Take My Hand | KNJ ONE-SHOTS & IMAGINES

Rain

It's a beautifully rainy day today. The sound of the rain sheeting against the windows brings you a sense of happiness like no other. You have the whole day planned out already: snacks, binge-watching Netflix, and treating yourself to the best dinner this evening. You've waited for a day like this for what feels like a very long time. It's such a nice break from the usual unbearably hot days of summer.

You're currently holed-up in your living room, one hand using the remote to scroll through your Netflix list, and the other buried elbow-deep in a family-size bag of chips. You find a movie you've been meaning to watch for months, and press play. As your slow internet struggles to load the movie, you decide to look out at the rain. Everything seems so dark and sleepy. A low rumble of thunder raises goosebumps on the skin of your arms. You can feel the charge of electricity in the air. Something is going to happen...

You hear Netflix's signature dundun sound as your movie finally finishes loading. But you can't seem to tear yourself away from the rain outside. Lightning flashes, momentarily stunning you. As your eyes slowly regain focus, you swear you can see a lone figure walking in the storm. But that's crazy, right? There's no way anyone would be outside in a storm like this! You shake your head and press your face up against the window. "What the hell...?" Sure enough, as you peer out at the rain, you can see a barely-visible figure trudging up the sidewalk across the street. They look so slight, and your heart leaps as a strong gale of wind almost knocks them off their feet. You keep your eyes on them as they cross the street. Huh... That's strange. They look like they're coming toward... They're coming to your house?!

"What...?" Sure enough, the figure makes its way up your sidewalk. You duck out of sight, mumbling a silent curse. A soft knock at your door sounds, rousing your dog from his slumber. You hear his tiny feet come tearing up the hallway, his high-pitched barks piercing the air.

You know you have to open the door. You can't leave him standing there. You open the door, your small dog barking up a storm in between you and the stranger. Each time the dog barks, he backs up so his butt ends up against your ankles. "Can I—"

"Please, help me." The man before you looks at you with a gaze full of pain. He's hunched over slightly, his features twisted in a mask of discomfort. Something compels you to let this stranger in; whether it's common courtesy or something entirely different, you don't know. You find yourself stepping back to allow him to enter. You hear yourself say "please come inside". You know you shouldn't do this. Common sense wholly disagrees with what you're doing right now, but still, you're letting this man that you don't know at all into your home.

The man gives you a small smile as he enters your home, ducking his head slightly. "Thank you."

You shut the door after him, the click of the lock echoing with an eerie ring of finality. Your dog is still barking, his small body trembling as he snarls and bares his teeth at the man.

"Sorry," you murmur, reaching down to scoop the animal into your lap. "Calm down, Boo." You pet him in that special way he likes, and it works, although he hasn't completely stopped trembling. "He's usually pretty friendly. What's gotten into you, huh?" You gently scratch the area between his eyes, smiling when the motion makes the dog's eyes start to close. "It's okay, it's okay."

The stranger smiles, reaching a single finger out toward Boo's nose. Boo sniffs it tentatively, licking at the appendage a few times before settling down in your lap. "He just needed to get to know me."

"It's funny though, he loves meeting new people; don't you, boy?" You scratch under Boo's chin. He snores quietly. He does that when he's comfortable.

"Well, you know what they say about dogs." The stranger ends his sentence, just like that. He looks out of place in your home. There's an unsettling air about him that you can't place. But something about him makes you feel uneasy. He looks at you, and your heart skips a beat. "May I sit?"