Chapter Two

Arin's POV:

Black rain? When did black mass ever pour down from the sky like that? I have enough things to worry about, like whether we have enough money to tide over the next month, let alone this weird... disaster.

Mum and I've been living from hand-to-mouth ever since...the monster - my father - left. Thankfully there's been enough money in the trust fund to help us, but that's slowly trickling out as well.

To keep us going, I've taken on multiple jobs a day - from being a newspaper boy in the morning before and on my way to school, to being a janitor at school - I've never had the ideal life, but I'm fine with it. Taking many jobs a time isn't a big deal for me, I'm already used to it.

I have my friends - Emeline, the cliché kind of girl, always warm and happy; Roseline, the snappy, sarcastic, and don't-mess-with-me girl; Terris, the one to always think before he acts and...the one who is a little timid.

However, underneath all their different personalities, they are the most amazing friends ever, and each one of us balances each other out, so the fights within us are kept to a minimum.

Mum sits at the circular wooden table that's so tiny it can only fit a few biscuit tins, sorting through a stack of bills. There are dark circles under her eyes, her face pale and ragged. I barely recognize her.

Before my father left, my mother was carefree and happy, her hair rich and thick, her smiles wide and frequent.

But now there aren't enough smiles for her to spare, and there are always sighs and sobs reverberating throughout the house. She's stopped wearing the bright dresses she used to, because she would think of how my father would compliment her. And those are now bitter-sweet memories that she longs for. As expected, she now lives her life dully, with nothing to live for, expect me.

I always notice the distance in her eyes when she cooks, she's always thinking of the past, while stirring the pot aimlessly and sighing. That's why Emeline has decided to help her nowadays - she doesn't want me eating burnt and unhealthy food. She's always bringing fruits and vegetables over. It's very thoughtful of Emeline and much expected of her, given her personality.

As I stare at Mum's crestfallen face, I see her looking close to pulling her hair out. She raises her head slowly, and I turn my head away, not wanting her to think I've been staring at her for unwanted reasons - that she's a bad mother, and that I hate her. It's all untrue, but after what Mum's been through, I don't think it's easy for her to not mind people's stares again. As her son, I've been through the same problems as her, so I understand her feelings - sometimes.

I remember that day when she was crying so hard that the neighbors could hear her, and when they came over and found out what had happened they started to shun us, block us out from their lives. They thought that we were cursed with bad luck to have encountered this type of fate, but it's all my father's fault, and even Mum knows that, but she refuses to admit it. She's still holding on to him, still loving him, although it's the last thing I'd do.

It's pointless and a dumb decision, but I say nothing. I don't want to agitate her anymore; when she goes into a rage, nothing can be expected.

"Arin," Roseline calls from where she's in between Emeline and Terris, cutting off my train of thought, "come over here. We've found something that you need to see. It's very urgent."

My mother glances at the pretty blonde girl before looking at me. When she sees me raising a concerned eyebrow at her, she ducks her head like a child getting caught doing something wrong, and goes back to staring at the bills, ignoring me.

I walk over to my friends, and Terris sends me a worried glance. I know what it means. Mum's on stress mode again, and it's going to bring her down soon.

I want to comfort her, to show her I still love her, but it's been so long, it's awkward to do things like hug her or kiss her goodnight. We're drifting apart slowly, and to be honest, I'm afraid, terrified of what's going to happen.

I stare at the TouchCall in Roseline's hands. On it shows a hologram of a reporter with a scared look plastered on her face. I ignore the pace she talks - at a mile a minute - and focus on the subtitles below instead.

As my eyes scan the horrifying news, my face feels as if it's been drained of blood, turning deathly pale, a different shade of white.

"Oh my..." I trail off, head whipping to the window. It's infecting-

A scream tears it's way through the reporter's throat, and I look back at the TouchCall in time to see the camera being smashed to the ground, and the crack of the camera lenses, before a dark, irregular-shaped shadow hovers above the camera, letting out a hoarse snarl. All that comes next is blurry, I'm not sure how to comprehend it. I see someone's feet shuffling around, towards the camera. Pretty soon, it's just a centimetre away from the lens and crack, those feet hit the camera, dragging it along with it. The strange thing is, there's no blood. A normal living person would be injured, but this creature isn't. The screen blanks.

Red capital letters in bold appear in the hologram:

PLEASE STAY INDOORS.

I feel my heart racing wildly, threatening to jump out of my chest. What's happening?

Emeline's eyes widen. "Is she okay? Please tell me she's okay. Maybe we should check in with the news station-"

"Emeline, relax," I say, squeezing her shoulder gently.

"Seriously? This is just like something out of a frickin' horror movie. It's so fake." Roseline rolls her eyes, like it's just nothing to care about, but Terris grabs hold of her arm.

"Roseline," he says, pausing to look at everyone in the eye, "it can kill people. Did you see what the black rain made the reporter? What if it happens to us? We have to stay in school, if we're even going." Terris sounds as urgent and anxious as the reporter.

"No, I didn't see what happened," Roseline snaps, "now stop being a coward, and let's go to school."

Oh snap. All this has caused me to forget all about it. Before school I'm supposed to deliver all my newspapers...

This day is getting worse and worse by the second. Mum lets out a sound of frustration from the back of her throat, and we all watch with horrified expression as she gets to her feet and rips up the bill in her hands. Emeline flinches, Terris stares at the ground, while Roseline watches Mum warily, just like how a police keeps watch on a prisoner.

"Told you she's going to explode soon," Terris mumbles under his breath, and Emeline kicks him lightly.

And sure she does. With another howl of frustration, Mum sweeps all the bills off the table with her arm, making the papers flutter around in the air like birds before landing on the ground.

Emeline drops to the floor and starts to pick up the fallen papers, and without hesitation I follow suit. Roseline mutters a "seriously" behind me, but falls to her knees as well. Terris stands there, knees quaking, looking as if he's about to cry.

"Terris, come on," I say, nodding to him then the floor. My mother storms off, and the slamming of the door makes my heart squeeze painfully.

She was never like this in the past. I wish I had that Mum back. I wish my whole family was intact. I wish that I could go back in time and change everything.

But I can't, and that's the only reality in my thoughts. It smashes the other wishes, placing them in a tight sealed box that I cannot open ever again.

Stop thinking about it Arin, you've got better things to do.

I tap the papers on the table on their lengths and breadths, making the papers fall neatly into a straight stack before placing them on the wood, and staring at the heap of newspapers sitting by the front door, waiting for me to deliver them.

"I need to go now," I say, as all my friends' heads pop up.

"Go where?" They ask in unison.

"We still have...five minutes, and I advise you not to go out there, although I really want to. We still can't take such a big risk." Roseline says, pointing at the currently pouring black rain through the window.

Emeline nods, and Terris bobs his head up and down violently, his hair flopping around. I almost laugh at that, but I'm not in the mood right now.

"Guys, I know you're worried, but I need to deliver the newspapers. Did you see Mum's face just now? I need the cash immediately!" I say, running my hands through my hair.

Emeline frowns at me. "I know, but there must be some other way, right? You can't possibly be a newspaper boy for the rest of your life. And plus, I know your boss will understand, with the weather condition and all, you know."

"You have no idea how impossible my boss is," I say, shaking my head.

My boss is a burly man who towers over almost everyone, and he has tattoos covering his arm muscles, the ink red and black and green, and every inch of his skin is covered with the same pattern.

I wonder why people even want to pay money - such a precious thing that could be spent on food or study materials, or clothes or electricity and water - to get needles to go in and out of their skin. Sure, it can leave a pattern that you can keep forever, but...

The thought of it is enough to make me want to puke. While I'm here trying desperately to survive, there are people who'd rather spend money on things that they don't even need - fancy gadgets and contraptions that become white elephants in the end.

"But you can't expect us to allow you to go charging like some superhero out there," Roseline jabs at the window with her thumb.

Emeline nervously fiddles with her dark fringe, her blue eyes darting between Roseline and I.

"I can, and I am going out there." I say, getting my worn-out pair of boots that sit on the ground.

It is worn out because of Terris. Back when I was younger, my father had given me this pair of shoes, and I'd worn them to school, but because I was teased for it - it was a few sizes too big - I escaped to the music room, where I met Terris. He was singing softly to himself, and we both screamed when we saw each other. We weren't supposed to be there and we knew it.

He made me promise to not eat him out, and he made an oath to not spill the beans either.

But in the end we became good friends and often played Catch, explaining the worn holes in my boots. I tripped and fell in them often, but I didn't mind.

It holds memories, good ones that I'll never forget.

I begin to lace up my boots when Terris places a hand on my shoulder.

"Don't do this, Arin. It's suicide out there."

"I'm not afraid of death," I say, standing up and picking up a bundle of newspapers.

Roseline grabs one too and I hope for a second that she's going to pass it to me and support my decision, but being the stubborn girl she is, she hefts it over her shoulder.

"I'm coming with you," she announces.

"Look, I appreciate this and all, but I won't be able to live with myself if one of you gets into danger. So just stay here, alright?" I say.

"No." Are the girls' final answer. They're being difficult, they always have.

Emeline gently scoops one bundle up as well. "If Rose is going, I'm coming too."

Terris hesitates no longer and immediately grabs two bundles of newspaper. "I don't have anything cool to say, but all I can tell you, Arin, is that I'm not leaving you alone out there too."

I smile appreciatively at my friends. "Thanks."

They shrug, returning the smiles, before I place my hand on the knob, ready to open the door.

Wait.

"What about Mum?" I ask suddenly, turning around.

I can't forget her. She was the one who laughed and played with me in the rain, the one who always held me when I cried, the one who had that particular scent that helped me fall asleep at night.

"We...we can't take her with us," Emeline says, obviously upset by this.

"Why not?" I challenge. I'll do anything for my mother, even if we've been growing distant. She's the only family I have left, except for my friends, of course.

"Arin," Terris swallows, "she'll be fine."

He's saying it like we're in a horror movie and there's a spy just down the corner. For all I know, Mum's eavesdropping on us right now.

"We have to go," Roseline says, glancing at her TouchCall, "or we'll be late for school, and we don't want that."

She's right; the last thing I want to do is get into trouble.

"Hold on, there's a message from the news station. There's no school until the black rain stops." Roseline says.

I sigh. "We still have to finish the job."

Terris looks at me uncertainly. "Are you sure, Arin?"

I nod, before placing my newspaper bundle on the floor and jotting down a quick note to Mum to tell her that we've gone out to deliver newspapers, and that we'll be back soon.

Taking a deep breath, with my newspaper bundle in hand, I walk out the doors with my friends by my side.

I can do this.

Can you?

No-yes, I can.