The quiet hum of the ceiling fan and the low buzz of a passing car were the only things keeping Luke company in Leila's apartment.
He sprawled across the bed, half-awake, a slight grin on his face from the earlier drunken kiss. His fingers absentmindedly tapped the edge of his phone as he scrolled through blurry selfies and clips from their small gathering. Leila's laugh, Cody's ridiculous dance, Isabel's teasing face—it all felt so far away now.
The sound of rain began tapping softly against the window, even though the sky had looked clear hours ago.
He blinked and sat up, rubbing his eyes.
"Rain?" he muttered, rising to his feet.
The apartment was dim now, clouds swallowing the sun. Luke walked over to the small umbrella stand by the door. One black umbrella stuck out crookedly, its metal tip bent and old. The kind that popped open violently if handled wrong.
He leaned down to fix it—when the umbrella suddenly popped open with a violent snap, striking his chin.
"Ow! Shit!" he cursed, stumbling back.
Blood dotted his jaw from the tip's jab. Annoyed, he kicked it aside, not noticing the wobble it caused in the wooden shoe cabinet behind it.
He went into the bathroom to wash off the blood.
As he dried his chin, a shadow passed behind him in the mirror—but when he turned, no one was there.
The cabinet creaked.
In the hallway, the umbrella began to twitch slightly, as if the wind from outside had found a way in.
Luke stepped back into the bedroom.
The apartment was still.
Too still.
He glanced at the cabinet. It tilted.
Slowly.
"Uh…" Luke approached it.
The bent umbrella rolled across the floor, striking the base of the cabinet.
That was enough.
The cabinet—tall, thick, heavy—tipped.
Luke turned too late.
The sharp edge of the door slammed into the side of his skull. He dropped instantly—but didn't die right away.
Pinned under the weight, his mouth gasped silently, eyes wide with panic.
One of the wooden shelves snapped from the force, splintering down—and stabbed straight through his chest.
A gurgle. A twitch.
Blood pooled into the carpet.
Rain began falling harder outside.
Luke never moved again.