A Roof in the Rain

This sucks. Everything about this sucks. I finally managed to finish our geology project, at 7 PM, when no one else is in the building. The buses are long gone, and of course, it's pouring rain outside. I tried calling my parents. Straight to voicemail. Wouldn't expect anything less of them. I could've sworn I brought my umbrella, but it's not in my backpack nor my locker. It's just... the absolute perfect storm. At least I have the backpack itself, I guess. It's spring, so maybe it won't be too bad.

This route from the high school to my parents' house doesn't have a lot of buildings, but at least there are some trees. I rush from one shelter to the next, covering my head with my backpack in between. If I stay in the rain too long, I'll catch a cold. "Achoo!" Might be too late. I swear, this is the last time I'm doing a group project on my own. If those idiots want to pass, they can pull their own dead weight. There's no presentation, so the teacher won't know who's worked on it and who hasn't. Mrs. Loring has been fair in class, but she hasn't been watching our group work. I sigh before sneezing again. This isn't the time to grumble. I'm still out in the rain.

After stopping under a tree, I check the screen on my flip phone. 40% battery, three bars of signal, and completely useless without someone to call. A flip phone in this day and age might be crazy, but it has the advantage of being a boring target. It's also not waterproof. "Better not have this out for too long." If this thing shorts out, I'll never hear the end of it.

Ugh, I can't think straight. I'm cold, my brain is tired, and all I've eaten tonight is a chocolate bar. I have to rest somewhere. That house up the path has a covered porch. The lights are off, so they all must be asleep. Hopefully they won't notice me if I stand under there. I just need a few minutes out of the rain, and I can run the rest of the way back.

The stairs to the porch creak loudly as I step on them. The porch itself is just as noisy. As I catch my breath, I take a brief look around me. The boards are still holding up, but they're bending from overuse. The paint looks old and faded, although that might just be from the lack of light. There is far too much distance between the streetlights on this road. I try to hold still. I really hope the owners won't notice me, or if they do, I hope they won't shoo me away. I'm technically trespassing, but... maybe they'll understand with the rain and everything. If they don't, well, I'll deal with that problem when it comes up.

Jeez, this rain is not letting up at all. I was hoping to wait some of it out, but it looks like nature has other plans. It's getting chillier, too. I need time to warm up and let my clothes dry, but if I wait too long, the air temperature will drop further... What should I do? Which poison do I pick? I sigh and turn towards the old house again. If nothing else, it must be warmer inside. I really wish I didn't have to keep running. I hate everything about this.

"Hm? Wait..." The door... It's hanging slightly open. Did the owners forget to close it? No, that shouldn't happen. The most that a household might do is forget to lock the door. Even then, it'd still be shut. Does that mean this house is abandoned? If so, then it should be fine for me to go inside and warm up. Nobody will be around to mind.

As I pull the door closed, it slams behind me. Must've lost my grip. My muscles are still stiff and clumsy from the cold. This house looks as old inside as it does on the outside. I'm glad there's no dust, but the walls are peeling, and the floorboards look ancient. It definitely feels abandoned. No signs of anyone around. Wait, no... Is that light up ahead? Down the hallway next to the stairs, there's an orange light that's... flickering? A fire? I thought this house was abandoned, but are there actually inhabitants? If there are, then the door just now should've woken them up. I'm so confused. I should go take a look.

I turn the corner, and I find myself in a living room. "A fireplace..." There really is a fire burning inside. An old rocking chair and sofa are facing it, empty and unmoving. The sofa's design is pretty dated, but there's still something charming about it. I take a seat on the sofa, sinking into the old cushion as I stare at the fire. I really needed this. I don't understand why this old house has a lit fireplace, but it's a mercy. This sofa too. For what's probably a decades-old piece of furniture, it's surprisingly comfortable.

The house creaks. I jolt a little, but then I remember. It's raining, and as wood absorbs moisture, it expands. Of course a place like this will make a bit of noise; that's just science. Still, I think I've stayed here long enough. I stand up from the sofa and stretch my muscles. Should I extinguish this fire? Hm... No, it's well-contained by a glass and metal screen. If someone else needs the warmth, I don't want to deprive them. Alright, it's time for me to head back to the entrance.

"Wha... What is this?!" The front door... It's boarded shut! Across the door, there are five large, wooden boards nailed into the doorframe. That's impossible. Physically impossible. The boards look old, as old as the rest of this house. The same is true of the nails. It's as if they've always been where they are now. But how? I didn't hear any hammering from the living room. I didn't hear any other footsteps in the house either, and I still don't. In fact... I don't hear anything. Not even the rain outside. I run to the nearest window and look. I still see raindrops hitting the glass, but there's no sound at all... I try knocking on the glass, but there's no reverberation. Is this even glass?

What should I do now? My phone! This is an emergency. I open my phone and press the power button. The screen doesn't turn on. I hold the power button for several seconds, but there's still nothing. Is it dead?!  There's no way. It was at 40% just minutes ago. Now it won't even turn on? I can't even use it as a light source now.

I'm trapped. I'm trapped, and I have no idea what's going on. Someone's watching me. I feel it. Someone or something is here in this house, watching me, and I can't leave! Is this it? Is this where my life ends? ...No, calm down. Focus. Panicking only leads to more mistakes. Keep calm, and think about a rational solution. There's no way I can pull off the boards covering the door. There are no locks on the windows, so I can't open them. Can I break the window? There's a small dining room to my left. I pick up a chair from the room, but no, I'm too fatigued. I can't possibly swing or throw it with enough force to shatter the glass.

I need another plan. I need to find a hammer or crowbar. One of those should help me pull off the boards or break the windows. I turn around and look up the staircase. Even though the ceiling is visible, it feels so distant, like the tongue of a predator inviting prey into its maw. Still, I might have to bite. Maybe there's something useful up there. I think I saw another staircase leading down to the basement earlier, but... I'd like to avoid going down there if possible.