She stepped out of the building, the fierce wind slamming the heavy door shut behind her. She moved forward and looked up seeing dark clouds churning in the distance. That feeling grew inside her again–the familar one that had been clinging to her for days.

She started walking towards the other side of the building when a loud clap of thunder boomed overhead. 

Nothing is wrong... everything is perfectly fine…, she thought,repeating the mantra to steady herself.

But the calm didn't come. Her breaths quickened. A series of images flashed in her head–those bright blue eyes that kept following her in the shadows and invading her life. 

"Nothing is wrong. Everything is perfectly fine..." she said aloud, with a hardened edge as if trying to convince herself.

She quickened her pace, swiftly reaching her destination. She looked at the poles with the clotheslines swaying between them. With rising panic, she quickly reached up, pulling pegs and yanking clothes as fast as she could. Another thunderclap rang out, this one louder than last. 

Then she felt a cold droplet land on her arm.

She froze. 

In another situation, it would've been normal.

Harmless even.

But here...it never rained. Ever. That was the whole point of the magic that flowed around. 

Another drop hit her cheek. Within seconds, a heavy downpour had started. Trees began to bend against the force of the wind and she struggled to keep her balance. 

She grabbed the last sock–relief flooding her for a single brief moment. Then a gust of wind swept her off her feet, whisking her across the sky, as her screams faded into the night.

~ BellaTrinitee (Originally written 2023, Edited December 2025)