Before the rain

Lucy sat by her bed, phone in hand, thumb hovering over the weather app. The forecast said rain “soon.” It always said “soon.” She glanced at the grocery list scribbled on a sticky note beside her: milk, eggs, bread, apples. Nothing special, just the essentials. But the fridge was nearly empty, and she was tired of ordering delivery.

She took a deep breath and leaned forward, palms pressing into the mattress as she shifted her weight. The familiar transfer routine followed: one hand on the bedframe, one on her wheelchair’s push rim, arms tensing as she lifted herself. Her legs dangled, still and obediently useless, until she pulled them onto the footrests by gripping her pant legs through the soft gray fabric. A final push, a small breath of effort, and she was seated.

At the grocery store, she filled her cart with quiet focus. The cashier smiled and offered to help, but Lucy shook her head. “I’ve got it,” she said, her tone gentle but firm.

When the doors slid open again, the world outside had changed. The air was darker, thicker. She stopped right under the awning, eyes lifted toward the sky. A drop landed on her wrist. Then another.

Her worried expression softened into resignation as the drizzle began to grow steadier. “Guess I pushed it too close this time.”

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In other news, I wanted to try a little experiment, a new way to tell stories outside of comics. But, of course, the weather had other plans. It’s been raining all day, and the power’s been flickering on and off because of hurricane, but now it seems that it has turn into something less threatening. Luckily, I still managed to write this short story and finish the picture that goes with it. Hopefully, things clear up by tomorrow so I can get back to working on the new Detective on Duty chapter. Maybe I’ll even test out that idea I had in mind for it,we’ll see.