~Leo~
"There will be a thunderstorm tonight," the TV anchor's voice crackled against the static. "Severe weather advisory for those who stay in the county area. Stay indoors."
Leo groaned as he turned off the TV and rubbed his stomach as it growled louder than the rumbling sky outside. He stood up and walked to his fridge, opened it, and groaned again because it was empty, like every other day.
At 21, Leo was a college dropout and a talented gamer, his dreams of esports stardom fading faster than his bank account. He had lost another tournament that night after spending his rent on a bet, and now, as he walked toward his door, there was a rent notice taped to it. He looked at the notice but ignored it because, at that moment, all he wanted was to fill his hungry stomach. "Tacos are worth it," he muttered as he grabbed his hoodie hanging on the door, snatched his keys, and walked out.
As he stepped outside, he looked up at the giant billboard opposite his house, reporting the news again. "There is life-threatening lightning activity expected…" Leo ignored the news and let out a depressed yawn.
The rain hadn't started yet, and he was only going out for food; it wouldn't take more than two minutes.
The streets were deserted, and the air was heavy with the scent of rain. Leo stretched, yawned continuously, and started walking fast toward the taco truck three blocks away. The sky churned, and the clouds swirled like it was preparing for a battle. Leo couldn't shake the prickling feeling he felt staring at the sky. This was dangerous, and he knew it, but he had to risk it because he might end up dying if he didn't eat that night.
A flash of lightning lit the world in stark white, followed by a thunderclap that he felt through his bones. He paused for a moment, shaking in fear, then rubbed his hands together. "Chill, Leo," he told himself and pulled his hood up. "It's just a storm."
When he finally got to the taco truck, they were preparing to leave, but he was lucky because Miguel, his favorite chef as he loves to call him had one taco left and handed it to him in a wrapped bundle. "You should head home fast. This storm's gonna be a monster."
Leo shrugged and tossed him a crumpled five. "I've faced worse," he lied, thinking of the rejection emails, the F's on his transcripts, the empty chat in his streaming channel when he used to have thousands in the past. "Thank you," he muttered and turned back, holding the warm taco against his chest. Then he felt the first fat raindrops splatter his face. "Oh, fuck this," he shouted and started running, but the rain didn't wait.
When he was halfway home, the sky unleashed a torrent that soaked him to the bone. Lightning cracked closer, too close, and no matter how he ran, it was as if the lightning was chasing him.
He was a block from his apartment when it happened.
A blinding flash, followed by a deafening boom and a jolt that felt like the universe had slammed a sledgehammer into his chest. Pain seared through him, and his body came to a stop. The taco scattered into the gutter beside him, the foil glinting in the flickering streetlight. "I…" he groaned as he choked, and as his vision dimmed, memories flooded in: how he had failed his finals, his mom's disappointed sigh over the phone.
"Is this it?" he thought as he fell to the ground. "Am I dead?" Those were his last words as the world dissolved into black.