CHAPTER ONE
PENELOPE
THE RAIN is still going non-stop for several days now, making the window inky black.
I wrap the blanket around me, clenching on it so hard I could almost feel my nails biting in my palms. Underneath, my body is slightly shaking, goosebumps all over my skin, feet looked old with creases and quite sensitive. I wince when I catch my reflection in the mirror, lips chapped, nose and cheeks red. It's so cold as though the temperature lies flatly at the bottom. I wonder when this will end, or will this ever end?
Everything is fine back on Monday. It's hot, but not too hot - it's just right to appreciate a stroll around the town. If I enjoy such a thing, I would have strolled around. But I really refuse to lump myself with those people who love tiring themselves out pretending it's a healthy walk when all they just do is torture their lungs with smoke from passing cars. Not to mention, I have class at that time.
Usually, I would know if it's going to rain. It's not that hard to tell when it basically drops all the hints: from gray clouds covering the sky, tree leaves eerily whispering with each other, electricity hanging in the air as if the nature is only waiting to explode over the town - it's not hard, really.
I hate rain. Well, who loves it? The tension it leaves in the air always makes me feel restless, sad, irritated - all of these at the same time that I just want to feel nothing.
But that day, it's different. Not because my feelings about it suddenly changed, no, definitely no, because I will always dislike rain. That day I don't see it coming, and I think everyone else is also taken by surprise. No better way to explain it, so allow me to take you on that day.
Monday goes as such:
Birds were singing blissfully under the trees' leafy canopies, wind calm, the sky clear.
I walked down a sidewalk lined up with thick foliage, and watched the sky. The clouds looked like cotton candies that littered around the canvas, so soft, so bright. As I passed the street that lead to Fritzie's home, I held onto the straps of my backpack.
It wasn't still that far when I heard footsteps, growing louder every second. By the time I realized it, Fritzie had already leapt on me, throwing her slender arms around my shoulders. I almost stumbled at her weight. Thankfully, I managed to regain my footing.
It was the third Monday of June, and she was thinking whether or not invite our classmates with us at the park later tonight to watch a play. I would rather engross myself in a book than come along, but I knew Fritzie wouldn't hesitate to drag me by the wrist, so I just conceded.
"What do you think, Pen?" Fritzie asked, excitement painfully evident in her squeaky voice. "Should I invite them, too?"
I couldn't say she was my friend. I just recently met her, and trust wasn't something to just give away. I could remember how thick the awkwardness in the air was, that time she'd approached me on the first day of school. Not just she talked constantly, she was also a physical being that made us totally opposite. Weeks had passed and I grew to tolerate her touches. On my shoulders - waist - hands. The first week of it had been very awful, but I reminded myself that self-control was an essential skill, and I should be grateful Fritzie provided daily opportunities to practice it.
"I think I should! This is my window of opportunity to befriend them, isn't it?" she said, whipping around to take my hands, sporting her disgustingly adorable puppy eyes.
Then her smile dropped, and she looked suddenly dejected. It was as though a crippling fact struck her.
"Will they come, though?" Fritzie sighed, her shoulders slumped down. "I mean we haven't even talked yet. It would be real awkward, wouldn't it? What do you think, Pen?"
Fritzie was a transferee from . . . er, well, anyway she was a transferee. She had no friends yet, so she wanted to grab the chance. She was beautiful. With her ovoid face, big eyes that were being framed perfectly by thick and long lashes, and fair complexion - every guy would drool over her.
I looked at her, and in her eyes, I saw a reflection of a girl contemplating what to say.
"I think they will come," I replied tentatively. Because I wasn't sure, either.
"You think so?"
Just like that, the bubble in her tone was back. By how fast she could change her expression, I was not sure if I could trust any of those. Or if I could trust her in general. I feel like everything was just a facade to something more of what she really was.
We walked directly to our building after we swiped our identification cards at the gate. The guard who'd been keeping a strict eye there for as long as I could remember, greeted us "good morning" which we returned with a smile.
The school ground wasn't that flooded by students. All around us were buildings dipped in green and white paint, each schooled groups of students that either reading or conversing with each other, laughing every now and then, and sometimes frowning when they heard something they didn't like.
I must have zoned out for a bit, because the next thing I knew, I was thrown back, the feeling of someone's warmth as they bumped against me, was still clinging onto my skin.
"Sorry," a hoarse voice said.
"No, it's fine," came my immediate response. But I realized it was impossible. I was sure that I was walking on a deserted pathway.
I whipped my head, left and right, then back again, but we were alone. Aside from the two of us, Fritzie and I, there was no one here.
I could feel the hair in my arms standing on ends. Was I imagining things? No, I'd heard it quite well for it to be just an imagination, and even now I could still feel the ghost of touch in my upper arm. But after he'd said "sorry," it was as though he vanished in the air.
"Pen . . . Pen! What's the problem? Do you forget something at home?" Fritzie waved a hand at my face. I focused my attention on her. "Are you looking for something?"
"Didn't you hear that?" I asked, but by the way creases appeared in her forehead, I knew the answer even before she could shake her head.
"Hear what?" She caressed her arms. Tiny bumps spotted her skin, as though she was chilled. "I didn't hear anything."
I faked a cough. "I'm just . . . fooling around," I said, trying and failing to put some humor in my voice. I didn't want to push the topic. Maybe I was just really imagining things.
She laughed. "I thought you have absolutely no sense of humor. That's rich."
Nothing special had happened on our first and second subject. And because it was too boring, I found myself thinking about the unusual event earlier. I rubbed the spot where our skin had touched. It was a "he," that, I could be sure about, well, if the muscles were anything to go by. It was so hard and warm against mine.
We were vacant for the next four hours, so I've decided to go at the coffee shop not too far from here. As I took a final turn to the right, the building came into view. It was a small one-storey building, a dirty white color, and might have been easy to miss if not for the large sign in the front proclaiming it to be the Aroma Mocha. I could remember the first time I'd seen it a year ago. It had been an eyesore then and it was still an eyesore now. But it worked guiltily well for me, because it wasn't that famous to customers. And I like places that weren't crowded.
I should be here alone, but Fritzie tagged along. Not that I didn't want to, but didn't she want to have friends? If she really wanted to befriend our classmate, she needed to be with them, instead of trailing behind me.
I always found her curious. Why did she always go with me? A person who reeked vibrancy, should spend time with those of their kind. Truth be told, I preferred myself alone. I didn't care if I'd be doing things just by myself. I had always thought that efficiency was maximized if I worked alone. I hated the unnecessary dramas that group works brought. Maybe that was also the reason why I wasn't that comfortable around Fritzie.
But then again, it was not bad of a change, was it? I should appreciate this, right? Besides, she didn't do anything aside from constantly pushing herself to me. Perhaps she viewed me lonely. Though it wasn't the case, I should be happy that someone was finally making efforts to gain me.
"Do I have something on my face?" she asked me awkwardly when she noticed I'd been staring at her for a full minute now. She fished her small, round mirror out of her bag. She checked her reflection.
My face heated up from having caught staring, but managed to say, "On your nose."
She looked once again in her reflection. "Oh! An icing!" she said, now it was her turn to flush red from embarrassment. She then started talking non-stop without bothering to notice if I was listening. I played games on my mobile, and stopped when my own fingers started acting on their own, dictating my character to run left when it should have been right instead. I watched as the monster devoured me, blood splattering on the screen.
I put my mobile aside, and focus on the pastry I'd ordered. The icing tasted evidently of butter and the bread was rather dry. I sipped at my coffee, at least it tasted fine.
"So boring, right? Four hours are too long I can't with it!" Fritzie whined, her lips puckered in a pout. "I have posted millions of photos on my SNS, and yet, it's only an hour has passed!"
I let out an affirmative groan. Silence then dominated us for a good moment until she leaned in, angling her face so she could get as near as possible to my ear.
"I think we should go now," she whispered, shooting sideward glances to a pair of guys sitting three tables away from us. I could spot a dragon tattoo that rebelliously peeked out from the collar of one of them, while the other was relatively clean. "They are staring at us for a while now. I'm not comfortable anymore."
We gathered our things and left. While we walked down the street, almost everyone's eyes were darted on us. It felt like hell to be watched as though we'd grown a second head. And I didn't know if I could put up with it any longer. I had the desire to run, but Fritzie tugged my hand, stopping me in my tracks in favor of asking, "Is there something on my face again?" She proceeded to add jokingly, "Or am I just that beautiful?"
I wasn't quite sure but I thought her tone was laced with a pinch of arrogance. I scanned her face, determined to point out a flaw if ever there was any. I didn't like how seemingly disappointed I sounded when I said, "I don't see anything wrong with your face. Just don't mind them. They are just floored by your beauty."
We spent the next hours at the library. After what felt like a millennia, the class started. Our professor held the marker between her bony, almost skeletal, fingers, hitting it against the white board as though she was aware how close we were to sleeping.
I stared outside through the window. The sun was about to set, bathing the gym's roof in garish orange. Somehow, it lifted up my mood. I wanted to open the windows, but then the sunlight would be insufferable in direct contact.
I watch the birds fly over the horizon. Like those leaves on the gym's roof that being blown by the breeze, my mind kept fluttering away and away from the discussion.
The rays seeped in through the small opening in the window, and it made me close my eyes. It was glowing red behind my eyelids. I blinked several times to adjust my sight. One, nothing unusual; two, someone was standing on the gym's roof. It was hard to tell given the distance, but I thought he was looking at me.
I squinted my eyes. The sun went down further and glowered behind him, making it impossible to make out anything aside from his tall, lean frame. Was he looking at me? Or at Fritzie? Automatically, my eyes glided over my goddess-like classmate whose long, black hair rested gracefully behind her back. I wasn't sure.
When I turn my attention back outside, he was already gone, like he disintegrated into those rusty leaves. I craned my neck, eyes rolling here and there in an attempt to find him below, thinking he might have already jumped off the roof.
"Something the matter, Pen?" said Fritzie, looking over her shoulder, at me.
Hesitantly, I shook my head. I kept myself from mentioning the guy.
"You sure?" she said. Now I was tempted to tell it. "You look like you've just seen a ghost."
I couldn't tell it without making a fool out of myself. She would just think I was crazy. I was about to say something, when the wind blew making the curtains dance aggressively. The windows are open, except for the particular window beside me. Fritzie was slapped right in the face by the curtains. She hissed in annoyance.
Something slapped against my window from the outside, a pristine paper. Written in a messy handwriting were the phrase "EYES AHEAD" and below it "SHE'S AFTER YOU." It slid off and became one with the wind, before I could have the chance to reread it.
Irritably, Fritzie removed the curtain from her face and fixed her hair. EYES AHEAD. It was from that guy! He saw me not listening to the discussion. Footsteps filled my ears. Before the last message made sense to me, Miss Chit had already walked across the room to my table. She made me answer all of her questions afterwards.
ON OUR way home, it was probably the seventh time this day that Fritzie had asked me if something was wrong. This time though, I didn't keep tight-lipped, because it seemed like she also knew what the problem was.
"Can't you feel that?" I whispered, not bothering to slow down. If anything, I was more determined to walk faster. But I refrained myself from doing so.
Fritzie chewed her lower lip. "Should we run?"
Someone was definitely watching us from the shadows. I could feel his gaze burned on my skin. Fritzie clung onto my elbow, and walked uncomfortably closer. At any moment, I felt like he would materialize behind us to hit our heads with a pipe.
He was probably lurking behind one of the buildings at my right, there the presence was the strongest. Or he could be hiding now behind the trash can we just passed by, advancing as we did so. The more I thought about it, the more it became real.
"Running seemed a bad idea. He will realize that we know he's stalking us. We should act normal, but guarded," I told Fritzie.
She nodded her head, still a ball of nerves, but determined to stay composed. My brain supplied me with the image of the guy on the gym's roof. Oddly enough, I wasn't that convinced it was the same guy. The two gazes gave off two completely different vibes.
My hands were balled at my sides, ready to throw punches at anyone who would approach us. Minutes later, as we neared our home, the atmosphere lightened as though my life wasn't threatened anymore.
"Bye-bye! I'll message you later!" said Fritzie, waving her hand at me. I nodded.
We still had two hours before the show started. She'd already invited our classmates, and as expected, they accepted it without hesitation. Most of them were boys. They were pumped up when Fritzie beelined for them. Their butts looked as though it had been lit with fire, because they couldn't stop shifting in their seats.
My bedroom wasn't the typical bedroom usually girls had. Mine was dull and boring. It wasn't that spacious but the fact that I didn't own much things created the impression that perhaps it was. A bed, a cabinet, a table were all I had. I couldn't even add the mirror because it didn't really take up space as it was just hung in the wall.
I slumped down into my bed, kicking my shoes off. I fumbled to remove my socks. I was about to take a nap when I'd heard my mother's voice. In the silence that followed, delicious smells of our dinner wafted in from the dining room. I went to the table, and took my place across my mother. Aside from tiny wrinkles, my mother didn't look her age. Like me, she had downward-turned lips but the similarity ended there. I'd mostly inherited my father's features.
We decided to take our dinner earlier than usual, and we weren't able to wait for my father. That was to give me time to prepare. I took a bath, then settled in my study table, head lolling over my chest as I made feeble attempts to stay awake. It seemed taking a bath was a bad idea after all. My muscles were too relaxed I couldn't help but drifted off.
I started toward the bed and dived, my shoulder-length hair sprawled around me like roots. I really felt like sleeping. Suddenly, I hated myself for making a promise to Fritzie. When my eyelids started to close, I didn't fight it. Just a nap, okay?
I woke to a body that was light and relaxed. The feeling was odd, like it was caressing me back to sleep. Like it was telling me that I shouldn't have woken in the first place. My mobile beeped, and my eyes widened as I remembered the play. Surely, I didn't sleep for too long, did I? One glance at the screen told me I did.
I rose to my feet, almost stumbling in the process. I was almost half an hour late. As I fixed my head from bed hair, I wondered if it was still wise to come. With a sigh, I threw on a black hoody jacket. It was big for me, but it felt comfortable, so I went with it. It was partnered by a pair of denim shorts.
I scanned myself in the mirror. Usually, I didn't use it. And sometimes, I used it only so I could point out what was wrong in my face, and how they made me so ugly. Today was not any different. My eyes were too big and my nose was too long, but my mother said my face was noticeable.
Shivers ran down my spine when the wind - no, listen, the wind was circling around me protectively! Freaked out, I ran to my window which was opened just a fraction to let in such massive amount of air. I was about to close it when I felt those eyes on me again. I stopped. Instead I opened the window fully. I stuck my head out of the window, and wandered my gaze around. The feeling was way stronger this time, as though two pairs of eyes were fighting each other, one was to get me, the other to protect me.
My heart seemed to desert my chest and break into pieces to throb in my fingertips. I was a bit afraid for my mobile, because my hand clutched onto it so hard it might break. Then it rung, sending jolting vibrations through me. I was still trying to compose myself when a head sprung before me, making me jump back.
"Surprise!" The head was Fritzie's. She grinned so wide I could almost see her back row of teeth. "Oops. I think I've went too far." She chuckled then went on, "let's go? Eirone and others are already waiting at the park. Step on the gas, Pen."
"What was that, Fritz?!" I asked, infuriated. "You could have killed me!"
A glint of surprise passed across her eyes. "You called me Fritz . . ."
I almost reached for her hair but caught myself in time. "I did?"
She nodded, then broke into a grin. "You have warmed up to me, finally!"
The park happened to be near our house. Well, maybe, not too near but we could still spare some minutes to walk, so we did. Several lanterns were hanging around that lit our path. Make-shift tents littered around that it was impossible to spot an empty space. There was cotton candy stall here, a keychain store there. I even saw a face-paint booth.
Fritz bought a pair of headbands with ridiculous cat ears. She wore the pink one, while she forced me to put on the black. Insisting we should get matching whiskers, she half-dragged half-lead me to the face-paint booth.
"Look," I told her, "I know you're excited, but we still have our classmates waiting for us. Unless you want them to think they've been stood up, we should go now."
Frowning, she followed me to the play. "Oh, there they are!" said Fritz, pointing somewhere at the crowd. They reserved seats for us to which Fritz got heavily sentimental.
"Nice, ears," said Eirone. I knew the comment could be for both Fritzie and me, but the way his eyes lingered on me, told me he said it specifically to me. I felt embarrassed.
Pedre must be the one who chose this spot because it had the best view. He was gay, that he admitted to us quite proudly. Being gay made him sensitive to details, he said. The actors can be easily seen here. "Alunsina" was the story they'd chosen to act out this time.
"She's a good actress. She's really fit for Alunsina's part, right?" Fritz told Pedre. The latter hummed in affirmation. He was a good actor himself. King and Prince joined in on their conversation, while I enjoyed the play silently. I was awed. The characters I'd just read as requirement back in middle school, were live in front of me, delivering smooth lines and sporting impeccably good expressions.
Midway through the play, at the corner of my eye, I saw Eirone excused himself to take a call, but I'd never seen him after that.
The crowd broke into a loud cheer as the actors and actresses gathered on the stage, hand in hand as they bent at their waist.
We wandered around mindlessly. At some point, we'd been divided into groups. I was stack with Fritz, Pedre, and King, the loudest and therefore the worst group for me. We lost Danica and Janna somewhere at the ice cream parlor. I last saw Anabellia and Jane eating cotton candies by a tree I couldn't remember now where was planted. The boys I never had spoken with, left in a pack to do God-knows-what.
We bought lanterns. We climbed up a small hill, and there let the lanterns glide up. Our small group of lanterns joined a whole lot in quest to reach the sky. And when I looked around the crowd, I saw our skin glowing, bathe in a soft orange light. Among us, Fritz smiled the brightest, like her plan had succeeded. Deep inside, I was happy for her.
Over her shoulder, I caught frantic movements of people who looked like ants from the hill. I knitted my brows at them. Their voice mixed together, and the combined sound got louder and louder that it actually reached us. But it was incomprehensible, muffled, and irritating. Nothing but noise.
"What's happening there?" asked King. "What's with the chaos?"
"That's the river, right? They are at the river," said Pedre. Then he sprinted towards the commotion. "Let's go! Let's see it for ourselves!"
We were stuck at the back, unable to wedge our way to see what was happening in front. King tapped the shoulder of a familiar man who had his neck stretched out. It was Prince. I should have known it was him by the way he styled his hair like a crown.
"What's happening?" asked King. Prince only shrugged at him, and proceeded to tell, "I also just got here. I heard they said the river has dried up though."
"Dried up?" King echoed, his face crumpled in confusion. "I mean how was that even possible?"
Curiosity got the better of me. I pushed my way through the mob, mumbling an apology to no one in particular. I took in the sight of what supposed to be the river, now nothing but a trail of wet earth. The rocks that stuck out from the ground were still damp. The river had been dried up just recently. Fishes laid for us but no one dared to take advantage of it; they trashed around and eventually died.
No one would ever believe what I was seeing now. The river had gone dry in a matter of what seconds?! Impossible, but here I was, looking at the river - or what used to be the river. Now there was only a bone-dry bed.
Our attention was caught by a weird sound coming from the space where the land and the horizon met. It sounded like something was racing towards us. Heavy, and urgent. I played those words again and again in my brain. Heavy and urgent. The thing came just as the time I'd realized what it was.
"Run!" I yelled at the top of my lungs.
A gigantic wave of water came to engulf us. The water was brown and it reeked. It was as though it came all the way from the foot of the mountain. We ran, and pushed those who were in our way. We only stopped when we reached a good distance from the river.
The water slapped against the wet earth, sending us dirt that had been glued to our faces and clothes. The ground slightly shook from the impact, making us wobbly on our feet. It produced a choking sound as it settled down in the bank. The river was back, but it looked disastrous with all the fishes that floated above lifelessly.
The people exchanged stories and theories with each other. Then everything was suddenly inaudible over the fresh rolls of thunder. A lightning cut through the sky. A strong wind blew the tents away, and we screamed in terror.
I felt the first raindrop slid down the side of my nose. Then the second drop hit my forehead, so big it felt as though it was made of ice instead of water. The next thing I knew my skin hurt from the impact of each bead.
"Grab my hand!" King told me, but I'd been swallowed by the swarm of bodies seeking for refuge. I completely forgot about Fritz because I was busy scampering for my own life. That exact moment I realized why I had no friends. It was because I was selfish.
Another blow of whistling wind came to get us. I couldn't blame those people who pushed me because we were all just desperate. With a thud, I slumped against the ground, feet numb. The blurriness from the rain added to the helplessness I was feeling inside. I stopped struggling. I just closed my eyes. The shuffling of feet grew less intense as the whistling grew louder, and I knew the wind was coming. I prepared myself for the pain that surely was coming. But didn't. I did feel something, but not the wrath of the wind, but the hardness of someone's arms. He scooped me up. Surrounded by the feeling of safety, I found myself wrapping my hands around his neck and prayed I didn't weigh that much.
"You can now open your eyes," he said after putting me back to the ground. "You're fine."
"Thanks," I said, not quite meeting his eyes which were deep-set and of the color of mud. "And sorry."
He laughed. I knelt on the ground because it still hurt to stand. We found shelter in a stall that miraculously survived the strong gales. The roof was crumpled, and the water flowed through it, but it was better than nothing.
"It's okay," he said, flashing a toothy grin. But I could see the worry that he hid behind it. He was distracted, that much I could tell. "You don't weigh that much."
He twisted his neck so he could look outside. I looked over his shoulder effortlessly. Perhaps he had someone beyond that mountain where he set his longing eyes at, someone precious, someone he couldn't bear to see hurting, someone he was far away from and therefore unable to save from these strong gales.
I helped myself to my feet, grunting a little.
"Where are you going?" His voice was soft. But I didn't find comfort in them. Deep in my brain, I thought his voice was familiar.
I was about to say a word when a voice thundered somewhere in the chaos. Over the muffled noise, the squeaky voice became clearer. Nearer. And as it registered itself in my brain, guilt started to gnaw at me.
"Pen!" A silhouette was standing in the middle of the rain, whipping its head from left to right, taking a brief pause in favor of gasping for air so it could keep shouting my name again and again. I blinked the tears away from my eyes I didn't even realize were there, and saw Fritz searching for me. While I just forgot about her earlier.
"Pen! Where are you!?"
My voice got caught up in my throat. And when, finally, I managed to speak, my voice sounded croaky.
"F-Fritz!" I shouted to get her attention. Our eyes caught each other, and relief flooded in her eyes. I walked up to her.
"Careful," the guy said, supporting me by my elbows.
"I'm fine," I said it too immediately it sounded rude, but I didn't take it back. I was too caught up to take it back. I wriggled out of his touch and ran towards Fritz. We stayed in the tent, our limbs tangled together, sharing our body heat, waiting for the rain to stop. The guy stood protectively at the threshold, as though he could block the wind from freezing us to death. At some point, the water reached our ankles and we were forced to stand up. With our new position, the cold was harder to fight.
MY FATHER who was very sickly when he was still young, often mocked for it by his friends, came running to me. He couldn't do any physical work, so he was stuck in the office to do paperwork. A few lifts his muscles would complain. Even paperwork, if too much, would make his health decline. Put him under the rain for just a couple of minutes and he would catch a fever right away.
Imagine my surprise when I saw him smiling at me, dripping wet. It was funny to see him, clad in office suit, in front of cluster of crumpled tents. He didn't go well with the background.
His umbrella was too soaked in the rain to be of any help. But, I wasn't grateful when he tossed it behind him. He was bedraggled as it was. His clothes clung to him, and his skin was already seen through. I realized I wasn't any better. I couldn't be any more grateful I'd wore a thick jacket. It didn't help with the cold now that it was too wet, yes, but at least I'd kept myself private.
Fritz detached herself from me, so my father could hug me. I was ready to call him out for parading in the rain, but when I felt the familiar warmth of his body, I melted along with my attempt to be stern. I decided my mother could do that better than me. Both our clothes were too wet for comfort, but I returned the affection back. In my arms, the trembling of his body became apparent, and I couldn't do anything but hug him tighter. I supposed he saw the mob on his way home, asked them what was happening at the park, and knowing I was here, rushed to get me.
He removed his jacket and put it over Fritz's shoulders, who managed to say "thanks" through chattering teeth. I turned my attention to the other guy of our pack. I wasn't sure how to address him.
"Hey," I called him, almost breathlessly from the nerves. He regarded me with crescent eyes. "Thank you again."
"Don't mention it," said the guy. He turned on his heels to greet my father. "I'll be off then."
I wished I'd just missed how he stole a glance at Fritz.
My father ushered us to his company car. I slipped in the passenger seat and was followed by Fritz, and to my relief, my father in the driver seat. He was already freezing, and I was hoping the car would offer some sort of comfort. It didn't. His eyes were bloodshot from the cold as he kept an iron grip onto the steering wheel, trying and failing to stop his trembling.
We drove Fritz to their address first. Their house was big, and surprisingly devoid of life. Fritz looked embarrassed at what we'd seen, and darted inside their house, closing the door behind her. We willed ourselves not to shake through the rest of the ride back home. I saw my mother waiting for us by the window, her face tired and worried. Though it was still raining cats and dogs, she rushed out at the sight of our car pulling up to the side.
My father and I took turns to shower, first him then after a few minutes it was finally my turn. According to the news, there was no low pressure area that had been detected that entered Philippine Area of Responsibility. This was not a storm, just a regular rain. Regardless, I didn't want it.
I dried my hair with a clean towel, and proceeded to bed afterwards. I hated rain. Unfortunate events always happened to me whenever it was raining.
I hate rain. I hate everything about it.
A sigh escaped my lips as the world slipped away.