The forecast for today read that it was going to rain, and the tabby cat couldn't be any happier. She loved going out in the rain, more than anything in the world.
Today, she woke up bright and early to take a shower first. She usually spent lots of time in the shower, since she did love the feel of water washing all over her body, but today it was a much quicker bath than usual. After all, she had real rain waiting for her outside. Similarly, breakfast consisted of nothing but a slice of toast with butter and jam on top, along with her usual tea.
As soon as she was done, the cat stood up to dress herself appropriately: yellow rubber boots, a puffy little coat and some modest pants, some white gloves to keep her hands warm as well, and of course, her favorite white umbrella. With the cat now geared up and ready, she stepped out of her apartment and stuffed the keys inside one of her pockets before going on her way.
However, when she stepped onto the parking lot, she didn't find rain. At least, not just yet, as the woman could tell that it was fairly overcast and the clouds were many shades of grey, despite the limited visibility the early morning provided. It would come with patience, she thought. But what she did find piqued her interest: Somehow, there were no cars around the parking lot at all, and a single, solar powered light post shined down, illuminating a large cone around it that was almost inviting the tabby cat to bask in its orange glow.
The scene was eerie, the woman thought, and she was no doubt a little scared of what might be lurking around the area. But as she stepped out into the seemingly barren space, unconsciously moving towards the light post, the cat looked around with a bit of wonder. A newfound appreciation began to form, one that she didn't realize before, and with each footstep onto the grainy pavement below, it became a center of peace of its own.
"A fairly strange feeling," the cat would quietly assess to herself. "Somehow, this absence is... comforting."
With not even the rain to keep her company, she looked around the empty lot while slowly prowling her way to the post. The only noise that came across her ears was that of the gentle wind that breezed past the world, and the distant, yet faint crossing of cars from the highway not far from where the cat lived. She figured she could consider herself lucky; there were many people that would do anything for an experience like this, and she just happened upon it without realizing she, too, wanted it as well.
Perhaps this absence represented a part of her that she hadn't fully accepted. That part of her that wasn't properly attended to, or that she thought would be filled in with time. Here, nothing seemed to exist. There were some aspects of life, and if one could focus, it might even sound like there was something out there, but no matter how hard you looked, you would find vast emptiness. The cat didn't find this inviting, as someone who gets along with so many people and is constantly going out with friends. Even when she was alone, she considered the rain her friend, accompanying her wherever she went.
But here, not even that could be found. It was a strange fear that the cat wasn't entirely aware of, and in that moment, she could have just walked back home until the rain came along to hold her hand. But somehow, she stuck with it, opting to instead face this sudden isolation head on. Was it uncharacteristic of the cat? Perhaps. But it could also represent just how far she's come. After all, she used to loathe seeing rain, and it wasn't until the cat moved away from her parents and became an independent woman that she finally appreciated the natural beauty that rain could bring. Who's to say she wouldn't also start to see the beauty in what she considered its polar opposite?
The cat finally entered the radius of the light post’s cone of luminescence. She could feel the warm glow of the lone light, making her ears twitch. She then looked back at the row of apartments occupying the space behind her, along with a few walls that divided the living area from the rest of the world. Once again, the illusion of life was there, and a sickening feeling of being truly alone festered in her... but she stood firm.
"So what if I lie alone now?" She quietly defied her mind. "At least the view is nice, and my true friend pays me a visit often..." That, of course, being the rain. Because as much as the beings on this planet move around and work with no set purpose, so too does nature, bringing hail, sunshine, snow, and of course, rain and thunder haphazardly across the world. There will always be a place where she can find the rain... and that was enough to ground her.
"Perhaps this place isn't as bad, anyways, if not for the loneliness." The cat leaned against the pole, a little smile adorning her face as she happily waited for her friend to arrive. "Maybe that's all I needed. To give this place some attention, like how I like it when all eyes are on me."
And from a distance, a low, rumbling crack could be heard, followed by a very faint pitter patter on the cat's ears. Her friend was about to arrive shortly.
She stood up and scoffed, content with this experience even if she found herself uncomfortable initially. None of this will matter that much soon, she thought. All she did was pull up her umbrella and gently rest it on her shoulder while finally walking away from the sole light post, on her way to the street. As she walked away and the morning became clearer and brighter, the light post flickered for a few seconds before turning off for good. The vast darkness that once flooded the parking lot now faded away as light occasionally peered through the clouds. And, as the forecast predicted, the rain progressed until it became a full force shower.
The tabby cat smiled as she walked aimlessly onto the concrete sidewalk. Where she headed to next was a mystery, but wherever it was, she would be happy to spend it with the rain.
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Serath : Vast darkness, a lone light on a pole, and a rumbling sound.
