The Stranger in the Rain

The rain arrived without warning. One moment, the city glowed beneath the soft gold of evening lamps, crowded sidewalks alive with hurried footsteps and distant laughter. The next, dark clouds swallowed the sky whole, and rain poured down in silver sheets heavy enough to blur headlights and wash color from the streets. Sophia Bennett stood beneath the narrow awning of a closed bookstore, clutching her bag tightly against her chest.