The Rain

It’s October, and it has been raining everyday. This wasn’t just some fall rain, this was abnormal rain. You could feel it almost piercing through your skin. Scientists said that it’s due to global warming. Whether that was true or not, this phenomenon was petrifying… rain kept pouring nonstop. If I left a five gallon bucket outside, it would fill up within 15 seconds, and this was not an exaggeration. Going outside was risky, but people had to continue on with their lives. The electricity would go off often so there was no way people could do online school or work virtually.

The first few days were normal. People had hope that eventually it would stop despite the news showing that it was raining all over the world.

Conspiracy theories started coming up, a huge one was about how this is the end of the world.

I have not seen the sun in 4 days and I could feel myself starting to get sick. I felt down and so did many other people. The emergency room was filled and more people were coming with flu-like symptoms. They looked weak, pale, and only a few had difficulty breathing. With this much rain happening across the globe comes a lack of oxygen.

On the fifth day, panicking and stocking up on food caused stores to run out. There were even moments of violence for the last pieces of food.

I do not care for most conspiracy theories, but if rain continued like this… it could be the end of the world. Crops would be drowning, meaning no food, as well as low oxygen levels. let’s not forget about the diseases that would spread.

I reside near a lake so it was worse here. The water level would rise and flooding would happen and I’d be the first to be affected. I didn’t know if I should move or wait it out, eventually the rain would stop I thought.

And so it did…

On the seventh day I was sitting on an armchair looking out of a window, sipping on my tea. I was deep in thought that I didn’t realize the rain had stopped.

Should I be worried or relieved?

It was really foggy and damp outside. There were puddles of water everywhere. What was the point of all of this rain?

I was standing on my balcony looking at the lake when I realized I was squinting my eyes trying to make sense of what I was seeing. It was a grey, slimy-looking creature with white spots on it, crawling out of the water. My heart stopped. This creature was about 5 feet tall and slender and had four limbs and a tail, most of its length was the tail. It looked like a salamander. It’s tongue was long as it swayed from side to side. The head and body were connected and I couldn’t see clearly that far but I believe it had protruding eyes.

What made my heart stop and my shoulders tighten is that more and more started crawling out of the water. I started blinking rapidly, my hands were shaking. What was this creature and what was happening? I thought I had gone crazy and that this was a hallucination until I heard loud screams and crying. I wasn’t the only one witnessing what had happened.

They started racing forwards and the hairs on my nape lifted, keeping me in a paralyzed state for a few seconds. They were fast. I sprinted downstairs to lock all of my doors and windows and close the blinds so they wouldn't see me. I slipped and tumbled and grabbed on anything my way to keep me standing. Should I grab a knife? Or a stick? Do I even have a stick?? I grabbed a knife because it was closest to me. But they are fast, would I even stand a chance with a knife if they attacked? I ran upstairs and did the same thing. Locked all doors and closed the blinds. I took a final look out of the window and Immediately I knew I shouldn't have…. Hundreds more were coming out

Is this it? Is this the apocalypse?

I searched for a wildlife control line and I called them. The longer they took to answer the call, the more in danger I felt. These creatures could be anywhere, everywhere now.

“Hi, this is Durham animal services and control line, how May I help you today?”

“Ther-there are hundreds of-of huge salamander looking creatures coming out of the lake right now and I don’t know what to do and where to go and they are scary and fast and what if they’ll come and-and…” my voice was hushed. I couldn’t risk being heard by whatever hell-hole this creature came from.

“Okay ma’am, please calm down. Did you say huge salamander looking creatures? Coming out of the lake? Where is this exactly?”

I gave her the address while sobbing. I don’t think she understands the urgency and danger of this situation. How can someone be so calm?

“Okay we will send a team to look into it, meanwhile you should stay inside and lock all doors.”

I went into the primary room’s bathroom and locked the door and crouched in the bathtub holding my knife and sat there in silence. My hands were clamming and I had to wipe them against my pants, this wasn’t good. Why was I being sacred? I didn’t even know if these creatures were dangerous.

My thoughts were interrupted by the sound of someone screaming. I started shaking and whimpering uncontrollably. What was happening? It was a continuous scream as if someone was being tortured. Did the creature get him? And here I was thinking the creature wasn’t dangerous. My breathing quickened. Breathe, BREATHE, it’s not you… but it could be!

Eventually I calmed down and went back to sitting in silence. It wasn’t complete silence, I could hear the sound of my heart thumping fast. How long do I sit here for? What if the woman on the phone didn’t take me seriously and didn’t actually send anybody? Even worse was if she sent people and now they’re all dead!

The sound of water splashing was getting closer and closer. Where was it coming from? I looked at the faucet but there was no water coming out. I turned my head to the bathtub faucet and nothing. Did it start raining again?

Oh no.

No, no NO! My eyes widened and I froze in place. Sweat was dripping down my forehead like a stream and my stomach dropped to my toes. There was no escaping this.

I was now eye to eye with this creature as it crawled out of my toilet…