Rain

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It's a beautifully rainy day today. The sound of the rain sheeting against the windows brings you a sense of happiness like no other. You have the whole day planned out already: snacks, binge-watching Netflix, and treating yourself to the best dinner this evening. You've waited for a day like this for what feels like a very long time. It's such a nice break from the usual unbearably hot days of summer.

You're currently holed-up in your living room, one hand using the remote to scroll through your Netflix list, and the other buried elbow-deep in a family-size bag of chips. You find a movie you've been meaning to watch for months, and press play. As your slow internet struggles to load the movie, you decide to look out at the rain. Everything seems so dark and sleepy. A low rumble of thunder raises goosebumps on the skin of your arms. You can feel the charge of electricity in the air. Something is going to happen...

You hear Netflix's signature dundun sound as your movie finally finishes loading. But you can't seem to tear yourself away from the rain outside. Lightning flashes, momentarily stunning you. As your eyes slowly regain focus, you swear you can see a lone figure walking in the storm. But that's crazy, right? There's no way anyone would be outside in a storm like this! You shake your head and press your face up against the window. "What the hell...?" Sure enough, as you peer out at the rain, you can see a barely-visible figure trudging up the sidewalk across the street. They look so slight, and your heart leaps as a strong gale of wind almost knocks them off their feet. You keep your eyes on them as they cross the street. Huh... That's strange. They look like they're coming toward... They're coming to your house?!

"What...?" Sure enough, the figure makes its way up your sidewalk. You duck out of sight, mumbling a silent curse. A soft knock at your door sounds, rousing your dog from his slumber. You hear his tiny feet come tearing up the hallway, his high-pitched barks piercing the air.

You know you have to open the door. You can't leave him standing there. You open the door, your small dog barking up a storm in between you and the stranger. Each time the dog barks, he backs up so his butt ends up against your ankles. "Can I—"

"Please, help me." The man before you looks at you with a gaze full of pain. He's hunched over slightly, his features twisted in a mask of discomfort. Something compels you to let this stranger in; whether it's common courtesy or something entirely different, you don't know. You find yourself stepping back to allow him to enter. You hear yourself say "please come inside". You know you shouldn't do this. Common sense wholly disagrees with what you're doing right now, but still, you're letting this man that you don't know at all into your home.

The man gives you a small smile as he enters your home, ducking his head slightly. "Thank you."

You shut the door after him, the click of the lock echoing with an eerie ring of finality. Your dog is still barking, his small body trembling as he snarls and bares his teeth at the man.

"Sorry," you murmur, reaching down to scoop the animal into your lap. "Calm down, Boo." You pet him in that special way he likes, and it works, although he hasn't completely stopped trembling. "He's usually pretty friendly. What's gotten into you, huh?" You gently scratch the area between his eyes, smiling when the motion makes the dog's eyes start to close. "It's okay, it's okay."

The stranger smiles, reaching a single finger out toward Boo's nose. Boo sniffs it tentatively, licking at the appendage a few times before settling down in your lap. "He just needed to get to know me."

"It's funny though, he loves meeting new people; don't you, boy?" You scratch under Boo's chin. He snores quietly. He does that when he's comfortable.

"Well, you know what they say about dogs." The stranger ends his sentence, just like that. He looks out of place in your home. There's an unsettling air about him that you can't place. But something about him makes you feel uneasy. He looks at you, and your heart skips a beat. "May I sit?"

"Uh, sure." You do your best to be welcoming, but you can't shake the feeling that something is off.

The stranger makes himself comfortable, though; leaning back on the couch and reaching for the remote beside him. He flips through Netflix's curated lists and collections at lightning-speed, leaving your head spinning. "You have a lovely home," he says. "It makes me feel at ease."

"Thanks," you reply. That's not something anyone has told you before. The thought that you have a cozy home makes you happy.

The man spends the next few hours lounging on your couch and blazing through your list on Netflix. He even makes himself a viewer-profile! Who the hell is this guy?!

Okay, the sun's starting to set. If you act like you're getting dinner together, maybe he'll take the hint and leave. Seems like a solid enough idea.

"Excuse me," you begin, gently nudging Boo off your lap and getting to your feet. "It's about time I got dinner started."

"Oh!" The man's face brightens, and he stands. "Wonderful! Allow me to assist you. I'm great in the kitchen." He heads straight for your kitchen, rooting around for pots and pans.

"Oh, Boo," you sigh. "What do I do?" You hurry into the kitchen to find the stranger looking through your fridge. You hear Boo's high whine; and a few seconds later his tiny feet hit the floor. He scrambles into the kitchen, plowing straight into your ankles. He puts himself between you and the stranger, growling and trembling like mad.

"Come on now, pooch." The man leans down and scratches Boo's head. "We've already become friends. You don't have to be so territorial."

Boo whines, turning to scratch at your legs, begging to be picked up. "Boo." You pick him up, rubbing his back. He sniffs at your neck, licking the skin. "I don't know why he's being like this." You give the man an apologetic smile.

"I don't take offense," the man smiles. "It's in his nature to want to protect his master." He turns his attention back to your fridge. "As for dinner, I'm thinking of something... special."

"But, I—"

"I insist." He grins, this smile a bit too wide, showing a bit too much of his perfectly straight and pristine-white teeth.

You want to leave, to grab Boo and run. How is it possible to feel so unsafe in your own home?? You swallow past your mounting fear and squeeze Boo closer. This elicits a small whimper from the tiny dog. But you can't just run out. You'd look crazy! What if nothing's even wrong, and your mind is playing tricks on you. It got stuck on this idea and is running with it. That's all it is. You'll eat dinner, and send this guy packing as soon as he's done.

With your plan solidly in place, you set Boo down and offer to help the stranger with dinner. He accepts, blessing you with a smile that makes your knees weak. He works so quickly and efficiently. It's almost as if he's a blur, bustling around the kitchen like he's as familiar with it as he is with his own. He's moving at such a speed, you find yourself with nothing to do. He even takes care of setting the table, folding your basic paper napkins into delicate swans. He lights candles, and pours a fine red wine you've been saving.

The dancing, wavering light of the candles between you casts harsh shadows across his face. You swallow heavily and shut your eyes to pray for your food—and some divine protection. The man chuckles as you finish, and you open your eyes to find him laughing at you. "Do you really believe in those?" he asks. His eyes flash with an eerie light. They look as if... they're glowing.

"Yeah," you reply, looking down to spear a meatball. You're finding it increasingly difficult to look him in the eye. "It's something I've grown up with. I mean, I think there has to be something bigger than us. ...I dunno, I've been through too much to not believe that there's someone up there looking out for me."

The man barks out a laugh, the sound too loud and obnoxious. It startles you, and your meatball falls to the floor. Oh well; Boo will get it. "That's stupid. There's nothing up there. You say there's someone looking out for you?" He laughs again, a full belly laugh. For a few seconds, all you can hear is the sound of his laughter, growing more and more hysteric. He abruptly stops, his expression smoothing into a mask of intense seriousness. He stares at you, his gaze penetrating. You have to force yourself to look under the table for Boo to break his stare. "You're wrong, my dear. If there were, you wouldn't have opened your door to me." You almost don't hear him as your eyes catch sight of something shiny on the ground in the kitchen. "Ah, I find that house pets taste the best in dishes like this. They're usually far more plump than the strays. Wouldn't you agree?" This makes you look up. Your eyes flit from his impossibly large cheshire-grin to your plate of food. What? But... Boo is...

You feel everything when his hand pierces your chest. You don't even get a chance to scream. All you manage is a painfully slow inhale of surprise. Blood spatters across the table and the walls. Your body slumps forward, your head hitting the fine china with a sick whump. It's a shame you don't die right away. You lay there, unable to move, wishing you could do something. You think of Boo as you bleed out, your lifeblood pooling onto the floor. He tried to warn you, and you didn't listen.

"I hope you remember not to repeat this stupid mistake in your next life, love. Although, I wouldn't mind paying you another visit." Your murderer thoroughly enjoys his meal. He even hums a happy tune as he clears the table and washes the dishes. When he's done, he spares you a final glance as he steps out into the rain. There's a bloody mark on his abdomen, and he presses a hand to it as he begins to stagger away from your house.

In a few minutes, he'll have found a new victim. A family this time. But they don't have a dog to warn them. They have no idea what they're in for. You can only hope that he'll have mercy on the children. But he won't, will he?

Maybe someone down the line will know to never open the door to a stranger.

I hope you guys enjoyed this one! I know it's only September, but I don't care 😂 it's SPOOKY SZN 😈😈

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