They were late. It wasn't like them to be late, they were almost always here by now. Even on the rare occasions that they were tardy, it never stretched past half an hour. She stood in the barren concrete yard in front of her school, underneath the roof's overhang to shield herself from the hammering rain, gripping her undying hope that her two favorite people would appear at any moment. She had a warmth in her stomach like a soothing campfire, as she thought of the terrifying fictions her father recited some nights; they were always best on rainy nights. His stories were absolutely blood-curdling, enough to make her lose sleep some nights, which she figured was why he didn't often tell them during the week. One of her favorites was about several friends reminiscing of an ominous and disturbing luau from their youth, only to discover it may never have existed at all. Despite how intimidating his stories were, there were fewer things more exciting than that sort of fear; the kind she felt with her family. The man himself and his wife should've been here by now, though, and it was this thought that doused the campfire within her like the rain. She was now beginning to wish she had adopted her mother's patience. The young girl was often befuddled when others did things like extend a middle finger at other drivers on the road, but was always comforted by her mother's optimism. "We just need to keep looking ahead," she had said during one such an event. "As long as we can focus on what's right, we can get wherever we want to go,"

They would be here at any moment. They would return to their humble home at the end of the golden beach, prepare some hot chocolate, and take in another delightfully gruesome tale. It was destined; nothing could prevent it. She held onto that truth, knowing in her heart that any doubt was a creation of her own wild brain. Rain was a rarity in this country, though once in the comforting warmth of her own home became a welcome departure from the beautiful and typical sun. She peered through the blindfold of rainfall that stretched on for eternity, hoping to catch a glimpse of her favorite people's approaching vehicle, blue like the tranquil sea that neighbored their home. There was nothing, however, but a small parade of flashing red lights, accompanied by a series of sirens attempting to drown out the sound of the crashing rain. She thought nothing of her findings for a whole minute, and then her eyes widened in a realization more stomach-turning than any description in her father's stories. Though she lacked an umbrella, let alone a proper raincoat, the young girl darted out of the overhang's protection and after the parade of lights. She possessed no particular talent in walking or running, yet they were still actions of enjoyment for her, thus the two blocks she travelled were child's play for her. The true challenge awaited at her destination, where she found the most appalling and unbelievable sight anyone could witness, as the red lights now surrounded a large, metallic mess in the middle of the dampened street. One half of the mess was a sickly, pale green, while the other was blue like the tranquil sea that neighbored her home.