Short Story: Stormy Weather.

Short Story: Stormy Weather.

“Rain, rain go away,” he murmured.

He twirled his black rimed prescription glasses between his fingers. Chris sighed heavily, steaming up the window as rain spattered on the other side. He huffed another breath and closed his eyes listening to the bad weather raging outside. The red light beaming from the alarm clock by his bed earlier had read 1:35am. That was when he had been woken up by the thunder. And that was when he had known he wouldn’t have gotten back to sleep. He had grabbed his glasses by his bed when getting up automatically.

It was a little embarrassing secret that Chris tried to keep from everyone but he was scared of thunder. Lightening had him hiding behind the couch, but luckily for him he’d never been with anyone for long enough for them to witness the sad sight. The thunder had stopped soon after he had gotten up. But Chris knew he wouldn’t be able to get back to sleep. So here he was sitting by the window in his ‘living room’ in his cheap ass high-rise apartment listening to the rain. He was tired but his eyes wouldn’t stay shut. He blinked his eyes open again and glanced across to the where the clock hung in darkness on the kitchen wall. It was still early; he didn’t need to see the time on the clock to know that.

“Hey Doris, you up too?” he murmured ruffling sandy blond hair as he spotted his only companion.

She looked up, her eyes reflecting and twinkling as she paused and padded over to him. She stopped, blinked slowly at him before wiggling slightly and launching herself on to the back of the couch that was beside the chair he was sitting in. She walked to the edge of it and stretched her neck out to sniff him. Chris laughed low in his chest as he reached out and scratched her head. He leaned in close and blew at her ear to make it twitch. As he laughed again she opened her mouth and gave a loud, tired, meow in his face. Doris purred loudly as Chris stroked her smoky, grey fur. She was a rather large and ‘mature’ cat. This was a far cry from being the old, scrawny creature that had walked in through his open window from the fire escape and had adopted Chris and his apartment a year ago. Chris had accepted it with good grace and in return for feeding and looking after Doris she had returned the loving care by stalking around the apartment, scratching the furniture and making sure he was welcomed home properly. As in sitting in the middle of the floor and yelling at him when he came in from work.

He lifted her with due care and respect onto his lap and bore the pain as she scrabbled around trying to find purchase and settled herself.

“All better Madam?” He murmured ruffling her fur good-naturedly. He felt a little better having the old girl near. Maybe it was the fact that another living thing was nearby that made the storm outside a little less unnerving.

He went back to looking out the window into the orange lit dark. The rain swept and swirled in the wind. The street lights just outside his apartment highlighted its movement. Chris was contemplating the patterns when something big, very big shot out of the darkness and rammed into the window. Chris and Doris yelled and fell to the floor. Doris scuttled off, hiding under the table in the kitchen and peered out at Chris. Chris however was still on the sprawled on the floor clutching his glasses. He stared at the window his heart crashing behind his ribs and the blood pounding in his ears. The glass was still in tact unlike his nerves. He scrambled up and put on his glasses looking into the night outside. Whatever it was it didn’t seem to be there any more. He frowned and edged closer to the window. Craning his neck he scanned the street below his window. Nothing. Wrapping his arms around himself he laughed nervously trying to shake off this fright. Turning around he looked into the kitchen and spotted Doris peering out and grumbling.

“Come on old girl, come here.” He murmured softly trying to encourage her. Her glinting eyes stared out but she didn’t move. Instead her grumbling got louder. Chris frowned and stooped down holding out his hand.

“Doris?” He called laughing again, this time with a little more warmth, but she wasn’t having any of it. She moved back, hiding in shadow as it swallowed her large frame. Chris got up slowly, ruffling his hair again. The sound of the rain and Doris filled the apartment. Standing with his hands on his hips Chris tutted loudly and looked at the table.

“It was just a bird or something, silly girl.” Again only her grumbling as an answer. He shook his head and took off his glasses rubbing the lenses on the t-shirt he was wearing. “Doris” he drawled putting his glasses back on again “There’s nothing there for goodness sa...” The wind outside whipped the rain into a frenzy against the window and startled him. Jumping he clutched at his chest and swore loudly. Doris made a dreadful racket and there was the sound of claws scrabbling over linoleum in fright.

“Doris,” he whispered but before he could finish there was a noise that chilled the blood in his veins. It was rapping, just simple rapping. Simple, but precise rapping. But it was where it was coming from that made him freeze.

Chris glanced to the side and slowly moved his neck, the joints seeming to grind. It was coming from behind him.

From the window. The window to his flat which was five floors up.

Doris wailed loudly and Chris glanced at the table again.

Tap.

Tap.

Tap.

And then he heard the window latch rattle.

“Doris?” he whimpered as the window started to creak open. Large glittering eyes stared at him again from under the table.

And the last thing he saw was the fear in them.