barucai

[Mini Story] When It Rains, It Pours

Published: May 1st 2025, 10:34:02 pm

Hi Hi ✨

Still catching up from, sorry about the tardiness! Here is a proper mini story, just a silly little story I thought about last week, 1.5K words, simple, direct, nice images. I hope you like it!

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When It Rains, It Pours

The cursor blinked accusingly on Aubrey's screen, a never-ending pulse that matched the throbbing behind her temples. The quarterly server maintenance report was due by end of day, and five o'clock was approaching with alarming speed. She pushed her glasses up and squinted at the screen, trying to make sense of the data she'd been compiling for the past three hours.

"Hey, new girl! You coming out with us tonight?"

Aubrey glanced up to see Tina from Marketing leaning against her cubicle wall, twirling her car keys around one perfectly manicured finger. Behind her stood a small group of coworkers, all dressed far nicer than Aubrey in her oversized cardigan and sensible flats.

"Oh, um..." Aubrey tucked a strand of mousy brown hair behind her ear. "I don't think so. This report is—"

"Due Monday," interrupted Dave from Sales, checking his watch impatiently. "Come on, it's Friday! First round's on Johnston since he lost the bet about the Clarke account."

Johnston, a bulky guy from Accounting who always wore suspenders, rolled his eyes good-naturedly. "One drink. I'm buying one round."

Aubrey's fingers twitched over her keyboard. She'd been at Meridian Tech Solutions for exactly three months and six days, and this was the first time anyone had invited her anywhere. But the thought of sitting in a loud bar, struggling to make conversation with people who probably only invited her out of pity, made her palms sweat.

"Thanks, but I really should finish this," she said, forcing a smile. "Rain check?"

"Your call," Tina shrugged, already turning away. "But there's literally going to be rain later, so you might want to head out now."

"I've got my umbrella," Aubrey replied, patting her bag even though she knew full well she'd left it at home. "Have fun!"

The group drifted away, their chatter fading as they headed toward the elevators. Aubrey sighed and returned to her report, trying to ignore the knot of regret in her chest. Maybe next time she'd have the courage to say yes.

By the time she finished and shut down her computer, the office was nearly deserted. A glance out the window confirmed Tina's weather prediction—dark clouds had gathered, and the first few droplets were already spattering against the glass. Aubrey groaned internally. Her apartment was a fifteen-minute walk away, and she'd been looking forward to the quiet stroll to decompress after a long week.

"Might as well get it over with," she muttered to herself, gathering her things and heading for the elevator.

The lobby was empty except for the security guard, who barely looked up from his crossword puzzle as she passed. Outside, the air was heavy with the promise of a downpour, but for now, it was just a light sprinkle. Aubrey pulled her cardigan tighter around herself and set off at a brisk pace.

She'd made it about two blocks when the first raindrop hit her directly on the back of her neck. A strange warmth spread from the spot, like someone had pressed a hot washcloth against her skin.

"What the...?" she murmured, reaching back to touch the spot.

Her fingertips found taut skin stretched over what felt like a small knot of muscle that definitely hadn't been there before. Before she could process this, another drop hit her forearm, and the same sensation followed—heat, then tightness, as if her skin was being stretched from within.

Aubrey quickened her pace, confusion giving way to alarm as more raindrops spattered against her exposed skin. Each one left that same weird feeling, and now she could actually see the changes happening. The sleeves of her cardigan tightened around her arms as they thickened, muscle fibers appearing where there had been only soft flesh moments before.

"This isn't happening," she whispered, but a quick glance down confirmed that it absolutely was. Her sensible button-up shirt strained across her chest, which had somehow developed the kind of definition she'd only seen on fitness magazine covers. She could feel her pants growing uncomfortably tight around her thighs.

And she was getting taller. With each step, the ground seemed to recede slightly, giving her a dizzying sense of vertigo. People in the distance looked smaller, and a passing car seemed toy-like compared to her new perspective.

The light sprinkle was quickly becoming a steady rainfall.

"No, no, no," Aubrey muttered, breaking into a jog. Every raindrop accelerated the transformation. She needed shelter, and fast.

A passing businessman gave her a startled look and quickly crossed to the other side of the street. Aubrey couldn't blame him—she must be a sight, her clothes straining at the seams, her height now well above average. As if on cue, she heard a tearing sound as the back of her cardigan split along the shoulder seams.

"Just three more blocks," she gasped, ducking her head as if that could somehow protect her from the rain. But it was futile. The water was coming down harder now, soaking through her clothes and trickling down her skin. Each drop catalyzed more growth—her shoulders widening, her legs lengthening, muscles swelling beneath her increasingly inadequate clothing.

The button on her pants popped off with a small pinging sound, and her shoes began to pinch painfully. She kicked them off without stopping, her now-bare feet slapping against the wet pavement as she ran. Her height had to be approaching seven feet, and her body had transformed from its former unimpressive state into something that would make professional athletes stare in awe.

Ahead, she spotted salvation—a bus shelter, empty and inviting. Aubrey made a desperate dash for it, aware that her shirt buttons were now hanging on by mere threads. She ducked under the plastic roof just as the heavens truly opened, turning the light rain into a torrential downpour.

Safe from the rain at last, Aubrey collapsed onto the bench, which creaked ominously under her new weight. She looked down at herself in dismay. Her pants now resembled capris, ending well above her ankles. Her shirt had lost several buttons, revealing a glimpse of what appeared to be perfectly defined abdominal muscles. The remains of her cardigan hung in tatters around her massively developed shoulders and arms.

"Now what?" she asked the empty shelter, her voice echoing slightly in the small space.

A quick assessment confirmed her worst fears. She had to be at least eight feet tall now, her body transformed from its former unimpressive state into something that would make bodybuilders green with envy. Her clothes were barely preserving her modesty, torn and stretched as they were.

"I should have gone for drinks," she groaned, leaning her head back against the shelter wall. "But no, I had to be responsible Aubrey, always playing it safe."

The rain continued to pour outside, drumming against the shelter's roof. Aubrey watched it warily, hoping that her theory was correct—that if she stayed dry, the growth would stop. And maybe, just maybe, when she dried off completely, she might shrink back to her normal size.

For now, though, she was stuck. She couldn't possibly walk home like this, with her clothes in tatters and her body transformed into something that would draw every eye on the street. She couldn't call a rideshare either—no car would accommodate her new size, and she couldn't bear the thought of trying to explain her situation to a stranger.

So she waited, huddled in the small shelter as the rain continued to fall. She watched the occasional car drive by, their headlights illuminating the curtain of rain before disappearing into the distance. No one stopped. No one seemed to notice the giantess hiding in the bus shelter, and for that, at least, Aubrey was grateful.

Her phone buzzed in her pocket—somehow still intact despite the expansion of her thigh muscles. She pulled it out carefully, her now-massive fingers clumsy on the small screen. It was a text from Tina:

"You missed out! Johnston bought TWO rounds before Melissa spilled her drink on the regional manager! Epic disaster. Hope you didn't get caught in this crazy rain!"

Aubrey stared at the message, a hysterical laugh bubbling up in her throat. If only they knew.

"Epic disaster is right," she muttered, tucking the phone away.

She stretched her legs out in front of her, marveling at their new length and definition. Despite the absurdity of her situation, she couldn't help but feel a twinge of fascination. She'd always been unremarkable—average height, average build, easy to overlook. Now she was anything but.

"Just need to dry off," she told herself, running a hand through her damp hair. "Then maybe I'll go back to normal, and this will all just be a weird story I never tell anyone."

The rain showed no signs of letting up. Aubrey settled in for a long wait, grateful for the shelter and the relative emptiness of the streets. At least in here, she was safe from further growth, and no one could see her in all her eight-foot, muscle-bound glory.

As she sat there, watching the rain transform the familiar streets into shimmering rivers, Aubrey couldn't help but wonder what Monday at the office might bring. Would she be back to normal by then? And if not... well, at least no one would be calling her "the new girl" anymore.

She'd definitely be noticed now.

"Next time," she promised herself, "I'm definitely going for drinks."