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The smell of rain, smoke and burgers (courtesy of the stand across the street) filled Alana's nose as she walked home from her office, cold hands stuffed in pockets, rain seeping through her hood, drenching her hair and half broken earphones playing the slow tunes of Elton John into her ears (well, her left ear because the right side had broken). The Seattle weather fitted her mood perfectly, settling a somewhat content feeling into Alana's stomach, despite her being cold from the rain. The weather in Seattle always seemed to match her mood, because it was always raining and she was always sad, making her feel a little less alone, in a strange way. As she walked, carelessly bumping into people by accident, she thought; about life, death, why bad things happened to good people. Of course, there was no answer to this, but Alana wished terribly that there was.
The day had gone slow; as every other day did. She left seven minutes late this morning, caused by her alarm not going off, and was in such a rush that she had left the house with half of her hair falling out of her ponytail, her shirt half tucked into her skirt and only one earring in (which she only noticed after her meeting when a coworker pointed it out). To say her day hadn't started off well was an understatement. Alana had no interest in her work as of late. She spent her days responding to emails and procrastinating in every way possible. Her boss and coworkers had noticed her lack of enthusiasm, but they knew she had her reasons, so they didn't punish her for her lateness or lack of work ethic.
The city slowly lit up throughout Alana's fifty-three minute journey from her office building right in the center of Seattle to her house in Queen Anne. Alana was perfectly capable of driving to work and back, but she sometimes preferred walking (that, and driving actually terrified her) The city was so beautiful at night, and she loved walking home when the city looked so pretty. Seattle was Alana's favourite place on earth, perhaps because it was the only place she knew, but also because it gave her comfort. Twenty-three years she had lived on this earth, and she had never left the state where she was born and raised. She wanted to, desperately, more so now than ever, but she didn't have the time or the money to go travelling and her parents were the type who preferred long, boring camping trips in the same state than going on a plane and leaving the state (which is what Alana considered an actual holiday).
Alana decided to walk along the waterfront on her way home, appreciating the way the city lights reflected off of the water, glimmering as the waves crashed. There were hardly any people out, due to the poor weather, but Alana didn't mind. Nevertheless, her surroundings were still loud; the sounds of cars driving by, people shouting for cabs and the rain slamming down onto the concrete. But these were the familiar sounds of the city she loved so dearly, and so they didn't faze her. It probably wasn't the best idea to take the hour long walk home whilst it was raining, but Alana didn't mind at all.
Eventually, Alana neared her house, head down and gaze fixed on the ground to avoid conversation with anyone she might know, hands fishing around her bag for her keys. Once she felt the familiar cool metal touch her fingers, she pulled them out and unlocked her door, stepping in and immediately taking off some layers and appreciating the dry environment. As she closed the front door, double checking it was locked, and hung up her coat, a bunch of mail fell from her letter box. Alana sighed and bent down to pick up the mail, smiling lightly when she heard the familiar sound of her dog's paws padding against the floor and his nose nudge against her cold skin. Alana clutched the mail in her hands before deciding that she was uncomfortable in her wet clothes that had pretty much stuck to her body from the terrible job that her coat did of shielding her from the rain.
