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What the Storm Brings
The rain poured heavily outside. Thunder shook the chandelier in Tina's room, and a strong lightning flashed, snapping a sycamore tree's branch. It made a loud noise which made Tina look up from her laptop to her window.
"Oh, my." She set her laptop to a side table and got up.
"Shit."
Tina grabbed her phone and dialed a number fast. It rang once, twice, before a man finally picked up.
"Tim-"
"Honey, I'm trying. They won't let anyone travel to the island. The waves are so strong. They think the storm is going to last till tonight, I'm going to have to sleep at the pier..." Tim sounded tired.
"Yeah, yeah it's fine. Just want to let you know, the sycamore tree just broke."
"What?"
"Yeah, it-"
"What do you mean broke? You mean snapped, fell down?"
Tina looked outside the window to check. "A lightning s-struck it, I'm afraid it blocked the driveway."
She could hear Tim groan on the other end.
"Okay, I'm going to have to request a repairman on the way."
"You think they'll be able to get the branch out of the way?"
"Yeah, just...Tina honey, I know things didn't go as planned, but I will be there. A little late, but can you please just stop calling every five minutes, I really need to rest here at the pier. The drive from the city was..."
"Yeah, yeah I know. I understand. This will be the last time. Have a good rest."
"Okay."
"Text me if you get in any trip tonight."
Tim sighed. "I will, honey."
"Okay."
Tina looked at the heavy rain making puddles on the ground as strong winds swayed the trees.
She looked at the clock. It was almost seven in the evening.
Hungry, she went downstairs to the kitchen.
Tina was alone in the large lake house she and Tim rented a few months back for their anniversary. It was expensive, and had all the quiet and luxury they can get, but tonight she can't help feeling all of it going to waste.
She heated herself some pasta, which was supposedly their dinner together, and opened a bottle of wine. She sat on the table the homekeeper prepared well for them, and imagined Tim sitting there opposite her. A bouquet of fresh flowers stood elegantly in a gold vase as a centerpiece.
"Stormy night, isn't it Tim?" She spoke in the silence, and pretended Tim was there with her.
She drank some more wine, until the bottle was empty.
Sober and tired, she went back up to the bedroom and slept.
•••
Lightning struck again, which caused to illuminate the dark bedroom, waking Tina up.
She rubbed her forehead, and checked the clock. It was already eleven in the evening. Tim didn't send any messages. She debated whether to call, and decided not to.
Grabbing a sweater, she retrieved her laptop from the side table and continued writing her story. She sat down near the window, because somehow rain inspired her in writing. She put on her glasses and started typing away.
Her story was about a student, falling in love for her teacher. Stupid, young adult urges. If she could just write something else.
Tina was in the middle of her writing when another lightning struck, illuminating the trees outside.
In that moment, she can't help but notice a dark figure, standing outside the lake house.
It was instant, and there was nothing to see again once the lightning passed.
The lake house was secluded, and surrounded by acres of trees, bushes, and forests. The highway was 10 kilometers away.
Tina couldn't help but feel nervous all of a sudden. She tried to ignore it, told herself maybe it was just the shadow of a tree trunk.
She went back to her writing, but couldn't focus anymore. She closed her laptop, and set it aside, pulling the sweater tighter around her.
Tina hid herself from the window, but just enough so she could check one last time if there was really someone there outside in the trees.
She waited for another lightning, and stared at the exact spot she thought she saw the figure.
Lightning struck as she had hoped, illuminating the whole front yard.
No one was there.
Tina sighed in relief, and went back to writing her story.
She stayed in bed, typing away till her neck ached and her fingers were sore from hitting on they keyboard.
She took off her glasses and rubbed her eyes.
Just then, she heard a noise downstairs. A faint 'thud'. Like someone dropped a heavy object on the floor.
She immediately sat up, and listened to all her might. The rain didn't do any help because it was still so loud.
She moved...
"Oh, my." She set her laptop to a side table and got up.
"Shit."
Tina grabbed her phone and dialed a number fast. It rang once, twice, before a man finally picked up.
"Tim-"
"Honey, I'm trying. They won't let anyone travel to the island. The waves are so strong. They think the storm is going to last till tonight, I'm going to have to sleep at the pier..." Tim sounded tired.
"Yeah, yeah it's fine. Just want to let you know, the sycamore tree just broke."
"What?"
"Yeah, it-"
"What do you mean broke? You mean snapped, fell down?"
Tina looked outside the window to check. "A lightning s-struck it, I'm afraid it blocked the driveway."
She could hear Tim groan on the other end.
"Okay, I'm going to have to request a repairman on the way."
"You think they'll be able to get the branch out of the way?"
"Yeah, just...Tina honey, I know things didn't go as planned, but I will be there. A little late, but can you please just stop calling every five minutes, I really need to rest here at the pier. The drive from the city was..."
"Yeah, yeah I know. I understand. This will be the last time. Have a good rest."
"Okay."
"Text me if you get in any trip tonight."
Tim sighed. "I will, honey."
"Okay."
Tina looked at the heavy rain making puddles on the ground as strong winds swayed the trees.
She looked at the clock. It was almost seven in the evening.
Hungry, she went downstairs to the kitchen.
Tina was alone in the large lake house she and Tim rented a few months back for their anniversary. It was expensive, and had all the quiet and luxury they can get, but tonight she can't help feeling all of it going to waste.
She heated herself some pasta, which was supposedly their dinner together, and opened a bottle of wine. She sat on the table the homekeeper prepared well for them, and imagined Tim sitting there opposite her. A bouquet of fresh flowers stood elegantly in a gold vase as a centerpiece.
"Stormy night, isn't it Tim?" She spoke in the silence, and pretended Tim was there with her.
She drank some more wine, until the bottle was empty.
Sober and tired, she went back up to the bedroom and slept.
•••
Lightning struck again, which caused to illuminate the dark bedroom, waking Tina up.
She rubbed her forehead, and checked the clock. It was already eleven in the evening. Tim didn't send any messages. She debated whether to call, and decided not to.
Grabbing a sweater, she retrieved her laptop from the side table and continued writing her story. She sat down near the window, because somehow rain inspired her in writing. She put on her glasses and started typing away.
Her story was about a student, falling in love for her teacher. Stupid, young adult urges. If she could just write something else.
Tina was in the middle of her writing when another lightning struck, illuminating the trees outside.
In that moment, she can't help but notice a dark figure, standing outside the lake house.
It was instant, and there was nothing to see again once the lightning passed.
The lake house was secluded, and surrounded by acres of trees, bushes, and forests. The highway was 10 kilometers away.
Tina couldn't help but feel nervous all of a sudden. She tried to ignore it, told herself maybe it was just the shadow of a tree trunk.
She went back to her writing, but couldn't focus anymore. She closed her laptop, and set it aside, pulling the sweater tighter around her.
Tina hid herself from the window, but just enough so she could check one last time if there was really someone there outside in the trees.
She waited for another lightning, and stared at the exact spot she thought she saw the figure.
Lightning struck as she had hoped, illuminating the whole front yard.
No one was there.
Tina sighed in relief, and went back to writing her story.
She stayed in bed, typing away till her neck ached and her fingers were sore from hitting on they keyboard.
She took off her glasses and rubbed her eyes.
Just then, she heard a noise downstairs. A faint 'thud'. Like someone dropped a heavy object on the floor.
She immediately sat up, and listened to all her might. The rain didn't do any help because it was still so loud.
She moved...
