He appeared in front of me when I opened my umbrella in the rain. I always thought it was weird, but he’s the only one who shows me actual kindness.

He appeared in front of me when I opened my umbrella in the rain.<br><br>It was a rainy day, and I always forgot my umbrella on rainy days. I’m already not the sharpest tool in the shed, but add umbrella forgetfulness and you get a wet and bedraggled mess.<br><br>Luckily for me, I found an umbrella on the ground. I didn’t see anyone else in sight, so I picked it up and opened it. It was a large, black umbrella. It would be perfect to shelter me from the rain.<br><br>Out of nowhere, a man appeared in front of me. I didn’t even see him come. He was next to me in an instant, as if he just popped into existence. I was startled and flustered, and he held me by the shoulders to steady me. I thought he was going to pull out a knife and maim or kill me, but instead, he smiled and said:<br><br>“I see you’ve picked up my umbrella, then?”<br><br>I was embarrassed. I saw he didn’t have an umbrella, even though it was raining. I thought he was going to take the umbrella back and whip me with it. But he didn’t. Instead, he said:<br><br>“Let’s share it, if you don’t mind. It’s a big umbrella, after all. Do you live nearby?”<br><br>I pointed to the direction of my home and we started to walk together, the both of us huddled under the umbrella. It rained for a while longer, but we eventually reached my house.<br><br>“Thanks for letting me share the umbrella,” he said when we reached my front door. “My name is Fred, by the way.”<br><br>“I-I’m Lilith. Nice to meet you!”<br><br>We parted ways, and I never expected to see him again. No one ever talks to me. I’m just too unusual, I guess.<br><br>But the next time it rained, I picked up the umbrella again and opened it. Fred was there when I did. He took me under his wing immediately, and I learned he had no family and no friends. He told me he had the perfect life, and that the umbrella was just his ticket to a little excitement.<br><br>I didn’t get it. Just because he owned an umbrella he saw a little excitement? That didn’t make sense to me. But I didn’t care. Fred was the only person who ever talked to me. He didn’t see me as a freak. We could talk about anything.<br><br>We met again the next time it rained. It was a rainy month, so we met frequently. I opened the umbrella when it rained, and Fred was always there to take me under his wing.<br><br>I guess you could say we’re friends now. I don’t see him when it’s not raining, and he always talks about the weather out of nowhere. It’s not really out of character for him, though.<br><br>I once asked him if he really didn’t have a job. He said he didn’t really need one. I asked him if he was wealthy, then? He said he had enough. I always saw him wearing the same clothes, though. He didn’t seem very wealthy to me.<br><br>I met him today, too. We didn’t go anywhere, but he held me when lightning hit the ground behind us. It scared us both. He said he didn’t want to lose me and held me tighter.<br><br>I’m not used to affection. I don’t know what to make of it. I guess I’ll just have to wait until the next time it rains.<br><br>---<br><br> killersdaredeye on chambers, notanonfriend on tiktok, killersdaredeye on twitter. new story coming soon!