longer, Rae takes the picture to add to the collection in her hand and opens her door. Rae finds her sixth and final clue, sitting on her bed and it's so much more than small pictures can ever be.