Once again, it was raining.

Not that Adrian particularly cared; in fact, he quite enjoyed the rain. The gentle, steady patter in the background proved to be relaxing, and there was something calming in the slight shade the ever-present clouds cast the town under.

Indeed, the quiet streets were far preferable to his parents' grumbling about another day of rain—that was, after all, why he had left early. Walking an extra few blocks to pass the time didn't bother him, especially when it was so serene.

The moisture in the air caught the golden light shining from the streetlamps, creating a glowing halo of light around the lamps that lined the road. The same light danced upon the ripples in the many puddles that laid on the road. The warm glow that bathed the streets contrasted with the dark gray, cloud-coated sky above, but a faint smudge of gold was visible along the horizon, hinting at a sun ready to rise.

As Adrian walked and the sun fought its way into the sky, the streets gradually became more lively; people ventured outside to go about their lives, filling the streets with a muted chatter, and cars clattered past, sending up small waves of water.

Adrian spun his umbrella in his hands, turned his feet toward his destination, and set off at a slightly more purposeful pace.

"Hey, look, it's Adrian. Hey, Adrian! Adrian!"

Adrian turned to find the source of the chipper voice calling his name. Two black-haired girls stood across the street from him, the shorter of which waving energetically at him. Adrian's eyes were instantly drawn to the conspicuous, jagged scar marring her waving forearm, stretching from the crook of her elbow to the base of her missing pinky. She quickly glanced to the left, then the right, then skipped across the road. Her companion trudged after with far less enthusiasm.

"Hello, Brook," replied Adrian.

Brook beamed at him, bright blue eyes shining cheerfully. "I'm surprised to run into you!"

"Likewise."

"So, why are you out here? We take this route every day, and I've never seen you here before."

"I took a different route today."

"Is that so?" Brook smiled again. "Would you like to walk with us to school?"

"...sure," said Adrian after a brief pause. Everything about Brook baffled him. She was always so jovial, full of light and warmth. Always smiling, impossibly outgoing; when she had moved into town five and a half years ago, she had made it her personal quest to befriend every person in the school, Adrian included. At first Adrian had been wary of her attempt, but Brook seemed to possess a genuine desire to make everyone happy. Clearly others had picked up on this sentiment, because she was completely successful in her endeavor.

Aside from a few resentful at her popularity, Brook was probably one of the most well-liked people Adrian knew, which made her friendliness toward him all the more baffling. Adrian was practically a non-entity; he would be surprised if someone remembered his name. But the most confusing thing about Brook was not the person herself, but her ever-present companion, Delta.

The second girl finally caught up to them, regarding Adrian with her usual indifferent eye. She returned to her usual position, lingering just behind Brook like a living shadow. Unlike Brook's long, glossy hair, Delta's black hair was straight, always neatly cut just above her shoulder. Her eyes were a dark, dark blue, almost black, contrasting with her pale face, which seemed to be locked in a perpetual expression of slight disdain.

Delta was with Brook everywhere, a steadfast companion that spoke little and held an air of cold aloofness. She was just there, noticed by everyone but never addressed. Her dark presence no doubt deterred some of Brook's would-be friends, but Brook's sunny cheer seemed to eclipse Delta's quiet menace.

Despite their apparent incompatibility, Brook seemed to care greatly about Delta, holding her opinion in high regard and never quite forgetting her friend's presence. Delta returned the sentiment by being rather protective, fixing anyone who was remotely rude to Brook with a glare that could kill. It was a strange relationship; they didn't seem like the type of people to get along, and, as far as Adrian knew, they weren't sisters. Then again, all things social tended to be beyond Adrian's understanding, so he wasn't one to judge.

Upon Delta's arrival, Brook spun around to face her friend. "Would it be okay for him to come, Delta?"

Delta cast Adrian an uninterested glance. "Sure," she said flatly.

Brook's face lit up. "Really? Oh, thank you!" She skipped a bit and walked faster, Delta trailing just behind. The silence lasted for about ten seconds before Brook cracked and began chatting again.

"It's great that Delta let you tag along!"

"Oh, does she not often?" asked Adrian as he absently spun his umbrella again.

Brook sighed. "Yeah. Sometimes I feel like she hates all my friends. But I know she just cares about me."

"I don't know; it seems a bit overbearing."

"Do you think so?" sighed Brook. "A lot of people have been telling me that lately." Her face lightened. "But, the thing is, she's been much more flexible lately! You know, sometimes she even leaves me alone!"

Adrian frowned. "You mean to say that you're hardly ever apart?"

"Uh-huh." Brook didn't seem to understand any issue.

"Do you--do you two live together?"

"Yeah, we share an apartment."

"But you're...not sisters."

"That's right," replied Brook. "She's just my best friend." She sent Delta a huge grin. Delta, staring blankly into the distance, didn't seem to notice.

"She sounds more like a bodyguard than a friend," commented Adrian.

Brook laughed. "A bit, I suppose. But--" she glanced at Delta and dropped her voice "--I'm a bit worried about her, to be honest."

"Why's that?" asked Adrian mildly.

"She seems to be a bit...off, lately. Sometimes she looks confused, or sad, and sometimes even angry."

"She doesn't look any different to me."

"But she is off, I swear!" Brook glanced back to make sure Delta was still oblivious. "I'm...I'm worried she may be angry at me."

"I don't think it's possible for someone to be angry at you."

Brook smiled at the comment, though it was a purely objective observation. "Even so, I'm still worried. What do you think I should do?"

Adrian frowned, confused. "Why are you asking me?" Furthermore, why are you even telling me this?

"Because you're my friend, of course!" exclaimed Brook earnestly.

"Oh." So she did regard him as a friend. What a strange thought, having a friend. Though, it wasn't necessarily a bad feeling, either. She probably shouldn't be asking me for advice, though. "I--I, um, suppose you should just...talk to her...?"

"So you say that, too," mumbled Brook. "Okay, I'll talk to her tonight! Thanks, Adrian!"

"I didn't do much, though," murmured Adrian as Brook skipped away.

_______________________________________________________________________________

The rain persisted throughout the day, a steady drumming that faded into the background as everybody went about their day. To Adrian, it was endlessly calming—that is, until it chose to pick up in intensity just as he stepped outside to walk home. As soon as the icy raindrops smacked his skin, he flung his umbrella open and set off a brisk pace. There would be no lingering this afternoon.

The rain only worsened as time went on. Eventually, the streets were practically deserted, Adrian's only company the occasional passing car. As the rain pounded down harder and faster, it became clear that a storm was brewing; a dull rumbling pervaded the city, and flashes of lights lit up the bellies of the darkening clouds. The city was cast into an early evening as the sunlight was choked out.

Eventually the only clear light was that of the streetlights, casting bright pools of light on the wet sidewalk. Everything else was cloaked in deep shadows—it was practically pitch black in the small alleys between buildings. Adrian found himself walking closer to the road, scanning the shadows for the slightest hint of movement.

The wild rain had found its way around Adrian's umbrella, soaking his clothes and steeping him in a deep, creeping cold. The capricious winds only worsened the problem, sending chills through his body and attempting to violently wrench the umbrella from his hands. Adrian gripped the umbrella with trembling, icy fingers, wishing he didn't live so far away from school.

"Almost there, almost there," he muttered to himself, squinting as the wind blasted him in the face.

"Excuse me, young man."

Adrian reeled backward, stumbling into the pool of light cast by the streetlight. The light would do little to protect him, but it brought him some degree of comfort. He scanned the shadows as the rain picked up to a new frenzy, filling the streets with a low, constant drumming.

A tall man dressed in a long, gray coat stepped out from the shadows, flashing the clearly startled Adrian an attempt at a comforting smile. It had the opposite effect, though, as the hat pulled over the man's eyes just made the smile eerie. He too clutched an umbrella in gloved hands, struggling to keep hold as the violent wind tossed it about.

"Could I have a word?"

"Um...sure." Adrian took a step back, eyeing the man warily.

"Sorry to bother you, young man." The man smiled again, but, this time, pushed back his hat, revealing surprisingly dry, ruffled brown hair and warm, bright blue eyes. It was a sincere expression. "I'm looking for some people."

"Who?"

"Ah, well...I don't know their names," admitted the man sheepishly. "But I'm looking for a couple--they may not be dating, just close friends."

Adrian frowned. "There's thousands of couples in the city. You need to be more specific; do you know what they look like?"

"No," sighed the man.

"Well, then, I'm sorry, but I can't help you," said Adrian, eyeing the man with a newfound confusion.

"I suppose I don't have enough information," murmured the man. He smiled apologetically. "I'm terribly sorry for wasting your time. Especially in this weather." He gazed at Adrian, sodden and shivering. "You look cold. I'm sorry to hold you up. You should go somewhere warm." He stepped back, partially consumed by the shadows.

"Then you should, too," mumbled Adrian, noting the the man's figure in the corner of his eye as he passed by. He walked a bit faster once the man was out of sight, and, when he turned around again, the man had dissolved into the shadows.

A jagged bolt of lightning split the sky, temporarily bleaching the streets with a glaring light, followed by a rumbling so deep and immense it seemed to be the earth itself creaking. Flinching, Adrian picked up his pace and ran the rest of the way home.

He jumped up the three stairs to his door, knocked loudly, and tried to hide under the narrow eaves of the house until his mom opened the door.

"Goodness, Adrian!" she exclaimed upon seeing his sorry state. "Oh, go and get some dry clothes. I want to talk to you when you finish, though."

Adrian eyed the newspaper held in his mother's hand. "Sure."

Sure enough, she was waiting at the bottom of the stairs when he emerged from his room in dry clothes, the newspaper now clutched in both her hands.

"So, what is it?" asked Adrian as he descended the stairs.

"Well--well, first, where were you this morning?" exclaimed his mother in a sudden burst of pent-up energy.

"I left early. Didn't you see the note--"

"Yes, the note, the note. But--oh, you missed big news this morning!"

"Big news, huh?"

"Look!" She shoved the newspaper into Adrian's hands. It was slightly crumpled by her tight grip, but Adrian could make out the crumbled remains of a building printed on the front page. He wouldn't have recognized the building if not for the headline above it.

"They burned the church!" cried his mother. "Our church! What will we do on Sunday?"

"That's unfortunate, I suppose," murmured Adrian. "They'll probably figure something out."

"This is the fourth church this month," fretted his mother. "When will that crazy cult stop? No--when will the police finally catch them?"

"Who knows," mumbled Adrian. "Hey, if I could get past--"

"Ah, yes!" she exclaimed. "Sorry, sorry. Go on."

Adrian walked past her into the living room, where he sat down to read a book. The drumming of the downpour was far more relaxing indoors, when it wasn't soaking him with cold water. So relaxing, in fact, that he fell asleep, the book unread by his side. He wasn't quite sure how long he slept, but he was awoken by his mother's call.

"Adrian, someone's at the door for you!"

Adrian put down his book and walked down the hallway, wondering who in the world would want to talk to him.

"I'll let you handle this," said his mother, hurrying back down the hall. "Don't want dinner to burn, after all!"

As his mother moved, she revealed the person standing in the doorway. Adrian blinked once, twice, wondering if he was seeing correctly.

"...Delta?"

It was indeed Delta, but never before had Adrian seen her like this. She was soaked from head to toe, with tangled hair and clothes streaked with mud. It didn't seem to bother her, though; her face remained stoic even as the rain pounded down on her head.

"You... you can come inside," Adrian said, stepping back to make room for Delta.

Delta didn't move, instead rifling through the pockets of her jacket. "Your name's Adrian, right?"

"Yeah..." Adrian could hardly believe the person in front of him was Delta. Gone was the cold indifference she usually wore; the only expression she wore was one of steady determination. Even so, there was urgency in her brisk movements and quick words, an undercurrent of worry beneath her calm exterior.

Adrian glanced over Delta's shoulder, but to his surprise, the streets were empty. "Where's Brook?"

Delta ignored him once again, finding whatever she was looking for. She pulled something silver out of her jacket's inside pocket and immediately shoved it into Adrian's hands. "Hide this."

Adrian studied the object; it was a flask, seemingly empty, undecorated except for two letters carved into the bottom: BM. Standing for, perhaps, Brook Marobella? "Is this Brook's?"

"I need you to hide it," Delta repeated. "Somewhere where nobody will be able to find it, even if they're looking for it. Make sure you can find it again, because I'll need it back." She paused. "You should bury it."

"Wait--why do I need to hide this?" asked Adrian. "I--"

"Can you hide it or not?" demanded Delta. "Stop babbling--this is vital."

"Yes, I suppose I can," said Adrian, shaken by her intensity.

"Good," said Delta. "Don't go too deep into the forest."

Adrian frowned. Is she suddenly concerned about my safety, or is there another reason? "Okay. I was planning to stay on the outskirts, anyway."

"Go now."

"What?"

"Hide the flask now." When Adrian didn't move, she scowled and snapped, "Go!"

"Okay, okay--just give me a second." Adrian retreated inside the house, grabbing his still sodden coat and umbrella before calling to his mother, "Mom, I'll be heading out for awhile--I need to run an errand for a friend. I won't be long."

"That girl at the door's your friend?"

"Yes, a friend from school."

"And you're sure you'll be fine? It's quite the storm out there."

"It'll ease up soon. Storms this severe can't last long."

A brief pause, then, "Okay, just be back soon, okay?"

"I will, Mom," assured Adrian. He opened his umbrella and shut the door behind him, finding an impatient-looking Delta waiting for him.

"Finally. Now, go!"

Only when Adrian started walking did Delta move, running off in the opposite direction. Her figure was quickly swallowed by the slanted shadows and the gray sheet of rain.

Stifling his unease, Adrian made his way to the forest.