Once Before

2 - The Thunderstorm

The bell above the door chimed meekly as I entered the pharmacy, and almost immediately my nose was filled with the scent of antiseptic and someone's cologne - an intoxicating mixture of rose and lavender. Though the façade of the store retained its old, classical features of the 17th century, Corliss had recently decided give the interior a makeover, thus the light colored shelving and walls, paired with the bright LED lights that lined the ceilings. 

Behind one of the aisles at the end of the store, a shuffling sound of a person moving around escaped, letting me know that someone else was also in the store which was otherwise abandoned.

"Good afternoon, welcome to Corliss' Drugstore!" The person greeted, her frizzy red hair made its appearance from above the cosmetics shelving before Corliss had the chance to show herself. 

"Hello Corliss, I'll take two of these please," I motioned to the packs of cotton pads which I have placed on top of the counter, just as Corliss approached me and made her way to the back of the cash register. 

"Clemmie, how wonderful it is to see a familiar face!" She exclaimed, scanning my goods through the laser scanner. "My, how you've grown! How long are you staying here for this time?"

"Actually," I began, "I'm staying here for good. Living away is nice and all, but home is home..."

"Ashford could really do that to people," She winked, "So what did you missed the most about home? Certainly not the people? Seeing that there are only-what? three hundred of us?" 

"Everything, now that I think about it," I chuckled, "The people, definitely, the place is a given, the food? Maybe... And I guess that's everything."

"And how is your... head?" She hesitantly asked, referring to the injury I received when I had drowned years ago. "If the pain still shows up, I'm sure I can try to prescribe you with something to numb it down."

"Don't worry about it Corliss, I haven't had any head pain for the past three years now - well, save for the pains I get from the stress of living, but what can I do about that?" I chuckled.

"Well, that I-" Corliss' comment was cut short when the looming sound of thunder fell from the sky, angry and aghast. She eyes the ceiling - as if inspecting for any leak or damage - before her eyes found mind in a frantic sort of way. "You must be really, really careful on your way back dear. It seems that there will be a storm coming, if it's not already here."

"I will, thank you Corliss, I'll see you around!" I waved, heading out under the mercy of the heavy clouds that have already begun rumbling and gathering into a dark grey mass.

---

"Be sure to check all the windows and make sure they're all sealed tight okay dear," Mum called out from the stairway as she head upstairs, "We wouldn't want Otto to catch a cold, or get lost in the storm. Heaven knows that dog doesn't know what's good and what's bad for him."

"I will Mum, goodnight!" I exclaimed as I dug myself deeper into the sofa, the artificial glow of my laptop screen illuminating my face and the living room around me. "You won't catch a cold won't you boy? You're tough as nails."

Otto, who was calmly curled on the rug below me, didn't even bother to respond to what I had just said. Some days I am sure that he had gone deaf in both ears when I was away - though he never had any problem running in when there's the sound of cracker wrapping being opened. 

"That's what I thought..." I whispered to myself.

Time went by faster than I could finish my article piece on the upcoming tourist season, and soon it was nearing midnight. A yawn escaped my lips and as I looked around, I realized that the rain had grown more intense compared to earlier this evening - though it had been silenced by the closed doors and windows around me. 

Walking towards the old French doors that leads to our back garden, I started noticing how fast the wind had picked up its pace, sending our trees wavering sideways and their leaves flying into the air before vanishing out of sight and into the night.

The ocean that sprawled behind our house below roared violently, almost audible through the thick glass windows and brick walls.

The best thing to do now was to hope that the town's still in one piece by sunrise. I'd hate to think that someone's stuck outside in the storm.

"Come on Otto, let's go to bed!" I exclaimed to him, only to realize that he's nowhere in sight.

"Otto?" I called out, though keeping my voice low enough as to not wake Mum and Dad. "Otto where are you?"

Before I could register anything else, a bark reached my ear, coming from the other side of the door I had stood in front of not a second ago. 

My heart plummeted. 

Otto - in all his short-legged glory - stood outside in the middle of the storm, his ears flapping wildly with the wind.

"My goodness you idiot!" I shrieked, running outside as fast as I could, only then realizing that I was risking my life for his. "Otto if I die because of you I'm taking you down with me!"

All he did, in return, was bark once more before running away when I approached him. My hair flew towards every possible direction, obscuring the view in front of me, and although it was dark, I could suddenly see where Otto was heading.

"Otto now is not the time to go swimming, come back!" I yelled, all but to no avail as he skipped down the uneven rocky steps that leads straight down to a small cove. Unlike the beach that my friends and I often visit, this one's not suited for swimming or even for human or canine encounter.

Although Otto was by all means a small dog, I must admit that he's quite the runner, leaving me breathless trying to catch up with him while making my way through a literal storm.

The roar of waves violently clashing against the sharp bedrocks were deafening to say the least, and I was sure that if I were to shout for help, no one would be able to hear me. If it wasn't for the moonlight gleaming almost magically upon the surface of the furious water, I would be completely blinded by the darkness.

When my eyes looked up from struggling to find Otto in the dark - his bright white and caramel fur was surprisingly hard to find in the midst of the pitch black bedrock - I saw him standing calmly on top of one of the rocks, looking at me helplessly as he stood far away from me. How he got there in the short amount of time we've been down here escaped me. 

"Otto, come on, let's go back!" I pleaded as I approached him slowly, my feet adjusting to the rocky path beneath me. The wind was getting stronger, the rain heavier, and my ears were filled with noises - just noises. Busy, and loud, and scary too. 

But then it all went away, and there was nothing but darkness.