Rain

 It was a strange session, where we all brought objects and prompts as a source of mutual inspiration. To make it even more interesting, we got a prompt from a different person for each of the three parts.

***

[Prompt: I listened to some music that reminded me of rain, hence the title]

Their last meeting was under a heavy rain. The subway was clanking on its rails above them, water dripping down the metal beams. There had been better meeting places and moments throughout the long time they had known each other. 

- So you're going back?

- I am. Tomorrow.

- Are you really, absolutely sure?

- As sure as one can be. I know what I have to do, and I will take pride in doing it.

The rain was pattering and splashing, spraying from under the cars, bouncing off the leaves of the few trees and bushes tasked with oxygenating that corner of the big city. The rain was singing as they hugged, a strong, long hug on each other's shoulders, no grabbing by the waist for them. The rain was singing, slower, faster, louder, quieter, and all the world seemed to expand and contract like the king of involuntary muscles. 

They knew they were going to meet again, sometimes. You don't get through the kind of things they had gone through together and just step out of each other's life. When, or even where, was just a menial detail nobody had yet bothered to fill out.

The next day went by, and the morning news on the day after it brought chaos to the city and the whole world. What had to be done had been done, and now everyone was left to face the consequences. Rain started pouring again, and singing its foreboding song. Sirens in the distance hinted at commotion starting. Nothing was ever going to be the same.

***

[Prompt: "the time when you didn't know where to go"]

The sirens were getting louder and louder, coming from all directions. Were they coming for me? Did they know? I had to think quick and act quicker. There weren't that many escape routes: the door, the window. Except the door led to a corridor where I could hear the scuttling noises of those oversized rats. They knew.

The window seemed obvious, but was on the 13th floor, with a narrow sill and no other ledge to nimbly sneak away to safety like in those implausible movies. I could perhaps hide? Under the bed, like the monster they surely thought I was, we all were? Or in the closet. No, never in the closet. Coming out would be an admission I wasn't ready to make.

They knew. They were coming. But we had done it. Hell, yeah, done and done and done, with no way to "fix" it as they had always managed to. Let them come, let them see me, know it was really me, have them get that deep into their animal senses. We. Had. Done it. We may have failed once, but the next time we had achieved our purpose, and nothing was going to be the same again. I thought of him, my soul brother, what he had done, what WE had done, together, me, him, all the others, our multitude, our legion. They were coming for me. Let them come. I'm ready.

I slammed the door open. The cleaning lady with her cart, mop and bucket of gray soapy water stared puzzled at my looney expression.

***

[Prompt: choose which world you want to live in. End with "It's time to go hunting now"]

She looks at me, her puzzlement giving way to mild irritation.

"Mr Katzenfrend, did you forget to take your meds?"

"Who's this Katzen guy? What meds?"

"Oh," she sighs, "I'll just call nurse Janet. Please, get back in your room, I'm mopping here, be kind."

I shut the door and hear the lock click on the outside. There is only one escape route left, yet it still is on the 13th floor, etc. I think of my soul brother, of his act of supreme sacrifice, of everything we did together, fighting against the common enemy. He's out there waiting for me. And who's this nurse Janet now? I'm not sick. I need to see my brother. 

I try the door, but the clicking sound was true to reality: locked. I go to the window. It has started raining again. The rain is singing its song, calling me to new deeds. I have to be brave, strong. Brave and strong.

The door opens shortly after and a person I know has to be this nurse Janet comes in with a tray and a glass of water. I push the tray on her face, leap through the opened door, and run along the corridor, down twelve flights of stairs and out a more feasible window.

I am going to reunite with my people, and they can run after me as much as they want, with their needles and tablets. I land on soft grass, spring up and keep running. I know the meeting place. Getting wet on the way is not that bad. The rain is singing. It's time to go hunting now.

Budapest, 2022.11.24