The rain fell for what seemed like a relentless period stretched over time. It first started with minutes which gave way to hours. Days soon gave way to weeks, which then gave way to months. It kept on falling and it would not stop. Seemingly light, though often heavy it blanketed that particular area.

They looked out of the bedroom window and watched it all fall. They watched it continue, unrelenting and ever-present. It did not stop and it seemed to have no end; nor did it seem to have a beginning. After a while people seemed to forget what the place without rain looked like. The rain was all that ever was and it was all that would be.

They stared out and saw how the streets would not flood, though remain in a constant state of wetness. They would watch cars drive along their often quiet street and notice how some would go slower and most would often either not slow down or go faster than what was considered safe, almost as though the drivers were concerned about their cars getting wet in the ongoing downpour.

Much like everyone else they had gotten used to the rain as a presence. There was some confusion early on which gave way to a series of emotions until eventually it led to some sort of detachment when the rain was not noticed. It eventually became background; its sounds dulled and almost forgotten as they were occurring. When they were noticed something would creep in, but there was a sense that, as they were trapped in the house by the unrelenting rain, there would be no escape. There would be no getting away.

They were able to get what they needed sent to their house, but they were unable to leave. The front and backyards grew and were not able to be maintained and the house eventually developed damp areas, but little could be done.

They would sometimes stare outside and forget that it was raining. They would forget about their existing in the house and seemingly step outside and away from themselves. They felt as though they were a spectator to themselves experiencing  the life around them more than they were part of that life.

Eventually they felt no longer able to tolerate this and so decided to act, for the days were being lost to long stretches of entrapment and they had to take a chance to get away from this.

After preparing they went to their front door. They turned the door knob with ease, but it appeared that the door would not budge. Due to the increased moisture in the air it had expanded and become stuck against the frame. They felt that this was not something they’d allow themselves to be stopped by and so worked at it. They pulled for ages and the door moved a little, but it was not enough.

They went and grabbed tools to try and wedge between the door and the frame and that was something they were able to do, but it was not far enough to get the door open. They then alternated between forcing the tools further in whilst pulling and eventually they succeeded. However, the door was unable to be closed, not that they cared much at this point.

They opened their umbrella and proceeded outside, and the rain increased in its intensity. It fell hard and loud and reduced all visibility. However, they were not willing to go back inside, for they had spent enough time there and needed to get away, and so they stepped out into the rain.

The rain continued increasing in its intensity and before they could get to the footpath along the street the rain was coming through their umbrella. Still, they kept on walking.

Winds picked up and whipped the rain around. They knew not which way to go and the rain hitting them was quickly becoming unbearable, and yet they persisted. They needed to wherever they could to get away and be outside. Their desire to get away from the rain was greater. Unfortunately it was not to last, however, and whilst they were able to get to the end of their street, the lack of visibility and the overwhelming nature of what they were experiencing wore them down and so they turned around and walked back.

When they reached home and stepped inside the rain died down. It remained continuous, but it became gentle; at least, in relation to what they experienced before. It seemed as though they had no chance of escape and so they returned to watching the rain from inside and becoming numb to it, for it was now a constant and its begin a constant did not allow for getting away.

Minutes turned to hours and hours turned to days, and days into weeks. They continued on with their life and stared out the window when there was nothing to do. One day they saw others walking through the rain. They knew not where those people were going, but their seeing others walk through the rain brought something forward. It brought out a desire to get away from the house once more. It brought forward the desire to no longer accept staying inside and instead get away from the rain.

They moved the crate keeping the front door shut, grabbed their umbrella and stepped outside. Once more the rain whipped up as they stepped out but they stepped out without hesitation. This brought forward a desire to step back and go inside, and it brought forward fear, but they stepped forward and continued on. They continued on to the footpath along the street and they walked forward. They pushed through the fear and anxiety, and the rain continued, unrelenting, but they too continued on and refused to turn back.

They reached the street’s end and followed a new one and continued onward until  eventually the rain finally relented. They had begun to break free.

The time it took to write one thousand words: 24:12:29

I went into this with an idea of sorts and I wanted to get that idea to work.
However, I stretched it out far more than I should have. It’s still there, but it is heavily diluted. It’s also really clunky in its getting across.

I think that going in with the idea I had made it harder to quickly write as I was thinking far too much about getting it across.

Written at home.