It hadn't been this lively outside in a long time. From early in the morning, the noise never stopped—clattering, the comings and goings of cars, honking horns. The neighbors' door opened and closed, then opened and closed again. The lady of the house yelled and cried at her husband, her voice shrill and sharp. Just when things finally quieted down, more people stepped noisily through the rain-soaked corridors with wet shoes squeaking at every step.
I stared at the ceiling, wide awake for hours.
"Meow—meow—"A cat crept up to my windowsill. She peered cautiously into my room, crouched low with her front paws planted, looking wary and alert.
I'd seen this stray cat a few times in the courtyard. She always hissed a warning the moment anyone got near, those narrow pupils filled with hostility and menace. I'd heard a kid once tried to feed her and got scratched in return. No one in the courtyard knew what to do with her. But now... this arrogant little creature had come close on her own. Must be starving. She meowed pitifully, rubbing her nose against my curtains, eyes wide and gleaming as if filled with tears. I got up and rummaged through the fridge, heated up whatever I could find, and fed her.
I noticed she looked plumper than before. A closer look revealed she had a swollen belly.
She was pregnant!
Seeing her fur soaked through by the rain, I felt a surge of pity and grabbed a towel to dry it off. But the moment it finished eating, she turned on me like a traitor. The second I reached out, she flipped over and swiped at me with a paw.
You little jerk! I couldn't do anything but watch her trot off into the rain like she owned the world.
**********
I knew the rain would strain the town's drainage system, but I didn't expect it to affect the residential buildings to such an extent. The toilet was clogged. I tried flushing it a few times, only to have everything bubble right back up. I won't even bother describing the smell. As I watched my shampoo bottles float like little boats on the bathroom floor, I knew I couldn't afford to wait another minute.
Of course, the electricity still hadn't been fixed. I had to fumble around in pitch blackness. Even though I was extra careful, I still managed to step on something slick and fell flat on my back.
Ugh!!!——
The moment my body touched the water, I started trembling, an involuntary, deep-rooted reaction. The stinging sensation was abnormal, but what truly made my skin crawl was the disgusting filth all around me. Thankfully, that's when Sam came back.
"What's going on out there? Sounds chaotic… Was the road out of town blocked again? Communications down too? Everyone freaking out?"
Sam was bent over, working on the toilet. He just gave me a muffled "Mm" in reply.
It's not hard to imagine. People trapped here, completely cut off from the outside world—the sense of isolation, the helplessness, it's like being told to fend for yourself. And more than that, the town wasn't safe anymore. With this bizarre, relentless rain and all the unexpected damage, how could anyone not be scared?
I wondered if my parents were still waiting for me. When would news from this place finally get out...?
"You don't need to worry too much," Sam came out of the bathroom with a long sigh."Rescue operations have already started. Communications should be restored in a couple of days. If something urgent comes up, we still have access to shortwave radio at the station. Things will definitely be messy for a while. After all, something this big happened. People need to vent. We'll do our best to keep order. But for someone injured like you, I'd suggest staying home for now."
"You fixed it? Thank you so so much…"
"No problem! Oh, by the way, I picked up two battery-powered lamps on the way back. Looks like it'll be tough to get an electrician in here to fix the circuit box anytime soon."
"You don't know how to fix it?"
"Nope."
…He looks like someone who'd be great at fiddling with electronics. I mean, he fixed the toilet, after all. But I guess not the breaker.
Sam sat down beside me, suddenly looking deadly serious."There's something really important I need to tell you. I've been meaning to say it for a while, but never found the right moment."
Wh–what is it? I tensed up.
"I tracked down the owner of that strange number that texted you." He pulled a slip of paper out of his pocket.
The memory of being attacked flashed through my mind.
I'm here… Those three words echoed again.
"That number is registered under a woman named Reina Sebold. Does it ring a bell?"
I shook my head.
"I figured." Sam paused for a moment, then handed me the photo.
I looked at the unfamiliar woman's face… and yet, something about her seemed oddly familiar.
This person is… I racked my brain, searching through memories, until finally—one image matched the face.
"She's Reina Sebold! Larry's ex-wife?!" I shot up from the couch.
"So the person who attacked me that night… was Larry?!"
"Calm down," Sam said. "Yes, that number does belong to Reina Sebold, but that alone doesn't prove anything. Both she and her daughter are still missing. You saw that yourself at the hospital, didn't you?"
"As for your boss Larry, I've already questioned him. He had a solid alibi the night of the incident."
Sam always managed to stay unshakably calm when explaining things. His tone steadied me too, and helped the knot in my chest start to loosen.
"But even an alibi isn't foolproof. If we want to get to the bottom of this, I'll need to investigate more thoroughly," he went on. "Once comms and the internet are back up, I'll be able to access the central database. It'll be way more efficient than digging through paper files."
So… what do we do now? I asked.
"According to the records, the last activity from Reina's number was traced to Rawn Street in the northern district. That was three days ago."
Three days ago…That's after I was attacked. The attacker must've still been carrying that phone, just wandering around like nothing happened.
"I'm planning to head over to Rawn tomorrow and check it out. Maybe I'll find a clue or two. Why don't you come with me? Don't worry. I'm not asking you to go running into danger. I've got a contact over there, and I'd like to introduce you."
"You've been wanting to know more about the connection between Vivian Evans and Amelia, right? That person might be able to shed some light."
With that, Sam left to go handle his cases.
I crouched beside the wardrobe in my bedroom, his words running circles through my mind. Late that night, I was jolted awake by a sudden downpour. I rushed to shut the window, only to find a lump of wet fur lying on the windowsill.
It was that same stray cat from earlier, the one that had come begging for food in the daytime. Now, she lay there like a rag, limp and lifeless. Her tongue hung out long and darkened by the rain, already turning purple. The soft fur on her belly was now soaked through and matted with a reddish-brown tinge of blood.
Two shriveled newborn kittens still clung to her body by the umbilical cord.
Already drowned.