Delicate Rain



  Other Books by Mitch Goth

  The Brigio Series

  Parabellum

  Parabellum: Part II

  Matanzas

  Stand-alone novels

  The Longest Night Ever Lived

  The Sinking of The Pattison Glory

  Delicate Rain

  A Psychological Suspense Novel

  By:

  Mitch Goth

  Delicate Rain

  Copyright: 2013 Mitch Goth

  No portion of this book may be reproduced or reprinted in any medium, or by electronic, mechanical or any other means without the express written consent of the author.

  This book is a work of fiction. Any references to real world events, people, products or places are used in a fictitious manner. Other characters, events, or places are products of imagination and any resemblance to actual people, places or happenings is purely coincidental.

 

  To W.W.

  1

  Run. Run. Run. That’s all that was going through the mind of Rain Phillipa at this moment. Run. Run. Run. She didn’t know where she wanted to go; she didn’t even know where she was. But she knew what she was running from, and that was enough for her.

  The bright orange begonias that populated the seemingly endless field around her went by in a blur, enhancing the warm color orchestration that encapsulated her during the early moments of the Missouri sunset.

  She couldn’t help but take her eyes off the stretch of fields ahead of her to admire the beauty of the flowers. They all danced in unison, listless, as if they were merely humming and buying time until their partner came around to promenade with them. Rain had no intention of stopping to be company to the flowers, but hoped someone would come and put an end to the waiting dance anyway. But she didn’t dwell on this wish long, as a small patch of uneven dirt nearly tripped her up and caused her vision to snap back in front of her, watching diligently for any more obstacles.

  The backpack she wore was far too full, and far too heavy for any sort of comfort. Despite its obvious necessity, Rain wished she hadn’t brought it with her. Her back ached to an immense degree, and the weight slowed down her running, which was now degrading into a swift jog with her increased exhaustion. She’d been running nonstop, and wanted to rest. But she couldn’t, not in the begonia fields, not where she’d stick out, not where she could be found.

  Adding to Rain's frustrations was the wind. It was weak, it was what brought the begonias to their meandering dance, but it was still enough to annoy her. The wind, coupled with her constant movement, frequently tossed a curl or two of blonde hair into her vision, making her more blind towards her progress than when she’d observed the flowers.

  All of this caused her to focus more and more on her growing fatigue. Her steps slowed into long striding stomps, her breaths grew deeper and more frequent, and the backpack dragged her down harder as her gait weakened. After several seconds of slowing, she finally came to a stop and took the time to drop her heavy pack to the dirt and look around.

  Rain was completely alone. There were no roads, no houses, no voices, not even any animals within distance of sight or sound. The begonias stretched for what looked like miles, only being interrupted by the occasional tree that sprouted out of place from the woods at the end of the fields.

  Despite her fatigue and her solitary location, Rain didn’t want to stay here. She didn’t fit in with the wildlife, she needed someplace to blend in as well as be alone. Easier figured than found. And so she gathered up her heavy backpack and continued trudging onward. She didn’t run anymore, she couldn’t find the strength. But still she made her way. Where to she still didn’t know, but based on the glow in the sky of a nearby city, she thought it wouldn’t be too much longer.

  -

  It was over an hour of slow walking before Rain found herself out of the wild and onto a lonely roadside. Several cars going highway speeds blasted by her as she observed her surroundings, but none slowed down and no driver looked twice.

  Several yards away stood a large green sign, ‘Kansas City city limits’ it read in bold, white lettering. It wasn’t her favorite city her state had to offer, St. Louis held that belt, but it would have to do. She was far too exhausted to make it to any other slice of civilization before what sliver was left of the sun departed, dragging all remaining light below the horizon with it.

  Rain knew if she wanted to blend in she needed to get into the metropolis and not just linger on its outskirts. But, throwing her desire temporarily aside, she sat down beneath the large sign and pulled out a red composition notebook and a pen. After the wind of another speeding car flipped through a few empty pages, Rain returned to the front of the blank notebook and began her first entry.

  Dear Mom and Dad,

  I don’t know how and I don’t know why, but I hope you’re able to read what I write in this book someday. I suppose its because I want you to know exactly how I feel about you, and I want you to know that I left by my own choice and wasn’t kidnapped or anything. I’m sure at this point you’re wondering where I am, if you even know that I’m gone yet, which you probably don’t. Well, I know you’ll look for a long time and you might not ever give up looking for me, until you read this book that is, if you ever do. But, I want you to know that I don’t now nor will I ever feel bad about letting you search aimlessly for me. It’s your punishment. You always wished I’d be just like you, wish that you could pass down everything you know to me and that I might follow in at least one of your footsteps in every aspect of my life. But now you can try to follow mine around, and I hope it’ll feel just as pointless as it did for me to forcibly follow yours throughout my life.

  I’m sure you’d like to hear me say I left home with a heavy heart, but that wouldn’t be true. I lived at home with a heavy heart, and the second I left, I’d never felt more liberated in my whole life. It was as if a seventeen year long choke hold had finally come off. So it is with a very light, warm, cheerful heart that I write you this note. I assure you that I was not taken away from you against my will, I merely left you so I could avoid living against my will. I would insist you not to look for me, but it wouldn’t do any good. You won’t see this for some time, and even if you saw it tomorrow I know it wouldn’t stop you.

  Yours truly,

  Delicate Rain

  Rain couldn’t help but cringe at the sign off she’d done. It wasn’t a mistake, it was exactly what she wanted her family to see at the end of every note she wrote in the book, but it did bring up old spite towards her parents.

  She’d always been a timid, introverted child. Her mother had given her the nickname, ‘Delicate Rain’ at a young age, as she’d cry at almost any negative thing. That habit persisted for sometime, leaving the nickname to sink in and the ink on it to dry. And now, even though her seventeenth year of life was running its course, the name stuck in the minds of her parents. She wanted it to go away, but she knew it never would.

  After finishing her note, she slid the book back into her backpack and got up from beneath the sign. Movement was still slow going. Her whole body ached, but she remained eager all the same. She could see Kansas City from where she was, and it was only going to get closer from there.

  2