Flower Girls

Chapter 7 - The Storm

The rain didn't stop overnight, or the next day. Lily and I stayed indoors and played games. At least my little garden was getting some water. I was pleased we had been for a picnic while the weather had allowed us to. The weather forecast had predicted a storm, so we weren't planning to go anywhere any time soon.

"I'm really sorry girls," Mum said as she walked into the snug where we were playing draughts. "I know I said I'd make you a spaghetti bolognaise, but I've run out of tomatoes."

"No problem," I replied, smiling at her. "Lily and I can go to the shop and get some before the storm hits."

"It's raining though," Mum said. "Are you sure you want to?"

"Sure, I'd rather get a bit wet and have the bolognaise," I told her.

Lily and I made sure we had on our jackets and, picking up two umbrellas, ventured out into the rain in the direction of the shop. The dark grey clouds were swirling slowly in the sky, suggesting the weather forecast had been right about the storm.

Fifteen minutes later we had picked up the tomatoes and were starting to make our way back home.

Suddenly I felt a hand clasp over my mouth, and I was yanked backwards, dropping the tomatoes. I made a noise loud enough for Lily to hear, and instinctively kicked backwards to try to hurt whoever had a hold of me.

The man with the dark eyes yelped in pain and let me go. Lily grabbed my hand and we started running through the rain to get away from him. We ducked into the doorway of a large, abandoned warehouse to hide, but he was still coming towards us, so we knew he'd seen our hiding place.

Lily looked around.

"This way," she said, pointing up the stairs behind us.

Together we climbed the wet stairs as the man continued to follow us. At the top of the staircase was a door that led to the rooftop. We tried the handle and it opened easily. We fell through the door and kept running.

The wind was howling, and thunder clapped in the distance. The storm was coming. I looked around for a place to hide. But we'd stopped for too long, and he was nearly behind us.

Lily pushed me behind her back, so that I could use her as a shield.

"Let me past," growled the man. He was clearly more concerned about attacking me than Lily, but I still didn't understand why.

"Don't you understand? Killing her is pointless! There's no way to go back!" shouted Lily against the loud wind.

The man turned his dark eyes to look intently at me. He looked back to Lily, lifting his finger to point at me, as I shivered behind her.

"Did she destroy it?" he asked just as loudly.

Lily looked briefly over her shoulder at me and then back at the man. "Yes," she nodded.

What? They were clearly talking about me, but I hadn't destroyed anything! What was Lily doing? Why was she saying these things? I was so confused, but I just watched them in shock.

The wind blew my hair into my face and more thunder sounded, closer this time. The rain was falling thicker and faster as the storm intensified.

"No!!!," wailed the man, obviously distressed at whatever I'd apparently destroyed. "No! No! No!"

"Yes," replied Lily. "Which means even if you kill her, what happens next? You're still trapped here."

"You stupid girl!" shouted the man. "That means you're trapped here too!"