Tethered in the Dark - A Love Story

Shadows in the Rain

The rain fell like shards of ice, drenching Talia through her thin sundress and soaking her sandals. She pressed herself against the cold wood of the orphanage door, her small hands trembling as she pounded and cried, her voice swallowed by the storm. “Please… let me in… I didn’t mean—please…” Her words broke into ragged sobs, and her knees buckled as she sank onto the front steps, drenched and shivering.

For a long while, she sat there, helpless, listening to the storm hammering around her, feeling the relentless sting of the rain on her skin. The orphanage door loomed above her like a barrier between her and safety. Each splash of water running down the steps felt like it was washing away a bit of her hope, leaving her raw and vulnerable. She had nowhere to go. No money, no home, no one to turn to. The streets were dark, empty, and unfamiliar, and the wet fabric clinging to her only made her colder. She hugged herself tightly, teeth chattering, and tried to push away the gnawing panic.

Her mind reeled. How could the headmistress be so cruel? How could someone take such pleasure in another person’s suffering? Tears blurred her vision as memories rose unbidden—months of ridicule, stolen meals, and punishments that left her body and spirit bruised. She remembered the cruel laughter of children who obeyed the headmistress, the way they turned every opportunity to torment her into a performance. She remembered the cellar, the dark, suffocating dungeon where she had once been left for days, barely given water or bread. Her chest tightened at the memory, but she forced herself to breathe. She could not cry forever.

Eventually, with wet hair plastered to her face and tear-streaked cheeks, she forced herself to her feet. Each step was heavy, each breath shivering as the wind tore at her. She wandered aimlessly, searching for some place—any place—to keep warm, to hide from the storm. The city streets stretched endlessly, puddles swallowing her sandals, wind tugging at her hair and clothes, and she could not even tell what time it was. Every shadow seemed alive, twisting and moving just beyond her sight. Her limbs felt leaden, weighed down by the cold and exhaustion.

Her thoughts turned desperately to Kade. If only I had a phone… she thought, clenching her fists. She had promised to call him once she was inside, but that promise had been ripped from her when the headmistress threw her out. A faint hope sparked: maybe he would come back if she hadn’t called. Maybe he would think she hadn’t been able to sneak to the phone, like before. Maybe he would see the rain-soaked streets and know she had no choice but to stay away for a while.

She shivered violently, hugging herself again, trying to push back the cold and the fear. The rain cut through her thin layers like knives, soaking her skin, running down her neck, drenching her hair, making it stick to her cheeks. Her teeth chattered uncontrollably, and the wind whipped around her, tearing at her dress and tugging her sandals from her feet. Every step she took felt like walking through a river, each puddle deeper than it looked, each gust of wind threatening to knock her off balance.

Why is she so cruel? Talia thought again, her mind spiraling. Why does she hate me so much? I haven’t done anything… I didn’t… The words faltered in her throat. There was no answer, only the ceaseless roar of the storm around her. The city itself seemed alien in the downpour, the familiar streets warped and sinister, buildings looming like silent sentinels watching her every move.

Then came a sudden, chilling sense of being watched. Her hair rose on the back of her neck, and her breath hitched. She stopped, the wet fabric clinging to her skin making her shiver uncontrollably, and tried to peer into the shadows. The storm distorted everything—lamps flickered in the rain, puddles reflected shadows that weren’t real—but the feeling of eyes on her was unmistakable. A thrill of panic shot through her chest, and she wrapped her arms around herself, trying to stave off the cold and the fear.

Her heartbeat thundered in her ears. She took a careful step forward, then another, but the feeling of being followed intensified. She dared a secret glance over her shoulder and caught sight of three large, dark shapes moving in the distance. They were impossible to make out clearly, shrouded in rain and shadow, but they followed her, deliberate and silent. Panic clawed at her chest, making her stomach twist painfully. Keep moving… just keep moving… she told herself, forcing her legs into a faster pace.

She turned corners sharply, hoping to lose them in the winding streets, her soaked dress sticking to her legs, her sandals slipping in puddles. But the shadows adjusted with her movements, relentless and slow, stalking her like predators. Her breath came in ragged gasps, and she stumbled over an uneven patch of cobblestone, nearly falling. Each step felt heavier than the last; the storm seemed to be pushing against her, pressing her down into the wet, cold street.

Her mind flicked back to Kade, desperately clinging to the thought of him. He’ll come for me… he has to… She remembered their lake picnic, the warmth of his arms around her, the comfort of his presence. That memory alone made her chest ache, but also gave her a spark of courage to keep moving. If she could just find a place to hide, a place to warm herself, maybe she could survive the night.

She quickened her pace, sprinting as best she could through the sheets of rain, her soaked sandals slipping against the wet stones. The shadows behind her quickened as well, but they were less steady, and she allowed herself a brief hope that she might be able to escape. Her legs burned, her lungs screamed for air, but adrenaline carried her forward, past buildings and alleys she didn’t recognize, past flickering lamplights that barely cut through the darkness.

Her mind spun. She didn’t know where she was. She didn’t know the streets, the alleys, or how far she had wandered from the orphanage. Every corner looked the same—every puddle reflected distorted shapes, every wind gust carried the echo of her footsteps. She hugged herself tighter, shivering violently as the cold soaked deeper into her bones. Where am I going? I don’t even know…

Her frantic pace carried her into a narrow side street, the walls on either side closing in as if the city itself were conspiring against her. The shadows behind her grew closer again, and a fresh wave of panic surged through her chest. Run, just run! she told herself. She pushed harder, stumbling, splashing through puddles, slipping on the slick stones.

And then she collided with something solid. Her body lurched forward, and she landed hard on her butt, the wet cobblestones shocking her with their cold bite. Pain shot through her tailbone, but there was no time to process it—she looked up, soaked and shivering, and froze.

The three shapes behind her were gone, fading into the stormy darkness as if they had melted away into the night. She exhaled shakily, a mixture of relief and lingering terror, and pressed her hands to the wet cobblestones, trying to push herself upright. Her hair was plastered to her face, her dress clung to her in icy sheets, and the wind ripped at her like claws.

She shivered uncontrollably, teeth chattering, tears still streaking her cheeks. She realized how utterly alone she was. The city around her was empty, the storm drowning out every sound except the roar of the rain and the rush of water through the gutters. Every instinct told her to run again, to find shelter, but her muscles ached from the cold and exertion. Her mind spun with possibilities: a doorway, an alley, a shop still open—but everything seemed distant and unreachable.

The rain had soaked her completely, every thread of her sundress clinging to her like a second skin. Her sandals were waterlogged, squishing with every step, making it difficult to run. Her arms and legs trembled violently as she tried to think clearly, tried to remember where she might go. She realized she didn’t even know the time—it could be midnight, or closer to dawn. Darkness pressed down on her, indistinguishable from the storm.

She hugged herself tightly, rocking slightly as the shivers wracked her body. I have no one… I have nowhere… The thought was a blade in her chest, sharper than the rain, colder than the wind. Each memory of the headmistress, each cruel laugh, each punishment flashed before her eyes, mixing with the present terror of being alone in a storm that seemed endless.

Then came the heavy, deliberate sound of footsteps behind her again. Her blood ran cold, and she froze, heart hammering. She dared another look over her shoulder. There, through the rain and darkness, she saw three large figures, following her again. They were closer this time, and her stomach twisted into knots.

Panic consumed her. She forced herself to move, taking off at a sprint again, zigzagging through streets she didn’t know, her muscles screaming in protest. The shadows behind her shifted, but as before, they did not close in with the same precision, giving her a thin, fragile thread of hope.

She turned sharply, slipped in a puddle, and flailed. And then—without warning—she collided with someone solid. Her body lurched, pain jolting through her as she fell hard onto her butt. She gasped, flinching from the cold and the shock. Her soaked hair plastered to her face, the rain running down her neck, she looked up—and froze.

The world seemed to hold its breath around her.