Rainstorm

Part One The Intruder It was late September. The nights were getting chilly, but the days were still pleasant — that is, if you could consider New England weather “pleasant.” Rain Rudkin, just shy of her fortieth birthday, sure didn’t consider the state of Massachusetts a very pleasant place to live climate-wise. If it wasn’t cold or snowing, then it was usually insanely humid. If you could accumulate more than two weeks of dry weather in the summer months, then you were lucky. She wished she were more like her husband, Troy — indifferent and adaptable to just about any climate. The only thing she was grateful for was the wonderful deal they had gotten on their new home and that they had been financially stable for some time to come. Troy had an excellent salary, and Rain was able to work at home as a proofreader of online instructional material. The neighborhood was peaceful. Their house was situated at the end of a dead-end street. It was set back from the road and had a fairly wide expanse of grass around both sides as well as the back. About fifty feet from the back and right side of the house was a wooded area. Rain yawned. It was only six in the morning. She didn’t usually get up this early, but this particular morning she had risen early enough to see her husband off to his job as an accountant that chilly Monday morning. Meow… She turned to her cat, Simone. “Might as well get an early start on the laundry.” She used the bathroom and pulled her long locks into a ponytail. Then she pulled on her pink fleece robe and headed down to the main floor of the home’s three-bedroom house. After she fed the cat and downed a cinnamon roll with a cup of coffee, she gathered the laundry and headed down into the basement. Others had described the basement as cold, damp, and creepy, but she disagreed. For a basement, it was fairly open and sunny with its four casement windows that received both the morning and afternoon sun, depending on which side of the house it was on. During the winter, it could certainly get cold and gloomy down there, though. Neither one of them came down very often anyway, other than to look for something they might have stored or to do laundry. For the most part, the basement wasn’t a part of their regular living space. With three bedrooms upstairs, it was warmer, cozier, and more convenient to use the spare rooms for home offices rather than set anything up down in the basement. Green plastic laundry basket in hand, Rain slowly descended the uncarpeted steps. Halfway down, she turned and gazed up at her cat. “You coming?” she asked the tri-colored tabby. But as usual, the cat chose to remain upstairs. Stepping off the last riser, her bare feet padded along the cool cement as she made her way over to the washer and dryer. It was the only clear section of the basement. Most of it was filled with boxes, old furniture — some of which was left behind by the previous owners — as well as other odds and ends. Suddenly, a strange sensation came over her, and she knew she wasn’t alone. She tried to convince herself that everything was okay and she was just imagining it, but the flash of movement she caught from the corner of her eye said otherwise. The movement occurred in a dark, shadowy corner of the basement where their old couch was, and Rain couldn’t see any detail at first. The couch was behind a stack of boxes, which meant that you had to practically get right up to it in order to see it. She was paralyzed with fear, unable to scream and unable to run. The shadowy figure then stepped into a beam of light streaming through one of the windows. It was a woman. She was around Rain’s age, give or take a few years, and seemed very ordinary looking, though harsh and weathered. She was of average height and somewhat slender with dark eyes and dark hair to the shoulders. She wore jeans, a black shirt, black high-tops, and a navy flannel jacket. She wore no makeup, and her wavy bangs needed a good trim. The woman yawned as Rain took in her disheveled hair. Had she been sleeping on their couch all night? “Who—who the fuck are you?” “Calm down, Rain,” said the woman in a deep, menacing tone that was anything but calming. “How do you know my name, and how did you get in here?” “I do the talking, not you,” the woman hissed. “The hell you do,” Rain said, trying to appear brave. “This is my house, not—” “I said shut up!” The woman then pulled a handgun from the pocket of her jacket. Rain’s heart hammered in her chest. “If you comply with the three simple things I demand, no one will ever get hurt, and I will eventually disappear for good.” “Th-three things? M-my husband’s going to come down h-here.” “No, he’s not. He’s at work. Lucky for him, too, because if he ever finds out about me, he will not only be dead in a snap, but a certain photo of you will also go viral. Trust me, Rain, it’s nothing you would want your friends and family to see.” “W-what photo? What are you talking about?” Rain’s voice was becoming hysterical. She was angry, confused, and terrified all at once. “You need to step forward before I can tell you what you are to do in order to keep your husband alive and your reputation intact.” Rain remained riveted to her spot, unable to believe or comprehend what was going on. “Now, Rain!” the woman screamed. “L-look. We have some money and—” “This isn’t about money. I don’t want your money. I don’t want any food. I don’t want any objects. I just want you. Now, are you coming to me, or shall I go to you? Because if I have to go to you, I’m not going to be any less than brutal.” Shakily, as if she were walking a tightrope, Rain dared inch her way closer to the madwoman with the muddy brown eyes and dull, stringy hair. Unsure of where she was expected to stop, she stopped about two feet away from the woman. She tried to read her expression, but as she studied her eyes, they almost seemed empty — like she was looking through her instead of at her. Then they began to focus and roam around her face before they slowly dropped downward and then back to rest upon her face once again. A slight lustful look took over her features. “A blue-eyed blonde. Lucky me.” “I’m not a blonde,” Rain said firmly. The psycho studied her hair. “Light sandy brown… you’re halfway there.” “Look, please just leave. I swear I’ll never say a damn thing.” Before Rain could realize what was happening, the woman stepped up to her and kissed her on the lips just as something clicked to the side of them. When the woman pulled back, Rain could then see that she had taken a picture of them in lip-lock with her cell phone. Anger began to replace Rain’s fear. “What did you do that for?! Who are you? What do you want with me?” “Ah, those three demands, huh?” said the woman with a slight laugh, as if they were playing some sort of game. “Get out of here. Just get out of here! To hell with your demands!” Ignoring her, the woman inspected the picture on her phone. “Perfect,” she said, holding it out for Rain to see. Rain could see it clearly. She appeared to be a willing participant, and anyone who knew her place could see the picture had been taken in her house. Most people she knew well enough to invite over had been in the basement at one point or another. She tried to snatch the phone from the woman, but the woman quickly yanked it away. “What the fuck is this for?” Rain cried. “I told you what it’s for. You don’t comply with my demands, then the picture goes viral.” Rain stared at the woman, dumbstruck. She would be in less shock had she won millions in the lottery. “Who are you, and how do you know us?” Ignoring her again, the woman slipped the phone into her pocket and looked at her, now with a very focused and business-like expression. “Command number one… allow me to sleep here at night from around 11 p.m. to 7 a.m.” “What? Why?” “Shut up!” The woman shouted so loud that it hurt Rain’s ears as her voice bounced off the cement walls. “For the last time, I talk, you listen.” Rain stood stock-still and silent. “Command number two… You will come down here every night at midnight, after I’ve had some time to relax and unwind, and you will service me until I’ve had enough.” Rain shuddered, knowing full well what she meant by “service.” “Command number three… You will keep your mouth shut to every living soul on earth about our arrangement. If you fail to do so, your husband will be dead, and our intimate moment will go viral. Understand?” Rain was at a loss for words. All she could do was stare at the crazy woman in sheer disbelief. “Lastly,” she said, pulling her jacket snugly around her and slipping the gun into her pocket while keeping a firm hold on it, “don’t bother calling the police when I leave. I know people, Rain. People who owe me a favor or two. If I’m ever arrested, or if I should ever disappear, I have people who will be more than willing to take care of your husband and our little picture. Maybe they’ll even kill you, too.” Rain tried to gauge whether the woman was just bluffing or not. She didn’t know that she — or anyone — could trust the word of a criminal, but she sure as hell didn’t want to put her husband’s life at risk either. “No calling the cops. No trying to prevent my entry. No coming at me with a weapon when I am here. Got it? You see, Rain, I have secret little devices employed. They tell me what you’re doing, where you’re doing it, and when.” Rain continued to stare at her, slack-jawed. “See you at midnight,” the bitch said with a slight wink. She then turned, stepped up onto the back of the couch, pulled the casement window open, and hoisted herself up through it. The window flapped shut behind her and then she was gone. Damn us for leaving that window unlocked, Rain thought.