When The Rain Falls - Chapter 01

When the Rain Falls

Chapter 01

The human brain has two sides; one side is the educational and knowledge side, where the common sense and the mathematical side come into play; then there’s the creative and imaginative side, where everything you dream comes in your night and paint comes onto paper. However, has anyone in your life told you that it’s dangerous to let your imagination wonder? Many people have with me but that’s because I have some ‘issues with the mind’. I would have to wonder why though, I mean, does anyone believe in the tooth fairy or Santa? I think that they either had a horrible childhood or they just gave up on life.

Of course, what I shall tell you now won’t be an ordinary life for any six year olds.

When I was little, nothing went right for me. Yet again, if anything would have gone ‘according to plan’, I would now be living with my dad in the big city of London, where the people roam the streets and chat about the daily profit among each other. The crowds there would crush me whenever I walk, stepping on my feet making them flat as sheets of paper and the building are so high up that it would take one of the world’s most famous dare devils to stand on the roof. In a way, I’m glad I’m not in London because of these reasons and more but still, I wish I could actually be with my dad.

My dad, Jason, is the one in a few people who understand me and my mind. When I was six, he was my all-time super hero. Back then, I wasn’t in school at all since we lived far away from the city so he had to home-school me. We lived on a farm while my mum had this mansion in the great city and never once actually stayed with me for a day, it was usually half days she’d come. She and dad fought a lot and when they did that, I would cower away under my bed with my hands over my ears, blocking out the sounds of a snake filled voice that came from down stairs. Sometimes when the stars were out, I would wish for something I never had in my life, a friend.

Unfortunately though, no one would ever be friends with ‘the freak show’. I was scared, terrified whenever I visited my mum in London because of this one girl, Kat. I hate her soul; her hair is stretched out half way across her back and would flow in the wind each time its hands laid on her. Her frilled covered skirt will always sway whenever she walked and when her eyes stared at me, it was as if she was the predator and I was the prey; they invaded my mind whenever I slept. The one big factor that annoyed me the most about her wasn’t her unusually high pitched voice nor was it the stuck up attitude, but it was the way she shoved me out of the picture. With only one word she had her little ‘possie’ crowd me; laugh at me then shoved me out of the school, the neighbourhood in fact.

My imagination however kept me company; it’s as if it was my best friend. It was always there when I needed it the most, always told me what to do in situations and most importantly, it was there for the general comfort.

If only it was there on that faithful day.

First off, I really don’t like Wednesday’s but not because of the way things ran on that day, which was nothing more than running around like chickens that got their heads cut off while chasing the main man, but it was because of the weather on that day.

The rain pattered my hair and drenched it to the bone which left me and my dad brushing out all the knots that came as a gift from the rain. My dad always said that the rain was the best time to get the eggs from the chicken’s nest which I’ll never understand; they always chased me out of the farm I lived in and onto the road. If that wasn’t weird enough, my dad told me once to go and round up the sheep, it was as if I were a sheep dog; I kept barking at them but they didn’t budge. Anyway, once I came outside to do the usual Wednesday morning run out towards the mail box.

My feet met with the meadow below as the mud smudged the front of my boots, the rain saturated up the pathway. Wind blew at the trees pushing its arms all over the sky which made my hat fly away. With all my might in my six year old arms, I chased after the hat that danced in the wind, swaying from side to side. My little feet dashed towards the flying head wear as I tripped over my own stumbling feet, landing face first in a puddle. Wiping my face, my eyes followed my hat until it landed in yet another nearby puddle and floated in the murky water. I stood, walking over towards the puddle and reached my hand out. However, once my hand touched the water, I got a shock that made my eyes feel as if they were going to come out of my head.

Stumbling back, I watched as something emerged from the murky substance. Black silk flowed in the wind and pale skin shone in the light from the light coming from the persons torch. Bony hands gripped the object before the face of a Devil child stared at me. Her fridge covered half of her face; her eyes were hidden from me as if it were buried treasure never to be found. The eye that was in view glared into my soul, devouring every meaning of my life and her mouth arched into a smirk. She strolled over to me, each step echoed throughout my ears. Once close to me, she placed her hand on the puddle as if it were a mirror expecting me to do the same. However, I just shook my head and scrambled back while snatching my hat, my feet ran off towards the house.

The rain grew strong and plastered my face but I didn’t care, in my six year old mind I had discovered something out of this world, literally. I came across my footpath towards the house I lived in, the bricks damp and the grass was as if someone stuck it on the wall with glue. The chimney wasn’t going off as it usually would, which only meant that dad was trying something new out. My hand gripped the door knob before slamming the door open, my feet raced around the newly polished floors. I wasn’t aware that I had my rain boots on because a trail followed me wherever I went. I popped my head in the living room and glanced about the Victorian furniture to spot shaggy red hair.

Instead of finding something in the living room, a smell whiffed up my nose that made me want to vomit. The revolting smell of manure mixed with leeks and cheese ran in my mind which only meant one thing, my dad was in the kitchen destroying the Earth’s atmosphere. Quick on my feet, I walked into the kitchen only to see the flaming urban red hair bouncing with the heavy steps dad was making. His gruff voice hummed throughout the room as the smell of cigarettes swam throughout the walls. My eyes wondered over to the stove, where a pot was over boiling with water and the bubbles escaped from the lid.

Shaking my head, I walked into the kitchen and took a seat at the table, I sighed, “Hi, daddy.”

Dad jumped at the sound of my voice, turning to face me. He reached out and ruffled my hair, “Little Miss Curious! How are ya today, eh? Anything in the mail?”

I protested against the hand gesture and pushed his hand away, “Don’t daddy,” I rubbed my eye, “Well, there was nothing in the mail.”

He raised a brow, “Nothing in the mail? But Alice, it’s a Wednesday. Mail comes on a Wednesday…” He chuckled, “You didn’t bother to check the mail, didn’t you?”

I blushed in embarrassment, “Ah…I did! I really did! There was nothing there!”

“Alice…” He walked over to my side and bobbed in front of me, “Did you really, honey?”

I sighed in defeat, “No…But I have a good excuse this time!”

“What would that be? A dragon stole your shoes again?”

“No!”

He laughed, “So, what is it today?”

“Well, my hat flew off my head and I began to chase it…”

“Yeah?”

“And…And I ran after it and…and it landed in this murky puddle…”

He shook his head in confusion, “Yeah?”

“And then…And then I looked into the puddle…But…” I looked out the window, “There was someone inside it!”

He raised a brow, “Someone was inside the puddle?”

“Yeah! She looked like me! Only she had this fringe covering her face and…and I think she was laughing at me…”

He stood, staring at me as if I was a mental person the just got sent out of the nut house, “Alice, I love you with all my heart, but as my daughter I expect to keep that kind of thing to yourself. It’s very un-lad-”

“Un-lady like, I know….You keep reminding me.” I sighed and slumped in my chair as I my chair as I watched my father stand and stare out the window. I stared at the pot that was now overflowing with water, “Ugh, daddy?”

He hummed, “Yeah?”

I pointed at the pot, “The pot is about to explode.”

The rest of the day went painfully slow as I recalled, so my dad decided to visit my stuck up mother, April, in London. The car drive rocked me from side to side as the mud covered the road and made it slide everywhere. The tears from the clouds left droplets on the windows that made patterns in my young mind. Patterns of fairies and unicorns stained the glass panels and danced as the drops dribbled down, making a trail to the never ending road. The car jolted and turned into the grand city, the old architecture surrounded the area and people with giant black umbrellas raised towards the sky. I couldn’t helped myself but gawk at the surroundings, that was my third time in being in London so wouldn’t you?

My dad neared the corner as my eyes were met with my mother’s house. She was a spoilt woman from the beginning, with her high up hair bun that sits tightly on top of her head. Her four hundred dollar dress would always be perfectly placed on her shoulders and her gold necklace shone in the raise of the sun. The one thing that would get to me the most about her wasn’t the fact that she left my dad when I was about four, but it was her eyes. Like a snakes bite, they would strike into the victims eyes and leave their mark. Usually when she stared at me, it was with this look of utter disgust and pity but I never understood why.

My dad hoped out of the car and rushed over towards my mother, “Hello,” he said bluntly. I trailed right behind him, hiding behind his leg.

Mum stared at me, “What is she doing here?”

“She’s here with me.”

“What? Did you get her out of the nut house already?”

I gulped and whispered, “What’s a nut house, daddy?”

He glanced down and patted my head, “Nothing for you to worry about,” he sighed and looked at my mum, “I was wondering if she could stay here whilst I go and deal with the farming business?”

“No,” she stared at me, “I’m not taking care of that thing.”

“She’s not a thing! She’s your daughter that you gave birth to, April!”

“I don’t care if she’s the princess of the universe, she’s not staying here.”

“Mummy, can I tell you something about what I say today?” I asked ever so innocent. Her mouth opened but with a mind like I had, I spoke anyway, “There was this girl behind a puddle! She looked like me but just with black hair! She was laughing at me too…”

She laughed, “What? That’s just some shit you made up there, didn’t you?”

“No.”

Mum glared, kneeling down to my height. Her finger jabbed into my shoulder, “You are such a prick!”

My eyes filled with tears that threatened to leak, “But it’s true!”

“Alice dear, there are three paths in life. One’s the good, the other’s the bad. Do you know what the middle one is?” I shook my head and she smirked, “Insanity. You’re going to be insane and end up in the mental asylum when you’re older.”

“No I won’t,” I sobbed, scared at her eyes.

She chuckled, lifting her eye brows, “You will, believe me.” Her delicate finger jabbed into my shoulder once more, “You’re nothing more than a stupid messed up child with no future.”

For the rest of the afternoon, my mother and father argued about my future while I sat in the car, staring up at the sky. At this time, I begged for her to be wrong, for her vile venom that leaked out of her mouth to be wrong. However, something changed inside of me, the insanity that was hidden from the world stirred in my mind that invaded my vision. Something wanted to break free, something wanted to be reborn.

My sanity. It is now on a maintained level, saved for a few weird quirks.

So, as I stand in the summer sun of the school I’m now about to enter with music blaring in my ears, I sigh. For a sixteen year old, I have no life. Even the kid that runs past me right now with his friend gripping his glasses has a better future than me. I lift my phone in my vision, staring at my fringe. Hair sticks out from all places in front of my face as I comb my fingers through it, squinting at how the light glints off the mirror.

A figure stands behind me, chuckling at nothing in particular. Odd, I’ve never seen you before, my thoughts say bluntly as I turn around to face the person, only to see nothing but thin air. The gates open and I stroll inside, glancing back a few times to see if there is anyone there.

“Who was that?” I question out loud as I enter the hall of parade. As everyone finds their seats, I couldn’t help but question about who that person is, let alone what this year is going to be like for me.