Within Seconds // Barry Allen

Seeing Stars

If there was one thing Parker remembered clearly about her hometown, it was that every blue moon, Central City would get hit with a full night of rain. Puddles would form on almost every inch of sidewalk; sewers would be filled to the brim; when stepped on, grass would squirt water for an excessive number of seconds.

Close to midnight, back at home from the CCPD, Parker remembered she needed to finish a part of her interview for S.T.A.R. Labs. Using her sketchbook, she was required to draw a banner for their newly built Particle Accelerator.

Except, she couldn't find her sketchbook.

Given that she had previously gotten halfway through the drawing, Parker decided to venture through the storm to the CCPD, presumably where her sketchbook was, considering she came straight home after her job interview with Eddie Thawne.

Parker was the only person in Central City to attempt walking outside during the insane weather. The umbrella above her head wasn't useless, she learned, since the wind was pushing the rain to come at her from straight ahead. Puddles on the sidewalk were forming, seeping through the holes of her shoes and splashing water up her pant leg with each step.

While the umbrella wasn't good for blocking rain, it proved worthy of shielding Parker from asshole drivers who drove through puddles on the road to splash water at her. Some weren't unintentional, she knew, but the mere action was wearing her patience thin.

Jerked forward by a rough gush of wind behind her, Parker lost the grip on her umbrella. It was picked up by the harsh wind. It landed in the street a block away.

A dark shadow grew on the sidewalk where her umbrella fell. On the edge of Central City, a distinctive glow was producing an intense light. Thrashing clouds above her illuminated the sky. Flashes of light threatened to touch the city. When one finally did, the single bolt of lightning crashed a short distance from her

A panicked shriek came from her mouth, diving underneath an awning for safety. Panting heavily, Parker slipped her phone from her pocket. Miraculously working, she aimed to call Cisco Ramon, the man her interview was with, to tell him she couldn't complete her task in time.

A text message from Iris caught her eye first. It read: Hope the building that got hit wasn't the CCPD... Barry's in there...

Frantically, Parker wiped the lenses of her glasses on her damp shirt, smearing the water to a point where she could see, although it was blurry.

One building on the block was required to leave their lights on all night. Parker's destination, the place where Barry Allen resided, was nothing more than a dark building.

She sprinted to the CCPD. Scrambling up the Emergency Staircase, she took a longer amount of time, having to shove through the employees going the opposite way.

"Barry?" she called desperately. "Has anyone seen Barry Allen?!"

"Try his lab," yelled a cop passing by.

Parker shoved through the doors on the top level. Slipping a numerous amount of times, from her wet shoes racing against the tiled floor, Parker ran past the staircase to the lobby, into the continued hallway where Barry's Lab was found.

Through the scattered moonlight, she spotted a body sprawled on an overturned shelf. She crawled over the fallen racks of science equipment.

Close enough, she snatched Barry's outstretched hand and shook it frantically. Barry continued to remain unresponsive. With trembling hands, she called the hospital.

"Help! Please, I'm at the Central City PD, I need someone here. My friend.."

"What can you tell us about the condition?"