When it rains it pours, at least that was how the adage went, wasn't it? That seemed to be the case in East City that morning. The rain was pounding the usually bustling city into submission, shrouding it in an eerie silence. Only the occasional car passing and the deep soothing shower, it was the sort of day to sleep. In a small studio apartment, near the Ishvalan slums in South Eastern district, a symphony of light snores filled the room. How could she have known that in her thick, relaxed slumber she had shut off her alarm nearly an hour ago? It didn't help that just four hours prior she had been wide-awake hunched over the nearly completed portrait that lay in the corner. A loud bang rouses her from her deep sleep. The neighbor must've been arranging the furniture again.
"Hmm." She grumbled while sitting up in her bed. While fumbling for her cigarettes did a sudden feeling of dread pulsed through her. "Why do I feel like I need to be doing something else right now." Pushing a stray lock of auburn hair from her face she sighed and pressed the cigarette to her full pink lips. The moment she lit it was when she realized the time and the day. It was 7:45 on a Thursday morning; in 15 minutes her shift at the café would start. That shitty café where she had to work so she could keep this crappy roof over her head.
"Fuck! I can't believe this happened again! Why do I always do this! Fuck!" She cried out. In her haste, she fell from her bed with a loud thud. "Ow." She snuffed out her cigarette as she quickly scoured the mountain of dirty clothes on her apartment floor for a clean work uniform. A sigh of relief burst from her lips as she sniffed yesterdays work clothes. They had a slightly musty smell, but it would have to do. Her fingers fumbled as she began buttoning the thin white blouse.
"Why does this damn thing have so many buttons, fuck it not enough time!" She grunted before stepping into a small black skirt. She began to quickly wrestle her way into a pair of mid-thigh black leather boots before leaving the small, filthy studio apartment.
"If he doesn't want any of us to be late he shouldn't make the uniform so damn complicated AGHHH!" She screamed in frustration. Her left boot zipper had jammed at the knee. "Come on! Fuck it! I don't have time for this…" She grabbed her keys and bolted out the door. As she walked down the stairs, she pulled her thick wavy hair into two long uneven pigtails.
Melanie doesn't panic; you're not late yet. Crap its raining, and I don't have time to run back up to my apartment to grab an umbrella. Well, I have to run and hope I catch this next bus or else. Maybe I can use the rain to my advantage; I doubt it's to busy right now. I can say my bus got into a crash; it's not over yet!
With that Melanie darted out from the threshold of her apartment building. She couldn't help but notice a man standing beside her. He looked out of place wearing an all-white suit. Melanie locked her eyes with his golden ones for a moment instantly filling her with discomfort.
"Morning, its raining cats and dogs out here." The strange man said to her. "Kind of makes you wish you could just stay home in bed, huh?"
"Yes, unfortunately, I don't have that luxury." Melanie turned her back and quickly ran out from under the awning.
The rain seemed like a waterfall; it only took two blocks until she was thoroughly soaked. As Melanie approached the bus stop a glimmer of hope flashed through her, it seemed things were finally looking up. The ride was only five minutes by bus, and it appeared she had timed it perfectly!
"Wait!" She shouted sprinting frantically; the bus pulled to the curb. The water came over her like a tsunami; un-phased she continued to run towards the bus. All that mattered was that because of this bus she would make it. Her heart fluttered as the bus doors opened, Melanie beamed up at him as she reached for her purse to pay.
Dread filled her once more as she fumbled for her bag. She laughed awkwardly and looked up at the bus drivers' stern look. Within moments passengers began to remark amongst themselves how disheveled she looked. She felt her cheeks flush.
"No way… Please don't tell me I forgot it." She mumbled, a woman scoffed loudly in the background. The driver glared at her expectantly as he tapped his pudgy finger on the fare box. A soft smile spread across her lips, things looked bad now but he surely wouldn't make her walk in the rain would he? "You're never going to believe it, but I forgot my purse. I need this bus to get to work on time_" A wrinkled boney hand burst out from the sea of passengers and nudged her from the bus, back into the downpour. Within a second the bus had shut its doors and began to pull away from the stop.
"You've got to be kidding me!" She shrieked lifting her left foot to kick a dent in the side. Melanie shuffled clumsily before falling backward. "Asshole!" Flipping him off while pushing herself up from the ground with an exasperated grunt.
Even if I get to work, Steiner said if I were late again I would be fired. Ughhh I'm soaked through could this day get any worse?
She kept her head fixated on the ground as she continued to walk towards her job. Though it probably didn't matter anymore, she could never walk there in time. Melanie didn't care; she was never the type to give up. Determined she picked up her pace and continued onwards.