A/N: I've been planning on writing this down and posting it for a while now. This is a true story but I've altered the names because I felt it was unfair to use their real names. I've had to exaggerate a little too; it makes the story more exciting! Well, be leaniant with criticism please, I beg! This is the first story I have written on my own. Pretty brave of me considering I'm not much of a writer! Thanks for reading (if indeed you do)! xXx Erik xXx

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When will the Rain Stop?

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Waiting

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Kay looked up to the clock overhead and sighed. It read 8:50pm…they were late by half an hour. The train was due any time now but Kay was desperate to see them again. He sat still and twiddled his thumbs. He was trying to be patient, but failing miserably.

He looked up to his mother beside him she looked worried. Kay was too young to wonder why the train might be late; it was just one of those things to him.

People with bursting suitcases rushed carelessly past him as he sat on the chipped wooden bench at the rail side. The station was quite busy despite the fact it was getting late. The seconds ticked by…tick…tick…tick…and Kay grew more anxious with every click that the clock overhead issued.

“Mommy, when will he be here? I haven’t seen him for days! When? When?” pleaded Kay as he tugged at his mother’s sweater. She didn’t answer; he had asked her the same question so frequently now there was no point giving an answer. Besides, she didn’t know.

Kay was 5 years old and being patient wasn’t the easiest of tasks. It was quite a struggle for his mother to get him into staying still as he was waiting his best friends return. She had ended up giving him money to buy sweets with. Bribery made the wait far more bearable.

His friend’s family had been to visit relatives down South for a few days and had agreed to meet them at 8:20pm at the latest on the platform. They still hadn’t arrived and Kay was getting a bad feeling about the whole ordeal. He couldn’t help but fidget.

Suddenly, he heard a hiss further down the line and Kay jumped up from his seat. His mother stood up instantly and grabbed his hand, leading him nearer the approaching train. Kay swerved numerous times to avoid being trampled by stampeding people and their heavy, threatening baggage. She gripped his hand protectively as he attempted to dash off in eagerness.

The train came to a halt with a creak and its bright orange doors slid open. A few rushing passengers boarded but the only family to exit the carriage was the family Kay and his mother had been waiting for.

Kay watched as a boy a little older than himself jumped playfully down the worn, metal steps and raced over to him. His thick blonde hair was slightly messy from such a tiring journey. The fatigue was evident on the child’s face as his pale blue eyes were glossy and sleepy. Kay smiled and the boy grinned back.

“Kay! I missed you!” cried the boy as he grabbed Kay in his arms; throwing his luggage at his mother’s feet. Kay hugged his friend back with uncertainty…he didn’t realize he had been missed so much.

It was understandable, however. It was the first time the two boys had been separated for more than three days. Friends from before they could even speak to each other, the pair were like brothers.

“Mattie, I missed you so much, too!” Kay replied as he released himself from his friend’s arms. He slipped his hand into his pocket and withdrew a small item wrapped untidily in blue tissue paper and strung together in frayed blue ribbon. He held it out in his palm and ushered Mattie to take it.

“What is this?” Mattie asked as he picked up the item from Kay’s outstretched hand. “Is it for me?”

Kay nodded and another smile broadened on his childish face.

“I bought it for you with some money that Mommy gave me. I wrapped it myself!” Kay was rather proud of his handiwork.

Mattie shredded the paper to reveal a small toy car. It was nothing special, but the fact that his best friend had spent all his money on a gift for him…it made him somewhat loved. Kay always managed to make him happy, no matter how bad things got. That smile of his was enough to dry away the tears in the worse scenario.

“Thanks Kay! I really like it.” He admired the beauty of the delicate little car for a while and dropped it into his pocket. Kay beamed with sheer delight; he knew that Mattie would like his present.

Mattie patted his friend’s head. “Come on, we’d better go or Mum will leave without us.”

Kay nodded and followed Mattie to the stairs.

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Closeness

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“Do you want me to take him, Ella?” Said Kay’s mother as she unlocked the driver’s door of her car. Her friend, Mattie’s mother, nodded.

“You’re a darling Jen, that would be fantastic!” she replied as she filled up the boot of her car with her family’s luggage. Mattie’s older brother, Jake and his older sister, Karla, climbed into the small car along with their father.

Mattie raced over to his Mum, expecting to be let into the car. Instead she grabbed his shoulder and shook her head. The child’s smile faded and he looked confused. His mother stooped low and placed a soft kiss on the child’s cheek.

“We haven’t got room in our car, sweetheart,” she explained. “I’m afraid the luggage took up your seat.” Mattie’s expression of befuddlement didn’t lift.

“You’ll have to go with Kay and his Mommy. Is that okay?” Mattie grinned and nodded his head in excitement. From a few feet away, Kay squealed with delight.

“I’ll see you back at home then, Mattie.” She cooed as she kissed her son’s gleaming golden hair. The child wrapped his arms round the back of his mother’s neck with affection.

He laughed joyfully. “Heh, love you, Mum.” He smiled and ran off to his friend who was waiting eagerly for him in the back seat of the other car. It had been a long day…he couldn’t wait to get home…

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Wondering

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“I wish I could go on a train someday…” sighed Kay as Mattie boasted about his little adventures. He rose to his knees and turned round to stare out the rear car window.

The cool glass was silvery with smeared raindrops and he couldn’t see a great deal of what was outside. The world looked like it was underwater, a grey blue ocean; the rain was hammering down on the frozen glass like liquid bullets. Mattie turned and did the same as Kay. The evening was dreary and the smudged headlights of passing cars cut through the looming darkness.

“Don’t worry,” chirped Mattie. “Mum said she would take me on the train again soon. You can come, and Jake, and Karla and your Mum. Maybe we can all go the seaside and fill ourselves up with ice-cream!”

Kay smiled at the promise and continued his dazed stare at the watery road of the motorway behind him. Mattie was always happy when he made little plans like that.

He had never seen Mattie cry for as long as he could remember. He was always brave and always there to comfort Kay when he cried. Kay cried a lot, but he always knew that Mattie would hold him until the pain had gone away. It was a special friendship they shared. You would never see one child without the other following behind. They were an inseparable duo, often mistaken for being true brothers.

“You reckon we’ll be friends forever?” queried Mattie as he rested his cheek on his fist. Kay grinned and nodded.

“Always.” Kay confirmed.

Mattie flashed a smile and turned back round to face the front. He squinted his eyes to recognize the car in front as his mother’s. He had had a great weekend away with his parents but was relieved to be approaching home.

Kay was glad to have his friend back. It meant that they would spend the day together tomorrow, playing in the park. Mattie would push Kay on the swings, throw sand over each other in the sandpit and laugh joyfully together on the slides. He had missed it all so much…

Kay was awoken from his meaningless daydream as a screech of tyres was heard from outside. He spun back round. His instant reaction was to think that Mattie’s mother, Ella, was in trouble in the car in front., but from what he could see, he was mistaken. They were all fine.

Mattie jumped as a speeding red car skidded past his window. There was another deafening screech of tyres and a wave of grey rainwater cascaded down on the hazy window. The car was out of control and going twice as fast as it should have been; the driver was far from sober.

The engine of the red car revved and sped off behind them…the wind howled and steam from the tyres twisted skywards in its wake.

Kay sat still on the car seat; he gripped white-knuckled onto his seat belt. He was terrified.

They had almost been hit and his mother hadn’t even acknowledged it. Mattie was far from comfortable either. His playful blue eyes had become wide with fright.

Losing the red car, they carried on carefully down the motorway. The rain was becoming ever more threatening and driving on the roads was hazardous. Kay and Mattie just wanted to get home…the incident has unsettled them.

Kay’s heart tapped into a jolting rhythm. He had never felt so scared in his life.

There was a threatening growl from behind them as the engine of the red car revved up again. Gaining speed, it brushed past the side of Kay’s mother’s car; a blur of red and black…but didn’t stop…it kept going…

It swerved sharply to the left and collided into the rear end of the car in front with a sickening crash. The speeding red car headed off down the motorway with a groan leaving the scene hastily, unharmed…but the car in front wasn’t as fortunate as to come out of the crash lightly…

As Mattie’s eyes followed the car of the drunken driver ahead, he didn’t notice that his mother’s car was in dire trouble. It was spinning out of control; unable to grip the slippery surface of the road. Kay could hear the screams of Mattie’s family…

Fear…

Panic…

Desperation…

There was a sharp turn in the road about a hundred feet away from them and a steep, rocky bank that showed no promise of a safe stop for the spinning car without severe casualties...

Mattie screamed as he grasped what was going on. Kay’s throat became tight with fear and his mother’s quick thinking spared their lives…

She jerked the steering wheel sharply to the right and stamped down on the brake, narrowly missing the doomed car. Mattie released the breath he didn’t even know he was holding...

The car thudded to a halt as the engine stalled, throwing the two boys forward with a shriek from them both. Sore, they pressed their white faces to the rear car window…endeavoring to see the commotion outside…but to no avail.

The rain was still pouring…thudding and the clouds above were still gathered in a mass of merciless grey. No light from the moon could penetrate it. The world outside was darker and murkier than ever.

Kay’s mother instantly jumped out of the car and locked the two petrified children inside…

It was better for everybody if they didn’t see what had happened to the other car…

It was better for everyone if Mattie didn’t see what had become of his family…

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A/N: A rather long chapter but there was a lot to write about. I'm quite pleased with my efforts. I've always thought this would make a good, dramatic story; you know, I want this story to stick with people and I hope they are touched by it. Next chapter up soon. Thanks again and please spare me a review! Much appreciated! xXx Erik xXx