I think something is wrong. Or maybe I’m just going crazy, but I swear it’s real. The rain is real.
It started last week, my friend asking me if I wanted to go to the beach. I immediately assumed it was a joke as the sky was dark and heavy with clouds and rain was pouring down. Now I have no problem with watching the sea churn with rain and wind but my friend? She hates the rain. So when she called to check as she was leaving her house I was confused. “The heavens have absolutely opened, are you sure you want to go out?” I asked when her face popped up on my screen. “What are you talking about, it’s gorgeous outside” she laughed.
Now I was very confused, granted Irish weather changes as you blink but she lived ten minutes away from me. “You don’t have rain at yours?” I asked, my mind already dismissing this as an strange but not unheard of weather phenomenon. “Not a drop, now get ready I’ll be over to yours in a few minutes”. She hung up and I began hunting down shoes and my ever present vape. But as soon I stepped outside I was drenched. Rain so cold it stole my breath away and made me shiver. May isn’t usually overly warm here but this was ridiculous. I rolled my eyes and headed quickly across the courtyard to the stairs.
My friend had already text me she was downstairs so at least I would be in a warm and dry car soon. She was parked and even through the rain I could see she was in summer clothes. I hopped into her car and turned to ask how she was dry when I noticed something. I was dry. The rain that I had gotten caught in seemed to have vanished off my skin. But it was still raining outside. Dark, heavy sheets of rain that made it difficult to see outside. “So why did you pick the worst day of the year to go to the beach”? I laughed as I put on my seat belt. She glanced at me with a hint of something in her eyes, either confusion or concern. “This is the second time you’ve said that” she said slowly. “Said what” I asked with the same confusion as we headed down the road.
“It’s not raining. Like at all, the sky is clear and it’s warm. Do you really think it’s raining?”
I paused, taking another quick look outside. All I could see were dark clouds and sheets of rain. Now I should mention I do have a few mental health issues but I’ve never imagined weather. But my friend was insisting the weather was fine so maybe it was all in my head?
I shook my head, maybe I was just exhausted. “Ignore me,I haven’t been sleeping well and you know what I’m like” I softly laughed, hoping she would drop it. She glanced at me and rolled her eyes as she chuckled and we headed off. I tried my best to not look outside as we drove, focusing on chatting with my friend and listening to music. I’d almost convinced myself that the rain was just my brain telling me I needed more sleep. But then? Then we got to the beach.
My friend hopped out to find the bathroom but I was frozen. The sky had never been darker, I’d never seen heavier rain hammer down outside. It was the kind of weather I’d been nervous of as a child. The type of weather that had an edge to it that made you feel very small and very helpless against it. Thunder rumbled in the distance but nobody on the beach even glanced up. They laughed and swam, acting like the weather was perfect for a day at the beach.
I didn’t even notice when my friend got back in the car, jumping when she tapped my shoulder. I turned to face her, swallowing a scream when I saw her face. It was….wrong. Nothing was out of place, she was dressed the same but it wasn’t my friend. Her normally bright blue eyes were darker, her smile was sharper. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. When I opened my eyes again she was the same as always. Her eyes filled with concern as she looked at me, the type of concern that hurt me to see.
“I’m so sorry, I don’t think I’m up for a day put. It’s come on suddenly and I think I need to sleep” I sighed, hoping she would understand. She did, we had been friends for twenty years and she knew when I needed sleep. Immediately she began the drive home, but not before I took a final look back at the beach. The rain has turned more solid, slowly becoming hail. But nobody noticed, nobody moved. They all just stared at the car as we drove away. My friend said nothing about it and she was silent on the drive home. Occasional glances at me that I caught while I faked being asleep. I “woke up” as we turned on the bridge to my building. The rain hadn’t stopped, the tide was high and creeping closer the bridge every second. The town was full, everyone going about their business as if a biblical flood wasn’t happening. I just wanted to get into my flat and lock the door as soon as I could. Get into my bed and sleep until my brain stopped being like this. As the car stopped I leaned over to hug my friend, muttering an apology for ruining the day. She returned the hug, assured me nothing was ruined and that she would check on me later. I turned to open the door and froze when her reflection caught my eye. Her face…..her face was twisted and blurred like she was trapped underwater. I swallowed hard and legged it across the road to my building. I didn’t dare slow down, afraid to even look at a window for fear of seeing it again. I ran upstairs to my flat and locked the front door as soon as I was inside. I also locked my bedroom door and just got into bed with my duvet over me. The rain had somehow gotten heavier and I could swear I can hear my name being called.
This was a week ago and I’ve barely left my home. The rain hasn’t stopped. My friends and boyfriend all insist the weather has been beautiful and if I just came outside I’d be happy. They’ve become even more insistent the last couple of days. I can hear them now, hammering on my front door and shouting that the rain isn’t real and they can just show me.
Am I going crazy? Is it really raining? I can’t take this anymore, I’m going to let them in and see what the truth it. No matter the truth