In the Rain

Morning

She awoke to the rapid, light, cold tapping on her bathroom skylight. When the rain comes down that quickly it sounds like a million tiny pebbles hitting the windows and roofs of homes. Death by a thousand rain drops she thought to herself, smiling at her own pun. She lifted her head and looked out her window - propped open long after most everyone else had shut theirs to the fall cold. She didn't mind the rain. She never really understood why everyone else would panic, faces drawn with a grimace, when they would see rain coming down. Of course, she thought, it was preferable that she have an umbrella with her, or even a hood on a jacket. But if she didn't she wasn't too concerned. It was just water after all. What did people think would happen to them if they were hit with water?

It was darker than usual when she arose. She woke up earlier than the majority of her coworkers, so it wasn't uncommon to start her day in the dark. But it was a darker shade of morning. Distinct. She wondered if the rain caused the sky to appear darker. Quickly searching for the weather report on her laptop, she noted the humidity and probability of precipitation. She hated humidity. Far more than rain and thunderstorms and waking up in the dark.

Opening a middle drawer in her dresser, she rifled through different knits picking a sweater that was billowy yet warm enough to wear without a jacket. She closed the drawer, having to push down other knits in order to shove the front shut. Like all of her drawers, this one was filled beyond capacity. She felt it was too difficult to throw clothes away unless they were eaten through by moths. Each thread and pattern of the knits brought her back to different memories of her past - sometimes good, sometimes bad, but always somewhere else.

Rifling around her overloaded desk she found her most durable umbrella. One that was made by a high quality Japanese brand, but spotted a traditional Scottish tartan. She liked this because it brought her back to her years spent amongst the hills, the sea and the isolation of the Scottish countryside. Picking up the same bag she used each day for every outing, she headed to the door - ramming her feet into her shoes so quickly that she accidentally crushed the backs of them down - forcing her to shove her finger into the back, fishing around to try to unhook the folded back without having to remove her foot entirely from the shoe. She failed in this, retracted her foot and began the process again. Slowly now, she managed to get her foot in this time while keeping the back in place. Grabbing her keys she unlocked the door, unlatched her umbrella and stepped outside into the rain.

It was only about a 7 metre distance between her front door and her car. She felt the familiar discomfort of the weight of the humidity in the air. The feeling reminded her of a dentist putting a lead vest on a patient to protect them from radiation. She walked quickly while slowly, maintaining her position under her umbrella. Like a weird waltz, she had to consciously remind herself to be both quick and slow - her umbrella would often be a half pace behind her walking speed, and if she was out of step she would end up in the rain.

Opening her car door she noticed a patch of rain drops collected on the drivers seat. Getting in the seat she hoped that there wasn't a leak in between the window and the roof of the door. The rain wasn't supposed to be penetrating the comfortable shell of her car. It could lead to rust or damage.

Starting up the car she noticed how desolate the street was. Dark. Wet. Covered in dampened leaves. It was hard to make out people and shapes. She felt as though there was something eerie about this rain. The rain that comes in the early morning before the sun is up. Before office building windows are illuminated in the sky. Reversing, something came out from the shrub row behind her. It had a huddled back and a dark presence. She halted to a stop. Alarmed.

It was just a dog. I mean, it looks like a dog she thought to herself. A dog, definitely a dog. Once clear from her car, she continued to back out of her drive. Starting forward up the streets of her quite secluded neighbourhood her car slowly rugged along. The engine churning and pulling - needing to be switched into manual gear from automatic because it couldn't bring itself into a higher gear. As she drove along she thought about how this rain was different from the rain she knew back in Scotland. She never once felt that heavy rain in the morning in Scotland was ominous or foreboding. But there was something about this rain. This morning. Today. Which felt unusual. Threatening.

Driving past Halloween decorations she thought how the Celtic belief that started the tradition made sense in this kind of weather. How in the darkness and dampness it was difficult to discern what and who something was. They wore masks, the Celts did, in order to disguise themselves amongst those on the street who might be something unhuman. On All Hallows' Eve, they believed that the spirits and supernatural creatures could wander around freely. In order to protect your home, you placed a candle inside a gourd to help light the path of the spirits and guide them away. As she passed these modern day Halloween decorations in the dark rain she couldn't help but feel the surge of eeriness which this season brings. It's difficult to see the sidewalk in this weather, let alone know what something approaching might be. She took comfort in the warmth of her car, passing through the sleepy intersections with ease.

Close to the subway station now, she pulled along the last few winding roads. Tires screeching while her body jolted forward. She had come to a sudden unanticipated stop. Turning onto the street a man had appeared out of the darkness. She hadn't seen him at all. Not even an outline. He was walking on the street and dressed head to toe in all black. Like an apparition he came out of the rain suddenly. Stopped now, she could see him clearly. A man. A commuter, she guessed. He moved onto the sidewalk off the road. An advisable decision she felt, considering how dark it is and the clothing he was wearing. Still, she felt uneasy that she hadn't seen him at all. He seemed to have appeared out of the rain, misshapen and darkened by his umbrella.

One street left now. Driving towards her parking spot she saw a large looming man. Too large to be natural. Unnatural. He looked to stand at over 9 feet tall, and was walking towards her car. Frightened, she looked to see where she could drive in case he approached her car. Finding no alternative, she continued on the road on which he was walking towards her. As she came within 15 metres of him she realized he wasn't 9 feet tall. He was more like 6 feet tall, dressed in head to toe rain gear with a hood pulled tightly around his face leaving little of his human features exposed. She laughed at herself and rubbed her eyes. She was seeing things today. Pulling into her parking spot she took out her umbrella, opened the door and slid out. She walked quietly to the subway entrance - aware of the emptiness of the sidewalks, the darkness of the sky and the quiet of the city with only the sound of the rain. She walked through the doors of the subway, and came in from the rain.