Endless Rain -2-
Thud thud thud. It was a late night with pouring rain. At the edge of the silent Hamel village, a frantic knocking echoed through the downpour.
Thud thud thud. No one should be awake at this hour. Three in the morning was when everyone was fast asleep.
Thud!Thud..!Thud...!
"Isn't anyone home?!"
Yet the man pounded on the door desperately, cutting through the storm.
... With no answer, he ground his teeth in frustration. He looked anxious. Despite standing there without an umbrella, soaked to the bone, he kept glancing back, gnashing his teeth, fussing over the rain gear wrapped tightly around the person on his back to keep them dry.
"Please..."
Thud. Thud. Thud. He kept knocking on the unyielding door. Pressing his forehead against it, pleading silently with every strike.
*
One hour earlier.
"Yawn..."
Sleep wouldn't come, so I headed toward the Young Lady's room. I was worried she might not be able to rest because of her cold symptoms. The harsh coughs echoing through the hall were hard to ignore, and the faint, labored groans tugged at my nerves.
Cough... cough.
"Looks like sleep's out of the question."
Carrying a basin of water up the stairs, I paused at her door. I didn't want to wake her unnecessarily.
Hah... hah... She sounded exhausted beyond the door. Her breaths rasped like those of someone gripped by a vicious flu.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
No response to my knocks. No answer when I called her name. Frustrated, I pushed open the door without permission. She hadn't replied no matter how much I called.
Creak!
"Young Lady!"
The stifling heat inside made me furrow my brow. "...Young Lady?"
My hand on her forehead felt like touching a blazing coal. Hot enough to burn.
Ugh... You said it didn't hurt. Pinky promise and thumbprint stamp, remember? And here you are, burning up beautifully.
I gave a wry smile at the sight of her feverish form and hurried into action.
Crash!
We had to get to a hospital. I wasn't a doctor who could cure her cold, and I lacked the courage to watch her suffer while staying composed. So I just ran blindly.
Squelch.
The rain had turned the roads to mud. My shoes sank deep, refusing to let go, and I gritted my teeth. Any stumble would jostle her.
"Ugh..."
Her faint groans made my heart race and my thoughts narrow. Foolishly so. There must have been better ways, but panic left no room for reason.
As I ran, I glanced back at the Young Lady wrapped in dark green rain gear and asked softly.
"Young Lady..."
"Hah... hah..."
"..."
I squeezed my eyes shut and plunged through the rain, pouring my plea into each desperate knock I imagined.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
I hammered the unyielding door.
***
Cough...
Olivia was dreaming.
Uwahhh! The chocolate-eating witch!
Stop eating already! How much more do you want?!
Save us! Somebody save us!
Chocolate soldiers surrounded her. She stood alone in the palace, pelted by chocolate from the rebelling citizens of the Chocolate Kingdom. Despite their scolding, Olivia smacked her lips. She was trying to conquer them, after all, and their defiance irked her.
Shut up.
Uwahhhh!
I'll eat it all.
The Chocolate Kingdom teetered on ruin. Midway through her massacre, a brilliant sun rose in the sky, and the chocolate soldiers began to melt.
Olivia reached out regretfully, but the scorching heat made their fragile forms slip through her fingers.
Why are you all disappearing?
She pouted, clenching her fists.
This isn't fun.
Her body trembled. Like riding a carriage at full gallop, it shook uncontrollably.
"Urp..."
Motion sickness dragged her slowly from the dream. She couldn't stay, or she'd be swept away by the melting kingdom.
"Ungh."
Olivia left the sweet dream behind and opened her eyes bit by bit.
Huff... huff...
Horse...?
Her bleary eyes stung with headache as she groaned. Dizzy enough to vomit.
"Ugh..."
Her body burned. Her head spun. It had only hurt bearably moments ago, but now it had worsened drastically. She let out a ragged breath.
Damn...
Her throat scratched painfully. Chills wracked her shivering frame. Ricardo had told her not to kick off the blankets, so she'd bundled up tight... but now it felt like she was stranded in a frozen wasteland.
Ugh... I wasn't supposed to get sick.
Remembering her promise to Ricardo, she murmured softly.
"I'll get scolded if I'm sick..."
They'd pinky-sworn. She'd broken it spectacularly. Thinking of his worry, Olivia made a pouty face. She must have caught a real cold.
"So cold..."
Her body was scorching. Yet she shivered violently, and she smiled bitterly at the irony.
"Ugh..."
Olivia wished Ricardo would place a cool cloth on her forehead. It might ease the pounding ache a little. But...
Pouring rain...
Ricardo's probably asleep. He can't come.
Cough...
She tried to pry open her glued-shut eyes while coughing. Sorry, Ricardo, but she might need to ring the bell. She'd tried to tough it out, but the cold had her good.
"Mmm..."
With effort, she lifted her eyelids. And then...
Squelch. Squelch.
...she awoke in an unfamiliar place.
"Huh...?"
Darkness everywhere. She'd been sleeping in her room, but now it was like outside—heavy clouds, endless rain.
Pouring rain...
Frogs croaked in her ears.
Squelch... squelch...
Someone trudged through mud nearby.
"Where...?"
Where is this? Panic rose, but her mind wouldn't clear. Her head hurt too much.
Squelch.
Wet pants brushed together. A man's rough voice echoed in her skull, strangely insistent.
Please open the door! The fever's too high...!
Huh...?
As the throbbing eased slightly, Olivia began to come to her senses.
Please.
Now she realized: this wasn't her room—it was outside. And she was on someone's back. It hadn't taken long to figure out.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
"Isn't anyone there?!"
Thud!
"Hoo... damn it..."
Olivia glimpsed red hair. Soaked, dripping water. He looked so desperate in his run—it was heartbreaking. Like he hurt more than she did.
"Hah... please!!!"
Don't get mad... scary.
The man carrying her seemed furious. Harsh breaths, raised voice. Yet strangely, she felt at ease. More relaxed than at home, even.
Pouring rain.
His broad back felt so warm and comforting. The rain gear blocked the downpour.
"Ugh... cough... cough."
"Young Lady!?"
"Hm...?"
"Thank goodness... just hold on a bit longer."
Olivia rubbed her eyes at the familiar voice. Their gazes met—the man sighing in relief.
Red hair. Broad back. Gentle warmth.
"Ricardo...?"
Her voice trembled as she called his name. Ricardo wore no rain gear. He'd draped it all over her, leaving himself exposed. Her eyes quivered at the sight.
"Ricardo... you're getting wet."
"Hah... hah... Truly a relief."
His clothes soaked through, yet he smiled in relief. He'll catch a cold like this. Olivia pouted and told him.
"Put on... clothes. You'll catch a cold."
"I'm fine."
"No. Ricardo... cough... cough...!"
"I'm okay. I'm more worried about you."
Ricardo turned his head with a small smile.
"It hurts a lot, doesn't it?"
"Yeah... my head hurts."
"Just wait a little. I'll make it work somehow."
"My body's freezing too. Like... stripped naked and buried in snow, shivering all over."
"...Vivid description."
"And..."
He listened to her whining while hurrying along. Her eyes trembled in fear, but she tried to act strong—it hurt my heart.
"Ricardo..."
"Yes."
Olivia bit her lip hard, wishing he'd stop worrying.
"I'm not sick."
"..."
"I'm all better now."
Ricardo slowed his run and stopped. He looked at her with trembling eyes, his voice tinged with anger.
"Young Lady."
"..."
"I'm fine. So please don't—"
"..."
"—tell lies like that."
Olivia hugged his neck tight and nodded.
"Sorry."
Ricardo ran on silently. Until the pouring rain finally let up.