Annabel [h.s.]

one

The sky opened and bled from deep wounds. Heavy drops of rain saturated ever uncovered surface and flooded the streets. Gale force winds cut through the downpour, swaying trees and playing with loose objects.

A man walked through the raging storm. Dressed in a black sweatshirt and tight denim jeans, he looked like a figure that hides in children's nightmares.

He blended in well with the dark colors of the storm, but he didn't blend in well with the people who watched him safely from behind their thick glass windows. They judged him for being stupid enough to walk through a hurricane in every day attire, everyone except Annabel.

Annabel watched him curiously. He didn't have anything with him except the clothes on his back and whatever happened to be inside of his pockets. Whoever he was, he walked with a purpose even though the storm battered him and sent him stumbling on his feet every now and then.

Everyone was watching him, but no one had offered to help the man even as the wind picked up and heavy rolls of thunder shook the foundations of buildings.

Lightning lit up the sky and illuminated his lonesome figure. He didn't even flinch.

Annabel rushed down the stairs and flung open the front door. She vaguely heard her mother shouting at her, but she ignored the sound and ran out into the downpour.

The chill of the rain combined with both the wind and the frigid temperature chilled her to the bone instantly. It didn't help that she had gone outside in her lace underwear and a sweatshirt that was far too big on her.

Another roll of thunder shook the ground beneath her feet, but Annabel ignored it as she ran up to the man in the dark sweatshirt. Her lungs screamed at her in protest and her feet ached from running barefoot on the gravel, but she needed to know him.

Something about the strange man lured her in and she wasn't willing to let him walk away until she knew even the smallest detail about him. They were standing face to face, clothes clinging to their bodies and eyes wide in the sudden presence of a stranger.

Annabel's chest was heaving, she didn't run much and didn't care too, and it was certainly showing. Dark eyes met light eyes, but nothing was clear on the surface. The man was intrigued and raised an eyebrow as he waited for the woman to say something.

Her dark hair clung to her skin in webs, Annabel hated the feeling, but it hardly registered because she really liked the color of his eyes.

"Come inside."

The man nodded. Annabel took his hand and pulled him towards her house. Her parents were going to be livid, especially because he was a man, but their opinions didn't matter to Annabel because hers didn't matter to them.

Unlike them, she had actually gone out to help him, so there really wasn't much room for them to argue unless they wanted to sound like terrible people.

Annabel walked through the door with the stranger, each of them shedding water like they'd just stepped out of a swimming pool.

Claire, Annabel's mother, rushed into the room in a panic, her father, Steven, right on her heels.

"What do you think you're-" Claire stopped speaking upon catching sight of the strange man standing beside her daughter. He was shaking the water droplets from his hair, his profile was strong and striking.

"Oh."

Annabel ignored her parents and watched the stranger, his tongue poked out to wet his lips and his light eyes were carefully taking in his surroundings. He looked much better with the dark hood away from his face.