Fiction League

Massive raindrops pounded against the roof—one after another, thousands all at once. They created a noise so overwhelming that I couldn't even hear my own thoughts. I sat in the dark living room, trying to watch a movie. It was just past 7:00 PM, but the darkness enveloping the area looked like the dead of a bleak, winter night. A flash of light pierced through the window and curtains, reflecting off the furniture. “One Mississippi, two Mississippi, three Mississippi,” I counted in my head, before a clap of thunder shook the earth. “The storm is very close now,” I noted. Then, I heard the doorbell, signalling someone's arrival. I furrowed my brow, puzzled. “Who the hell is out roaming around in weather like this?” I thought. I walked over to the entrance and opened the door without hesitation. Standing on the threshold was Mary—my now-ex-girlfriend, whom I had broken up with three days ago. “Mary? What are you doing here?” I asked, taken aback. “I’m back,” she replied, her voice completely devoid of emotion. I glanced past her shoulder. Thousands of gallons of water pouring from the sky had turned the streets into rushing torrents, but I couldn't see her car anywhere. Mary stepped past me, and an awful stench hit my nose—one I couldn't quite identify. Without a word, she walked into the house. She was dressed only in a camisole and pyjama pants. She wasn't wearing any shoes, but it wasn't her lack of footwear that caught my attention. What seemed most bizarre was that she was completely dry, which should have been an absolute impossibility in these conditions. “I’m back,” she whispered, standing by the window near the front door. “You can't stay here, we already talked about this,” I replied. The woman didn't take her eyes off me. In the past, she’d had episodes where she acted irrationally, but she was never aggressive, so I didn't think I was in any immediate danger. Just then, the phone rang. I moved to answer it as another flash of lightning tore through the sky—two Mississippi. “Hello?” I called into the receiver. “You son of a bitch! You did this to Mary! I hope you're happy with yourself!” a familiar voice thundered. I looked over at my ex. She stood in the corner without moving, barely visible, and she wouldn't stop staring at me. On her arms were long, deep gashes made by a razor blade—and that was when I recognized the source of the foul smell. “Who is this? What do you care about my relationship with Mary?!” I finally shot back. “You piece of shit! It's because of you! You drove her to take her own life!” the voice screamed through the receiver. In a split second, the blood drained from my face, and a cold dread washed over my body. Mary stood right where she was, staring; her eyes didn't blink even once. Another bolt of lightning illuminated her face, which now wore a mocking, twisted smile. Thunder—one Mississippi. “I’m back to stay with you,” I heard her voice ring inside my head. The next flash brought a massive, instantaneous boom. No Mississippi. “I’ve just found myself in the dead centre of a massive storm,” I thought.