Bleach: Memories In The Rain Novels & Stories

The sound she made when the blade found its mark something between that has haunted my dreams ever since, the flashes were so real and exact. The rain begins as it now often does in places touched by profound grief, softly at first. Then harder, as if the heavens have decided that this ground needs cleansing, that perhaps enough water can wash away the stains that have marked this place as cursed. I sink to my knees in the dirt without conscious thought, my legs simply refusing to carry me any further into this sanctuary of memory. The rain soaks through my dress immediately, the fabric clinging to my skin like a burial shroud, and I do not attempt to shield myself from it.

The rain on the western ridge did not merely fall; it drove sideways, a relentless sheet of freezing highland water that turned the peat and heather into a thick, clinging mire. Tala stood perfectly motionless at the absolute precipice of the ridge, her feet dug firmly into the ancient earth. The storm howled around her, ripping at her clothes, but her spun-copper hair seemed to dance with a life of its own, vibrant against the dark, bruising gray of the sky. Her icy blue eyes were fixed on the valley below, tracking the glowing halogen headlights of Malakai’s heavy excavation armor as the machinery slowly ground its way toward the first sacred threshold.

Ayamira. A woman with white hair. A girl drowning beneath black water. Raiken stayed close enough that his shoulder brushed mine. “Do not touch anything.” A memory flashed beside him. Raiken stood on a beach under a clear moon. I approached wearing a white dress. He smiled at me. Not the guarded smile I knew. Something open. Young. I reached for him. He took my hand. Then drove a blade through my chest. The memory vanished. I stopped walking. Raiken saw my face.

Rain screamed as blood came out of his nose and staged on the corner of his lips. "I will teach you a lesson, you bastard," Brice muttered as he threw punches at Rain's face. His knee was on his chest and he was sure that he couldn't move. The mixed scent of blood and vanilla mint was all Rain could comprehend at the moment. He was suddenly weak and he couldn't explain where it was from. Was he hallucinating that she was actually getting closer? He let Brice hit wherever he wanted while he only screamed as his eyes tried to find the direction of the scent that was making him struggle to focus.

It struck him on his belly and Darius fled. Falling to his knees, Aiden looked at the skies, a drop of rain fell on his face. Thunder rumbled and lightning flashed. He started hearing the dripping of the raindrops. They lay there and their bodies got drenched in the rain. He stepped into the next memory and entered another house. He guessed it was a human because he could see things that belonged to a girl. Beckham's memory, 1756

After hanging up, I walked to the window and opened it. Outside, snow covered everything in white. Branches bent under its weight, snapping with sharp cracks that echoed in the still night. Time flew, and before I knew it, another deep winter had come. In the blur of falling snow, I thought I saw him again. The cold wind whipped my hair as he stood far away. His voice, loud and clear. "Hey, Rose! We made a promise, remember? We'd stay strong and keep on living." I will, Adrian. My last memory of you… I would never forget it.

She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to scrub the image of the denim jacket out of her mind. Get it together, she ordered herself, her breath coming in ragged, visible plumes. She isn't here. She’s never going to be here. "Hey! Wait up!" The voice was muffled by the downpour, but Thalia’s ears twitched. She turned her head slightly, her amber eyes tracking a figure rushing out of the diner. It was Chloe. She was holding a cheap, broken umbrella that flipped inside out the moment the wind hit it. Swearing softly, Chloe abandoned the umbrella, letting the rain drench her dark hair as she jogged across the slick sidewalk to close the distance between them.

With bloodshot eyes, she yanked the scalpel out and stabbed again. The metallic scent of blood thickened in the air, but she did not care. Her gaze was fixed solely on the man who had tormented her all this time. This was her only chance for revenge. “Justin! Let’s die together!” Hatred consumed her entirely. As she watched the blade sink into his body, she felt a twisted sense of satisfaction. When she tried to stab him again, Justin grabbed the scalpel tightly. The blade cut into his palm, drawing blood. With a sudden burst of force, he flung the crazed woman aside, his eyes dark and menacing.

ARIA’S POV Rain had always been the trigger for my past memories. I didn’t know why, but every single time it poured like this, my head went straight back to things I tried so hard to forget. Tonight the rain fell harder. It was steady and soaked through my clothes in minutes. The arena was farther away now, but the sounds were still there. The laughter. The screams. My own voice sounding out of the speakers meant for humiliation. I walked without knowing where I was going. My shoes splashed in the puddles. My hair was stuck to my face and neck and I didn’t bother pushing it away. At this point it really didn't matter.

"The lilies that never die aren't real, Kaelen! They have no scent! They have no memory of the rain! A garden without the Ache is just a beautiful grave!" "But you’re hurting, Mama," Kaelen shrieked, his mercury-silver eyes swirling with a frantic, mercury-white static. "I see the white gashes on Dada’s shoulders! I see the violet tears in your eyes! I don't want to be the reason you bleed!"