The storm rages on, the pattering rain and howling winds silencing all. At some point the other passengers had disappeared from the tunnel.
Inside the bus both Qiony and the girl are sitting in silence, waiting out the storm.
Finally one of them speaks, their voice barely loud enough to be heard over the sounds of the storm.
"Evelyn, with all your wisdom why don't we just leave this place? The other passengers probably found shelter, right?"
"You are so forgetful, the enforcers said not to go out alone during storms. That is why I came to follow you." She puffs out her cheeks and pouts sadly, expressing her disdain towards water or rain.
Qiony avoids looking at her because of his by guilt, then as if he had an epiphany he shouts out.
"I know!" He takes a dramatic pause purely for effect, "I came out here to mail my family a letter." The short silence of the bus is overtaken by the booming of thunder, Evelyn looks at Qiony, glaring at him.
At the same time she yells in anger. "You're saying you couldn't wait till the storm was over?" She looks at the rain and exaggerates a shudder, "now poor little old me had to come out in this storm so you'd stay safe." She mimics a frown and a sad tone.
Once more they sit in awkward silence and this time Qiony speaks, breaking the silence.
"I'm gonna check on the… uhh, storm clouds maybe they're almost done raining." He slips out of the bus, not letting Evelyn confront him.
Out in the tunnel Qiony pretends to observe the storm for just over 10 minutes. The street outside is soaked, streams of water floods the storm drains, and the trees sway wildly in the wind.
(What was that presentation about again… that's right, the rain walkers. A species of amorphous water created with souls through calamity… thingamajig whatever it was.) He looks around the streets outside of the tunnel to check for rain walkers.
After his failure to find any sign of them he walks towards the open bus doors. Right before entering the bus he feels something. It feels as if there was a person behind him.
(It's just paranoia right? The rainwalkers wouldn't come here.) Not daring to look behind his back he tries to steady his breathing. Focusing on taking one step into the bus at a time, his legs tremble slightly less.
One step, his paranoia grows, causing a feeling as if hands are reaching out towards him.
His second step, he feels something breathing down his neck, making him want to turn around.
In the middle of his third step the thing behind him reaches out, slowly grabbing a hold of him. In response to its actions he runs as fast as he could only to slip on the floor.
Then he hears laughter, turning around he looks at the figure with almond coloured skin. Sparkling hazel eyes that usually sparkle with mischief. Her dual-coloured hair that is dark brown and beige, cascading into a long ponytail. The ears on her head are just like big cat ears.
Buckling over from laughter she quickly calms down and lets out a few words. "Oh man, you should've seen yourself. You were all like, 'ah Evelyn save me from this creature.'" She mocks him a bit, before helping him up.
She sways just a bit and sits on one of the many seats.
"So is the storm almost done?" She asks with a tone of genuine interest this time, quieter than a whisper she mutters to herself, "I already regret following you into the tunnel, too much water soaked my shoe."
Hours pass, the two are both occupied with their own activities. At the back of the bus Evelyn is playing with her hair while watching the storm get even stronger. Meanwhile at the front of the bus Qiony is reading a fantasy novel.
Something behind him brushes against his back, Qiony flips one more page and then Qiony closes his book.
"Evelyn, I know that's you. You won't surprise me this time." Unsurprised by her actions he turns around but he sees nobody there. Somewhere outside he hears a loud thud and splash like a persons body hit the ground.
Moments after he turned around drops of water splash onto his neck. Whipping his head back around he sees Evelyn lying face down in the ankle-deep water.
…
"So how did you slip?" Qiony takes off his hoodie, revealing a black t-shirt with a bamboo design. He gestures for Evelyn to take his hoodie, almost instantly she grabs it and stares at him.
She stares at him for just a few more minutes before speaking to him. "Turn around, i'm not gonna take my shirt off in front of you." Her frown intensified for just a moment before returning to normal.
He turns around in the bus seat, counting seconds on his fingers. On the 6th second Evelyn breaks the silence. "I was just trying to see what you were reading again, then I got my foot caught on your bag and slipped." Her tone is mildly somber, but there is a hint of something else in her voice.
"Oh," he turns around by instinct and luckily she already had put on the hoodie. They sit there in silence and then Evelyn abruptly lies down on his lap. "I'll take a nap here so don't move."
Without a word of protest Qiony lets her sleep. After making sure she is asleep he lets the rain take away his thoughts, slowly falling asleep.