In his defense, the forecast called for a light rain.
Another clap of thunder rattled the dingy windows in the room, causing both occupants to tense at the sudden sound. Mako felt Asami shift next to him, the floorboards under her creaking with each movement. He didn't know when he had put his arm around her shoulders, or when the two of them had even gotten this close. Just an hour before they were at each other's throat, shouting until they were red in the face and trying to pin the blame on the other. In the end, they silently went to opposite ends of the room to let their anger simmer while they waited the storm out.
Maybe he should have paid better attention to the weather. Maybe they should have just waited to spend the weekend together. But he was impatient- never one to stand by, as his mother used to say- and now they were caught up in one of the worst storms he had seen in years.
It was by sheer dumb luck that they had come across their current hideaway. Asami had said something about it belonging to one of the old summer camps of the nearby area, but the run down shack stood in the dense forest, isolated from everything. It didn't matter to Mako at that point in time; the rain was starting to feel like stabbing needles against his exposed skin, and the wind howled viciously and tore their only umbrella from his hands. He pushed his doubt to the side and led them inside the cavernous home.
A flash of lightning briefly illuminated their surroundings, and while he heard Asami begin to quietly count under her breath for the thunder, he looked around the room they occupied.
A layer of dust coated every available surface, the air stale and cold. The furnishings were sparse, and what had survived from being out in the elements for however long were a sneeze away from falling apart. Chairs were strewn about the small room while a table was on its side, blocking access to the other half of the tiny shack. What struck Mako odd was that there were items of personal value still about; a few clouded picture frames with figures either standing or sitting in the images, scraps of cloth that may have been blankets scattered about. He even spotted an antique rifle against the far wall, no doubt unsalvageable from disuse. Whoever had been here before had left in a hurry, and for some reason it caused the concern he brushed aside earlier to resurface.
The thunder hit and shook the frame of the small cabin, making both of them tense up. How the damn thing was still standing was beyond him, but as the wind kicked up and howled outside, threatening to blow their dilapidated structure away, Mako was once again wishing he had paid better attention to the weather earlier.
"Thirteen." Asami whispered next to him, nearly making Mako jump from the sudden noise. He felt her head tilt up to look at him in the dark, knew those green eyes of hers would be searching for his. "We shouldn't be here for much longer, right?"
Mako opened his mouth to answer but another flash of lightning beat him to the punch. The shack lit up once more as Asami clung to his side tighter, her dark lips silently counting while her eyes never strayed from his face. In the split second that the lightning hit, Mako could swear he saw something shift in the blocked off room behind Asami.
The thunder came quickly after, a small voice next to him whispering, "Seven." Then all was silent once more.
Nothing was in there. He had looked earlier before the two had their argument, and there was only one way in or out as far as he knew. As the room fell back into darkness, Mako held Asami closer to his side and stared at the far room, searching for something that he knew wouldn't be there. It was a trick of the light; nothing was there. It was just shadows playing tricks on his mind. Despite his thoughts trying to reassure himself, his growing concern was telling him to look harder.
"Mako?"
"…yeah. Yeah, we'll be out of here soon." He answered, absentmindedly rubbing Asami's shoulder.
Another flash of lightning. Another glimpse into the far room.
Another face staring back at his.
The light was gone all too fast, something he wasn't sure if he was glad for or not. Mako felt heart leap to his throat at the large mass that stood in the shadows, taking up the space of the tilted doorway and then some. Asami must have felt his body tense suddenly, her hand reaching for his in the dark.
"Mako? What is it?"
Mako could only open and close his mouth in silence, unable to tear his focus away from the other room.
"Mako?"
The room lit up once again- 'When did the thunder hit?' He wondered to himself- and whatever had been standing in the doorway behind Asami was no longer there. He should have felt at ease. He should have felt relieved that it was just his imagination getting away from him. But all he felt was terrified.
"N-nothing… it was nothing, 'Sami."