Rain.

Night came.

A short Story by Annabelle  20/11/2016

Night came. A dirty, black night with rain. I saw a flash then I heard the boom. It was a cold December night in a small town in Missouri called Glenwood. I was out in the barn listening to the rain pelt down on the galvanised roof. I took a deep sigh and watched as the mist created by my breath dissipated into the moonlit air. It's nights like this I can't sleep.

I sat further back into the bale of hay and looked out the cracked window to see the cheesy moon smiling down on the creatures of the night. "so this is where you've been hiding?" a voice said. I didn't move, just hummed as an acknowledgement.

I knew who it was "And you just stood there for the last five minutes staring at me?" I turned my head to the side and gave a lopsided grin. It was my best friend Charlie. He had a black hoodie on and a pair of 'Levi' jeans. He has long, silky pitch black hair, a strong jawline and steel grey eyes that could pierce your very soul. We have been best friends since kindergarten. Charlie came over and sat beside me.

"Izzy, your gonna catch a cold if you stay out here any longer" Charlie scolded me using my childhood nickname. I looked out the window, sighing once again. "Its days like this I feel so alone" I closed my eyes willing the memories to go away "I miss them Char, I want them to come back" I looked back at Charlie with a sad smile. "I know you do Elizabeth but we can't change the past, you know I'm always here for you." Charlie wrapped his arms around me. I returned the gesture with a squeeze and an inaudible "thanks Char." We broke apart and watched as the night sky lit up white with lightning.

It was the same conditions as tonight when it happened a year ago, the night everything was taken away from me. I leaned up against Charlie and closed my eyes as the memories of that night began to play. I was only sixteen when it happened. I was staying at Charlies house because my parents were going to Alaska to visit my aunt Susie when I got a phone call. "Hello? Is this Elizabeth Smith daughter of Edmond and Alexandra Smith?" a voice spoke through the phone I wasn't sure what was going on at the time I thought it was some sort of prank but I answered "This is Elizabeth who is this?" there was silence for a while until the voice spoke up again "Im Dr Jones from the Eastern Missouri State Hospital, I got this number in your mothers contacts list. I have some news." When I heard him say "my mother" numerous things when through my head. Is she okay? Is she sick? Did she faint again? I began to worry. "what's going on? why are you calling?" I was getting angry, a panicky feeling saturating my mind.

"I'm sorry Elizabeth but your parents have been involved in a car accident, your mother is in a critical state at the Eastern Missouri State Hospital" I froze barely able to speak, time stopped and everything just ceased to exist "what...what about my father is he okay?" I whispered, silently praying for him to be alive.

"I am so sorry Elizabeth he was pronounced dead at the scene"

At that very moment I broke and sobbed, a white noise filling my head. I dropped the phone and slunk to the floor, tears cascading down my face, my mind confused, my body limp and my heart broken.
•••
  Another cold wet day, I watched as they lowered the coffins into the ground my mind floating in a void, tears mingling with the rain. My body numb and lifeless like that of my dead parents.

Pressure on my hand.
Good old Charlie always there by my side. My rock. My saviour. "Don't worry" he said "I'll always be here for you. I'll never let you down."

Days passed slowly at first then weeks and then a few months passed and things started to go back to normal. Well as normal as one can be with no living biological family left alive. Time helped ease the pain. And although i had my downs, Charlie was always there to pull me out.

Me and Charlie were inseparable and soon I learned to laugh again. Days, weeks, months and eventually two years passed and the sad memories had been replaced by happier ones. Trips to the beach, days out to the mall and nights at the theater with long walks home bathed in the moonlight, tipsy on Rosè wine and filled with laughter. For as always Charlie was by my side cheering me on and holding me close so I didn't trip up. I never knew I could feel so close to someone. I wondered sometimes what life would be like without Charlie when eventually I would go to college. But I didn't need to worry because I knew he would always be around when I needed him. Boyfriends came and went but no one seemed to stick around except of course, my good friend Charlie.

Finally, the big night had come it was my prom and of course there was only one person I could trust to take me.

Charlie came down the stairs. My heart leapt. What was this feeling I was having? He was so striking. Clothed in a dark suit with his hair swept across one eye as he smiled at me that same lopsided smile, yet somehow a different smile, one that made my heart miss a beat.

"Wow Izzy you look beautiful" said Charlie. "You're not too bad yourself" I stammered, I couldn't understand these feelings I was having, after all it was just Charlie.

"Right let's go" he said "but first I have something for you." He took out a small box wrapped in silver paper. "Oh Charlie you shouldn't have" I said. I tore the paper off and inside was the most precious heart shaped locket. I opened it up and inside was a picture and a lock of that shiny black hair. It was beautiful, I wiped a tear from my eye and laughed nervously." I love it Char." "I'm glad" he replied "wherever you go you'll always have a piece of me with you." He whispered as he gently put the locket around my pale neck.

I caught a glimpse of us in the mirror I never knew how much we complimented each other, my pale skin, green eyes and long wavy blonde hair and him with his tanned skin, black hair and steel grey eyes.

The prom had ended and strangely, another dirty, black night with rain had begun as we were driving home. I glanced over at the man he had become. my Charlie. How strange that sounded. I was drunk with elation at having had the best time of my life. I knew now that my feelings went deeper than friendship for Charlie. I had to tell him. It was quiet only the low hum of the radio in the background. The window wipers moved back and forth as the rain got heavier. We heard a bang and Charlie pulled over "damn it! What was that?" I asked. "I dunno, you stay here I better go check" Charlie opened the door and stepped outside into the downpour of rain. I laughed "you won't need a shower when you get home" I said through the window, he smiled back. Again, my heart fluttered 'I'll tell him soon' I thought as the increasing glare from something in the rear-view mirror distracted me...

Thunder roared, lightning flashed, something screeched deafeningly and the windscreen splattered with red rain!

Red rain...

Wait. rains isn't red. I flew from the car and saw him lying on the ground. A voice was calling from somewhere in the distance "I'm sorry! I didn't see him, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!"

I threw myself down beside him tears rolling down my face faster than the rain that was drowning us

"Charlie!" I screamed "don't leave me!" I took him in my arms "you promised! Don't break your promise Charlie don't!"

He looked up at me now with those same serious steel grey eyes. his face glistening and perfect apart from the blood that smeared the side of his head and trickled from his mouth as he smiled . "I'm sorry Izzy, I love you. I should have told you before, I've always loved you, I will always love you but I can't keep my promise it hurts too much,"

"No!" I whispered furiously "I love you Charlie stay with me, please stay with me!"

He smiled again that usual smile I had grown to love as I pressed my lips to his I tasted those sweet lips mingled with the taste of metallic blood and I felt him sigh...

As he closed those beautiful eyes...

The End.