Stir Crazy in the Storm - writing practice 3

He glanced back over the couch at the blue earth stallion downstairs, now on his third hour using the resistance treadmill. There wasn't much else for him to do since all the work projects he'd brought in with him he'd already finished as much as he could. Aero himself already grew bored of the equipment. What he needed was to be able to really use his wings again. It was roomy inside the warehouse, sure, but not enough to make for a good indoor flight space.

'At least we're holding up better than Sublime,' he thought to himself. He took a quick look at the door to her and Resplendence's room where his younger sister was still fast asleep. Rainy weather always seemed to make her sleepy much sooner than normal, and this days long storm had practically put her under a sleep spell. Just yesterday she was only awake for a couple of hours. Today he'd only seen her awake long enough to answer Resplendence's morning phone call.

Resplendence. 'She must be in even worse shape than us,' Aero mulled. The older of his two sisters was still at work when the storm shelter notice went out and had been stuck at downtown for two days. Rain too heavy and lightning too unpredictable for all but the most specially trained flyers and the streets too flooded to hoof it. She was stuck at the talent agency, sleeping at her desk and calling home every morning and evening to let the three know she was still okay. Her coworkers that hadn't gotten home were keeping her company and there was plenty of food to go around thanks to the catering company they shared a building with. Still, each of her calls had a tinge of anxiety in them. The sooner she could make it home, the better.

'And the sooner I can get out, the sooner I... can...,' he let the thought fade away as his eyes drifted back to the window.

“--ike it's finally over tomorrow.”

The words snapped him back to lucidity. Gear was now standing at the opposite side of the couch with a small towel on his head. How long had Aero been out of it? The confusion must have been pretty clear on his face since the earth pony pointed to the TV after a few moments without getting a response. Looking at the boxy screen there was the face of the weather pony, the same one that had initially predicted only a day of stormy weather three days ago, excitedly delivering the news that the weather teams had managed to get the source of the coastal storm under control and were now working on clearing it out. “Rain to calm significantly over night and be gone by this time tomorrow,” he proclaimed. Aero wanted to scoff and remind him of how well his last weather report panned out, but held his tongue. Even he had to admit he could only blame the guy so much for this when the sea was what really sent this downpour their way.

The sea. Try as ponies might, it could never truly be made to cooperate. 'The sea is nature itself, and nature doesn't much care what it throws our way.' Words he remembered hearing from one of the orphanage caretakers in his colt days when a similar storm had rolled onto the city then. The ponies inland must have it pretty easy not having to deal with things like this.

“We only have to make it through one more night. Resplendence might even be back by morning,” Gear said as the weather pony prattled on.

“Here's hoping,” Aero said, stretching his back and wings to try and regain some alertness. “Hey, you want to see if the bodega down the road's still open?” He knew it wouldn't be, but in his head it sounded like a better thing to ask than 'Hey, want to just walk around in the storm because I'm bored?' The look Gear was giving him told him it wasn't actually that much better. “Come on, I'm wasting away in here,” he slumped back into place on the couch, “And it's not like you have anything better to do right now.”

“I think that beats getting water logged or potentially struck by lighting from taking a step outside right now.” Gear replied.

“It's just a bit of water. Don't you have to shower after working out anyway?”

Gear sighed and shook his head. “Just down to the stop sign and back. We can at least see if there's any damage to the outside of the place while we're out there. Let me grab my raincoat.”

“Sweet! Maybe we can also see if the canals are too flooded for the undermarket to open tomorrow.” Aero hopped off the couch and started limbering up his wings. Even if he knew he wasn't going to be flying he could at least unfurl them and catch some outside air in them.

“You know they will be,” Gear replied, turning to climb back downstairs. “With how bad it's been the last few days I wouldn't count on the market being up and running again until the weekend at the earliest.”

The pegasus hopped over the second floor railing and fluttered down to ground level, zipped to the closet and dug out his own raincoat from behind the cold weather coats. He threw it and a pair of rarely used rubber boots on and was waiting by the main door by the time Gear had made it down. The earth pony just rolled his eyes at the sight of his friend acting like a foal waiting to be let out to play. With his own coat and more well-worn boots on he joined his friend at the door.

“Alright, get ready. When I open the door we have to be out quick to close it so not too much rain gets in.” Aero nodded at Gear's instructions and got ready to bolt out as soon as the door was opened wide enough for him. “Okay, get ready. Three, two, one,” he turned the handle, “Go-- whoa!”

Admittedly, it had been easy to forget the wind was so strong. Normally they could hear it, but the sound of the rain had done a good job drowning it out, so as soon as Gear started pulling the door inward he wasn't ready for it to lunge at him. Neither was Aero ready for the wind, and the rain it carried, to hit him so hard. Enough so that it threw him off balance and when he tried to make a break for the outside he slipped and fell face first. Maybe this hadn't been such a good idea after all.

“Close it, close it!” he yelled, trying to pick himself back up only to be forced onto his side by another gust and burst of raindrops. This time his wing was forced to unfurl by the force of the wind, catching even more of it and sending him sliding along the increasingly wet hard floor.

With a grunt of exertion Gear was able to force back the door from pinning him between itself and the wall, closing it by putting his whole body weight against it. “Are you alright?” he asked after a deep breath.

“Yeah,” Aero answered, peeling himself off the floor. “You?”

“Door hit me right in the snout.” He threw off his foreleg boots and rubbed the now sore spot where he'd been struck.

“Sorry about that,” Aero said, now feeling guilty about even suggesting this. “You need some ice for it?”

“Nah, I don't think it's that bad.” The two stood in silence for a bit, letting the moment cool. “Let's not tell anyone we just got our asses handed to us by some wind.” Gear speaks up.

“Ha, don't worry, wasn't planning on it. If anyone asks about your nose tell them we had to fight off some bum messing with some girls.”

They share a small chuckle that grows into a full on laugh. They only stop when a voice from upstairs speaks up. “What's so funny?” Sublime, still looking half asleep, was looking down at them from the second floor. Seems she was woken up by the commotion.

“Nothing!” The two stallions say in unison.

She looks back and forth between the two. Aero disheveled with his raincoat all messed up and Gear still leaning against the door holding his snout. Both standing in a pretty sizable puddle. “Heh, sure.” She says with as smug a smile as she can make and heads back to her bed.

The two downstairs exchange a defeated look and trade out their raincoats for the mops in the closet, cleaning up the mess they'd let in in embarrassed silence. Only the TV and the storm spoke for the rest of the evening.