Let Me In

Let Me In

Barry

The rain was coming down in torrential sheets as Barry headed back home from Jacob's party. The windshield wipers barely kept enough rain off his windows to be useful. He would have to remember to stop by AutoZone and get some Rainex and maybe new wiper blades tomorrow. However, right now, he had to just concentrate a little harder on trying to see what was going on ahead of him through the rain battered windshield. Drivers ahead were putting on their flashers and slowing to a painstaking crawl.

His little blue Prius, surprisingly, was only mildly buffeted in the ferocity of the storm. Despite the 4 drinks he had in his system, Barry thought he was maneuvering the car quite well. Gusty winds had knocked down several small trees. Lightning strikes illuminated the road ahead and behind him, in brief lines of electricity, as he drove the few miles from Jacob's house. Broken branches littered some of the streets as he turned onto Wilaby Ave and made his way into his neighborhood.

The neighbor's garbage can lay on its side in the middle of the street forcing Barry to drive around it. Part of him really wanted to just run it over but he figured he would do more damage to his car than the can. He would be satisfied with it just rolling down the street so his snobby neighbor would have to go chasing after it. His new neighbor had not done anything to Barry. Barry just had a general dislike for the man. Maybe it was a bit of jealousy as he seemed to be immensely popular and made no attempt to make friends with Barry. If one was being honest with himself and no better time for honesty to poke its ugly head up than when one had a few drinks. A slow smug smile graced his face as he imagined the Brit running after the tumbling plastic in the rain.

Finally sitting safely in his parking space, Barry did not cut the engine right away. Hell, the rain was not slowing down anytime soon according to his weather app. He reclined the driver's seat and listened to the radio while he waited for at least 10 minutes for the rain to ease up just enough for him to make a run for it. Barry sat up and finally resigned to the fact, that the storm was not going to weaken anytime soon, and he was going to be soaking wet. Turning off the ignition, he palmed his keys, placed his hand on the door latch and prepared to make a mad dash to his front door. At the last minute, he remembered the bottle of cognac that Jacob had given him before he left. There it was on the floor of the passenger seat. Barry leaned forward to retrieve it. He was looking forward to opening it once he got inside. He closed his eyes briefly as he sat back in the driver's seat. He imagined the slow burn of the amber liquid in his throat, the lingering taste on his tongue. Subconsciously, he smacked his lips and ran his thick tongue over his top lip.

Opening his eyes, Barry nearly jumped out of his skin and dropped the bottle of cognac on his lap. The cap struck his knee causing him to wince. In the light of the headlight beams was a beautiful, rain- drenched woman in a black London Fog. She was standing just in front of his car. Her hair was ebony, with wet waves cascading past her shoulders, that stuck to her face, collar, and to her shoulders in the deluge. Her grey eyes were alight with something akin to surprise, followed by maybe a touch of mischief, as her mouth turned from an 'o' to a shy smile. A smile seeming to beckon him out into the rain. She turned and hurried down the sidewalk and up onto the porch disappearing into his neighbor’s apartment. It happened so quickly that for just a moment Barry wondered if she was real. The headlights went dark. The rain picked up in intensity. Barry sighed, but his mind was made up. He would make a run for it, maybe he could catch up with her.

Pushing open the car door, he made a mad dash up the sidewalk. The rain screamed down on him in hard pellets, drenching him to the skin in the mere moments it took him to get from the car to the relative dry cover that the shared porch provided. Several people who were visiting his new neighbor, were milling about. They were drinking, chatting, and laughing as soft jazz music spilled from the interior. A few looked up as he made his way up and held up their drinks in greeting as he shook off some of the rain. He did not recognize anyone but tossed his chin up in a friendly response. He did not see the young woman in the London Fog and assumed she went inside to dry off. Something he could not wait to do himself. Turning around to face the street, he clicked the alarm on his key fob. He shivered as he pivoted back to face his front door.

As he put the key in the door, his new neighbor stuck his head out of the door...

©Venis Nytes

Song Inspiration:

I feel like I’m Drowning - Two Feet

Hurt People – Two Feet, Madison Love

Touch- Daughter

Again – Noah Cyrus, XXXtentacion

Hurt for Me – SYML

85% - Loote, Gnash

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