Rainfall Chronicles: Amelia Reinhart

Chapter 5: My Encounter with Fate

I was filled with fear. Huh... this feeling was generally forgotten to me. I was so numb to the things happening to me at home that I forgot how genuinely fearing for your life feels. In a way, it's... exhilarating.

But after all that... I was too afraid. Too afraid to move. I just wanted to get out of here...

And that's how that single feeling of fear changed everything about my destiny...

The fear built up... and exploded.

The puddles surrounding me that I was stepping on... suddenly shot upwards, splashing everywhere.

What the hell just happened?!

It must have been my powers. The nervousness built up inside me was so intense that the pressure finally caved in and released itself through my power. All of the surrounding water violently jolted upwards, creating a loud splashing noise echoing throughout the enclosed walls of the temple.

My worst fear came true. The sounds, the water... it caused the thing in front of me to begin turning around. My heart stops as I notice. It's as if time itself grinded to a halt as I saw the figure stand up.

My heart is racing. The suspense is clawing at me as the silhouette is almost finished turning. I wanted to sprint away so badly; I kept telling myself that this was all a horrible nightmare, but I could not have been even more wrong.

There it was. The face of Death's piercing gaze staring into my very soul.

I couldn't move. My body wouldn't allow me to? Was I going to die right here? No, I refuse!— so... why wasn't my body taking my instructions?! Just move, girl! MOVE!

"You..."

It talked. Cold sweat runs down my back. My entire body was trembling as I heard its voice. At this point, we were staring at each other face to face — my vision being obscured by both the darkness, and the hood that the entity was wearing.

I swore to myself to run, but I couldn't. I swear on everything I couldn't. Thinking about it now, though, I'm glad I didn't move. I was no longer hearing the rain falling from above, nor the sounds of the rippling water surrounding me... not even my own heart pumping.

It was dead silence — no white noise either. Just us... staring at each other with blank expressions... but inside, I was crying out of pure horror.

Through this silence... it removes the hood mounted atop its head.

Silence.

I stare directly into his eyes.

Still... silence.

This was no creature. This was a man.

The silence becomes deafening. The silence screams out.

As my eyes lay upon the man... I finally see it. This was no beast or creature... this was no stranger. My trembling quickly stops.

I knew him.

And he knew me.

It was my father.

...

"A M E L I A A A A A A A A A ! ! ! ! !"

Enraged, he roars my name! Suddenly, all of the noise comes blaring back to me as my father yells out. The rain the echoing... along with the sound returns my senses! Whatever was stopping me from running disappears, and I begin sprinting for my life!

I turn around and run back the way I came. I had no clue if he was giving chase. All I knew was that did not want to face his rage. All the questions in my mind were replaced with new ones.

Why was he here?

Why was he doing this?

Is this why he didn't want me to go into the forest?

What was he doing that was so serious that he never wanted me to go near this place?!

I didn't care — at least, as of the moment. All I wanted to do was get away from here. I didn't notice it at first, but I realized that the water flooding the pathway was adapting to my speed. I was running at full speed, but the water was still able to tell me how to get back to the surface. In fact, I think it was actually helping me move faster.

My movement was quick and precise, and after no time at all, I make it to the incline. I didn't care that I was tired. I used what was left of my adrenaline to run up the steep pathway. After getting out of the water, and after running all the way up... I make it to the surface.

For a brief moment, I decide to look back into the dark depths through the entrance. It was as if I was staring into a bottomless abyss below me, sending chills down into my neck. As I stare into the dark void, I hear the sounds of hurried running from below. Not wanting to take my chances and stay up here, I run.

I don't know where. All I knew what I had to do was run. I begin running to the opposite direction of our house. I didn't want to wait and see what would happen if I had stuck around.

I ran. My emotions were getting the better of me. The sun was setting, and darkness was about to come soon after. Good — I needed to get away as far as possible, and the cover of the moon will help me. I continue running, and running...

I've been running for hours. The beauty of the forest was masked by a sheet of darkness. It's only after hours that I finally reached an edge. I've reached the edge of the forest.

I find a forest walkway for the public to use, and follow it. Several more minutes of walking, I've reached the end of the walkway. It was a gateway to a park.

A park...?

Oh, I get it...

I'm in the city again.

As I look around, I see the bustling streets of the city. The pedestrians having nightly walks, businessmen and women coming home from work... all going to go back to the home that they have.

Huh... must be nice to have a place to go.

I can't go back. I'm not going back after the stunt I just pulled. He'd kill me if I showed my face again..

It's fine... he probably isn't worried about me. He's probably more worried about whatever the hell he was doing underneath that temple.

I guess it's back to the streets for you, girl...

It's okay. I've been used to this life for over half of my life.

I can do this again, right? I just have to get back into the groove of stealing food, and... being treated like a bug someone had just stepped on...

Yeah... it's simple...

I look up at the night sky.

I see an airplane and its blinking light passing me by.

...

"One day..."