Before it rains

My feet dragged as I kept moving forward, the soles of my shoes rustled against the damp grass. Gray clouds had been looming, threatening me for long hours up until this point.

Despite how tired my body was it moved almost without my command, what remained present at all times in my mind was that a little rain could mark the end of my journey.

A numbing pain crawled from my feet to my thighs, how I could still move after so many hours despite every part of my body feeling so helplessly tired was not clear to me.

My stomach growled, breaking the silence as it had done many times before since I started my journey. Like a shiver, a feeling of weakness shook me, as if my vision would fade at any moment, but I knew that as long as the dark clouds hovered above me I would have to keep looking for my destination, I would have to keep walking.

The open field terrified me but it was the shortest route and at this point, my only choice.

I took deep breaths, trying to get a hold of myself, claiming the strength of my own body back. At the end of this long road, my safety awaited.

In the horizon, I could make out the shape of a cabin. It was only a matter of minutes to be home, yet my gut kept telling me that despite all I had already endured, things wouldn’t be so easy.

Like a curse upon earth, the clouds rumbled. Not wanting to make a bet at this point, I covered the top of my head with my jacket and tried to go as swiftly as my body would allow.

I almost ran, not knowing where I was taking this energy from, afraid as I felt my legs about to give in after each step. Between ragged breaths, I called for the people inside to open the door.

Seconds passed and my breathing became more violent and erratic, now not only from the effort but from not seeing any movement, knowing that time was dire.

My heart was pounding so hard I wondered if it would jump out of my chest. I cried a last “Open up!” before trampling over the steps in front of the cabin.

Now, with some cover, I took my jacket off and tossed it behind me, far away from the porch. “Please open up!” I kept shouting, hitting the door with my fists, making it shake in its frame.

That was it for me, I was so weak I could feel myself faint.

Trying to calm down, I repeated to myself that things weren’t as bad as they could be, I had been in worst situations, a terrible one just a few hours ago.

I supported myself against the wooden door. “Hey!” I shouted once again, as I allowed myself to slide and drop onto the floor.

Resting my back, I directed my gaze at the jacket, now drenched in the rain, what a shame.

It was a thing of mere seconds before black tendrils rose from the fabric.

They dropped themselves, as blind limbs trying to reach for anything near the vicinity with the strength of a whip. I let out a little nervous chuckle, thinking how miserable I must be to perish at the point where I was meant to be safe, how cruel it would be.

I stood motionless in the cold, pondering if whatever I could do was worth the try. I had no ideas left and no strength to execute them anyway.

I closed my eyes and chose to waited , if no one had opened up earlier I could truly expect the worst…

I had given up until I heard my name being called from the other side.

My eyes shot open “Open the door” I tried to yell without as much strength as I had left, twisting my torso towards the door. I hit it lightly with my open palms as the person on the other side opened lock after lock.

As soon as the door opened, I crawled inside, surrounded by the familiar smell home has and the frightened shouts of my saviour.

I laid on the ground, unresponsive for a few seconds as I heard a voice asking questions as quickly as they could.

“Water” I mumbled before engaging in further conversation.

They soon came back and I sat to drink it.

“When did you come back? I thought you would keep going south, for longer” they asked

“This morning, at dawn” I replied after drinking the whole glass “Where were you? Why are you alone?”.

“We have been in and out from the tunnel since you left” they took the empty glass in their hands and gave me a worried look “they promised a lot but we couldn’t risk it” I could feel how now their eyes were examining me from head to toe, “where are the others?”

“There are no ‘others’” I said, despite feeling so much better after drinking, I kept thinking I still needed food to get back on my feet, I came out of this daze to find their face showed complete puzzlement, their eyes reflecting how a thousand thoughts ran at the speed of light “There’s no one left” I concluded.

“What do you mean there’s no one left?”

“I mean exactly that” I said with little patience “We had been doing so, so well” I curled up a little in my position, “But then, as we entered the valley, we couldn’t keep up, going around here, around the towns, we had coverage but as soon as we reached the valley everything went to hell” I wanted to hit myself for being so frantic yet everything felt like it had happened so fast “We were so naive, we didn’t even make it one day into the clear, I’m the only one that escaped the rain”.