I could live to be a hurricane—

Turn into a tempest, violent, silent in the eye—

All whirling, gusting, wuthering—

Could it be enough to change the way you use my name?

Eleanor drove on, her mind shrouded in a fog as rain hammered mercilessly against the windshield. The wipers fought a losing battle, clearing the torrents only for them to return in heavy sheets—a relentless assault that blurred her vision. Each mile dragged on like an eternity, the road seeming to stretch infinitely, as if conspiring to keep her away from the place she so desperately longed to reach. The radio lay silent, the signal lost, leaving nothing but the hum of the engine and the steady thud of rain for company. Yet Eleanor’s thoughts drowned out even the storm outside.

She thought of you—of your voice, your touch. But those memories felt as distant as the skies, buried under the weight of time and work. You had both promised to stay close, to not let the distance between you grow. But now, here she was, miles away from where she felt she truly belonged, chasing a memory that had faded into sporadic texts of love.

Wooosh—

A sudden gust of wind shook the car, jolting her back to the present. Her fingers clenched the wheel, knuckles blanching. Doubt gnawed at her resolve, whispering that she should turn back, that this was reckless. The road ahead was barely visible, yet something roaring in her mind kept her foot on the gas.

She couldn’t fully explain why she was doing this—it was just a particularly heavy downpour. Surely, you would be fine. And yet, her heart felt as if it were decaying, like an apple slowly rotting as she thought of you.

She recalled their last conversation, a brief exchange between classes. You had sounded weary, but that familiar warmth in your voice remained. It was that faint spark she clung to now, a small beacon guiding her.

"I’m busy, I’ll call later. Sorry."

And that was all she had said in return. How foolish.

~~I’m sorry. I love you. Please be safe.~~