Rainy Day

• Sophie Hogg, Grade 9
• Short Story
• 2014

The day was alive with the wind that made the trees dance and the fallen leaves flip acrobatically. The drops of rain soared in a flurry towards the ground, where they exploded with a tiny but monumental force. The rain thundered on umbrellas, knocking as though to come in, and the wind snuck under colourful rims and between metal ribs to blow the structures inside out and subsequently bathe the person underneath. Those without umbrellas hurried to get under the crowded areas of shelter, though the wind still crept up skirts in a perverted way and ushered the drops under the overhanging roofs of ships complete with hopeful shop owners looking for business. It was that sort of day, the day so dark and thundering that one might've mistaken it for night, if it weren't for the bustling streets and crowded sidewalks still hearing the sound of many rushed footsteps upon their concrete backs. It was the sort of day where it felt nice to be safe, inside, warm, sheltered in any way possible from the raging monster outside that was hammering on windows and attacking all those who dared confront it. The halls of the school were full to the bursting point. People pressed past each other in the same needy way, some rough, some softer, but all rushing to get to one of the few breathable spots. Hundreds of black school shoes trekked water up the stairs and drenched the threadbare carpets, and many students were bedraggled and tired. Teachers held their plastic trays of books around their chests, above the majority of the students. When the school bell finally rang to signal the end of the final class, the shelter just through the heavy gates was jam-packed with students, parents, teachers, and families alike. Each face looked hopefully out at the cars to spot which was theirs, when they could finally get home. Others looked at the cars more wistfully, wishing they didn't have to catch buses and trains, and the dread of the three-block long walk to the common bus stops seemed to be accompanying many faces stepping regretfully out from under the shelter and heading out towards the pedestrian crossing. The day was a busy affair in general.