Chapter One-The Unreal Rain

It all started with the dog, that stupid damn dog. I was skateboarding home from school when it happened. It was the middle of February and unusually warm. It hadn't been snowing, but raining a lot. I saw a mother and her puppies walking down the sidewalk, when one of them ran across the street. The mother chased after the puppy but got hit by a car. The puppy ran up to me, and cowered at my feet.

At that moment, it started to rain, and the puppy started to shiver. I picked him up and put him inside my jacket to keep him warm. It was raining so hard, I knew I wouldn't be able to make it home, so I decided to go to Michael's house. He's my friend...sort of. We go to the same school, but I'm in 12th grade, and he's in 11th.

The only things we have in common is skateboarding and computers.

I haven't told him or anyone this, but I'm a hacker, and although he hasn't told me, I think Michael is too.

I got to his house, and needless to say, Michael was definitely not expecting me.

"Sierra, hi, come in," he said. What's going on?"

At that moment, the puppy poked its head out of my jacket, and began to whimper. Michael looked from the puppy to me, and then took it just as I stepped in the living room, and his mom came in. He took the dog into the kitchen and dried it off, and I took my hair out of its ponytail and dried my hair.

We threw my clothes in the dryer, and I put a pair of sweatpants and t-shirt that Michael gave me. I called my mom and let her know I wouldn't be home, while Michael rummaged round in the refrigerator and found some leftover stew. He picked sone meat and vegetables out, and the puppy ate it like it was going out of style.

"Would you like some, Sierra?" Michael asked. I didn't hear him at first. I was too busy thinking about why it had been raining so much, and why the rain just didn't feel right. I don't dare say this to anyone. I'm afraid everyone will think I'm insane, and I'll be sent away.

"Sierra, are you OK?" Michael asked.

"What?" I responded.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, sorry, I'm fine. What did you ask?"

"If you'd like some stew."

"Oh, yeah, sure, thanks."

"No problem."

I ate all of it, except for the carrots. "Why didn't you eat your carrots, Sierra?" Michael asked.

"I don't like carrots, I never have. They don't taste right." I replied.

Michael looked at me as if he knew what I meant, but didn't say anything.

We cleaned up our dishes, did our homework, and then concentrated on the puppy, who by that point had fallen asleep curled up at my feet.

We named him Red, and felt around for one of those microchips. We couldn't find one, so we took pictures of Red with my digital camera, and made fliers on Michael's computer.

We decided to go around tomorrow, ask if anyone knew anything about Red and post the fliers. If we don't have any luck, we'll drop him off at the shelter. At least he'll be safe there, and hopefully someone will claim him.

We found a box for Red to sleep in and an old blanket to keep him warm.

We stayed up late watching movies, those old ones from the fifties. We laughed a lot at them. They're really easy to make fun of.

We fell asleep around one in the morning. Late, but at least it's Saturday. Michael let me sleep on his fold out chair and lent me his extra pillow and blanket. I fell asleep with Red curled up at my feet.

I woke a few hours later, because of the thunder. It had scared Red, and he was shaking. Eventually he calmed down and went back to sleep. As I was putting him back in his box, I looked out the window.

The lightning flashed, and the rain turned green.