Jessie Winters listened as the rain beat against the windows. She hated that sound. She hated seeing the beads of water smack against the glass, the roar of thunder. She stared vacantly out the window, remembering.

It had been two years ago on a night just like this. Jessie’s husband, Craig, had been on his way home in the pounding rain when he had lost control of the car. The roads were just too slick. She’d been home with her then infant son, Benny, making dinner. When the doorbell rang she had thought nothing of it. She left Benny in his high chair and went to the door. Even after she had answered it and seen the patrolman on her front step, she still didn’t imagine that they were there about her family. But then they had told her. Her husband was dead. She shrieked.

Jessie shook her head hard now, bringing herself out of her painful memories with a grimace. She hated days like this. All she could do was replay the horrible memory over and over again. She sat pensively on her couch, her hands in her lap, her body rigid as if any minute something bad was going to happen. Benny was now two and thankfully asleep for the night. In the background, a clock struck nine. She glanced at the glass of scotch she’d set on the coffee table. Jessie hated scotch but after Craig’s death she had begun to drink it. Only on the days that it stormed like this though. It was Craig’s favorite drink.

She sighed, closed her tired blue eyes and smoothed her chestnut hair down, before rubbing her hands over her face. She was just so tired anymore. Most days she felt as if she were running on autopilot anymore. After Craig’s death, she’d had to go back to work and put Benny in day care. Luckily she’d managed to get a semi good job as a secretary.

CRACK!

Thunder roared through the silence making Jessie jump and gasp. She quickly reached for the scotch, taking a huge gulp. The drink burned as it slid down her throat. Truth be told she almost liked the burning feeling. It meant that she could still feel things, that she was still here and alive.

Just as her heart was beginning to slow, and a warm haze was settling over her, the doorbell rang making her heart pound once more. She stared at it in confusion, wondering if she were willing sounds from long ago to sound more real than they truly were. Surely, she was imagining it. No one ever came to her door at night. No one really came during the day, for that matter.

“I’m crazy. I’m losing my mind.” Jessie whispered to herself.

DING!

The bell rang again and Jessie quickly made her way to the door, hesitating just slightly before answering. She almost expected to see the patrolman standing there. Instead, she was greeted by a man who looked somewhere in his late twenties, around her age. He had dirty blond hair and hazel eyes, was 5’7, and somewhat thin. He wore a burgundy sweater and blue jeans.

“Y-yes?” Jessie stuttered.

“Um, hi, I just moved into the house next door and the heat went out. I was kind of wondering if I might be able to use your phone.” The man spoke,

Jessie chewed her lip before moving aside to let him in.

“Thanks. You’re a real life saver. It’s freezing over there. Hey, you look familiar.” He talked.

Jessie frowned, looking him over, she might’ve known him but it was pretty much impossible. He said he’d recently moved in and she hadn’t even been aware that the house had new occupants. She shook her head.

He look at her a few seconds more before exclaiming, “Jessie McFarlane! I knew that I knew you. I’m Matt, Matt Lorren. We went to school together.”

She looked at him and it clicked. They had gone to school together. High school. And his friends had teased her unmercifully, making her life a living hell. Matt had never directly teased her, but he’d never stopped them either.

“Well, it’s nice seeing you again, Matt. Here’s the phone you asked for and here’s the phone book.” She spoke with a tight smile.

Matt frowned a bit, before saying thanks and turning to the task at hand. Thunder raged through the sky once again, making Jessie shake. She walked over to her paisley print covered couch and sat down, finishing off her glass and pouring more. She could hear Matt arguing with the repair man on the phone. They were insisting that Matt had to wait until Monday for his heat to be fixed. Today was Friday. And unfortunately Bob Crow was the only heater repairman in their town. Matt would just have to wait.

Matt signed and ran his hand through his hair, “Thanks anyway. I guess I’m screwed ‘til Monday. So… what have you been up to since high school?” Matt asked somewhat awkwardly.

He couldn’t help but look at Jessie sitting on her couch. The glow of the moon shined through her window and illuminated her. She looked even more beautiful than the last time he’d seen her. With chestnut colored hair, deep blue eyes, and a slim figure, she was absolutely gorgeous to him. She had always been.

“I’ve been fine. I got married and have a son named Benny. I’m a secretary.” She replied almost tonelessly. She just wanted him to leave already. This was her time to wallow over Craig’s departure from life.

“Oh, married, that’s great! What’s he do for a living?” Matt asked with forced enthusiasm. He sat down on an overstuffed armchair.

“He’s dead.” Jessie replied softly, taking another gulp of scotch. God, that burning felt good.

“I’m so sorry. I’m really sorry, Jessie. If I’d known I wouldn’t even have mentioned him. ” He exhaled.

“Why? It’s not your fault that he’s gone. You know…every time it rains, I just want to kill myself. It’s getting harder and harder to stop myself anymore. It used to be that all I had to do was think of Benny and then I was fine. Well, as fine as I get during the storms. But as the months tick by so god damn slowly and all I hear is rain… All I hear is the fucking rain! Pounding in my brain! And all I can think is did it hurt when he hit the tree? Did he feel the rain when the windshield broke? Did he feel the rain on his skin more than the blades of glass cutting into his flesh? Or is it just me? Am I the only one that feels razors from this rain?” Jessie broke off into a sob, throwing her hands over her face again.

Matt swiftly moved to her and took her in his arms. She buried her face in his chest as she sobbed. He ran his fingers through her hair. “You’re alright. I’ve got you. Everything’s okay, Jessie. Everything’s going to be fine. Shush.”

The last thing that she remembered were his fingers running through her hair and his words running through her mind, blocking out the rain.