01. when I met you

Two people meet while stranded in a Kroger's during a rainstorm. They get to know each other as the store starts to flood, and find out that sometimes when God opens a window, He closes a door out of spite.

01. when i met you
      
      "It is recommended that civilians stock up on groceries before the rain sets in- the forecast predicts several days worth of violent storming and flooding is almost unavoidable. Please do not drive on closed roads and follow the safety guidelines issued by the city council."
      
      It was raining heavily, that night- so heavily that you couldn't take two steps outside without getting soaked- and the ancient fluorescents of the grocery store-turned-shelter flickered on and off to an uneven beat. It was dark, too. The worried few- maybe ten-were staring out the windows at their reflections. It looked like we were stuck on the other side; trapped in the desolate night. We were all thinking the same thing, anyway. How many inches will ruin my home?
      
      I remember jumping when your heavy coat wrapped around my shoulders with a silent thud; the weight had surprised me. You mumbled something like, 'You looked cold' in apology and I gave you my thanks. You stuttered when you introduced yourself and I smiled at your awkward, "I'm Justin."
      
      "Libby." I said. You smiled. Your mother's name was Libby.
      
      We got to talking, huddled up in the chilly K-Roger's, and it turned out we loved the same bands and obsessed over the same movies; we had a lot in common.
      
      **
      
      You fell asleep, if I recall correctly, about an hour after the power went out, being very careful not to touch me as you curled up on the cold tile. You didn't look younger; just asleep.
      
      The few that were sleeping-us among them- woke in an inch of water and our self-elected leader telling us to move to higher ground. The Kroger's was built on a slope, so we moved to the back, trying not to wince at our wet socks and sore muscles. The only child- probably four- started to cry.
      
      You and I and the other refugees sat among miles of cans in the storage room, sipping 50 cent Big-K cola and telling anecdotes, not a soul mentioning what was on our minds. Oh, God, we're going to drown.
      
       You joked about finding religion in times of trouble and received a glare or two. I remembered that in particular because your sheepish grin ended up embedded into my eyes.
      
       **
      
      "Libby? Libby, come on." You pulled me as gently as possibly onto a chest freezer and I watched wearily as the others clambered up shelves. The water started creeping onto the floor as the poor little baby started bawling again. She had curly blonde hair.
      
      I was more depressed than I'd been the entire night when I realized such a beauty wasn't going to see her next birthday.
      
      **
      
      "You know, I feel really bad." I looked up from my sodden tennis shoes when you started talking again. You had a nice, soft voice, and I wondered if you were a singer. "I never told my fiancée goodbye, and here I've gone and fallen in love with someone else and I'm about to die. How much does that suck?" I tried to hold back a grin, after that.
      
      I told my sister I'd rather die than fall in love, and there I was, about to have my cake and eat it too.
      
      "Please stock up sooner rather than later; being caught outside is extremely dangerous and until further notice there is a limited number of rescue vehicles. If, in the event that you are caught outside, please rush to the nearest shelter immediately, preferably on a hill or other high ground."

Author's Note

This was a piece started by a prompt, and I ended up getting very experimental with the style. First long thing I've written in second person, not that I normally do. It's a bit rough around the edges, but I like it.

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