.·:*¨ ✘ ☠︎︎ ✘ ¨*:·. It was raining. It didn't rain a whole lot in South California, but it was raining that night. Small cold droplets that were just enough to stick to your hair and clothing. It was nothing like the refreshing, fat drops of rain that the east coast got. Those would make someone feel like they achieved something when walking through them. Instead, the misty rain that clung to Josh was just enough of an irritant to pile onto the whole shit sandwich of a night he'd been having. The hem of his cargo pants were soaking up the water as he trudged his way down the street. Hands stuffed in the pockets of his hoodie, he kept his head down, refusing to be derailed. He knew the way by heart, though it wasn't a short jaunt by any means.
Sam lived in a different part of La Jolla. By car it would only take a few minutes, but walking in the dead of night in the cold rain, it was nearly a half an hour before he reached her house. He was soaked through at that point, but it didn't matter. If anything, the walk had been helpful. It grounded him, keeping his mind on the present and not drifting towards the nightmares that had terrorized him all night. Every step he took felt like a victory, willing himself away from the confines of his poisoned mind.
Distance wasn't enough, though. Josh needed help. Not in the medical sense, but he needed company. Sam was the last person that he knew he should be asking to take him in, but the truth was, he didn't have anywhere else to go. He and Ashley were no longer on speaking terms and Chris would most likely worry over Josh's situation more than would help. Standing at the end of the long driveway that led to the Giddings residence, he wondered if this was a bad idea. He and Sam had been spending a little more time with each other lately, but that didn't erase the horrible things he'd done to her when he wasn't in his right mind.
With a sigh, he steadied himself and walked around to the back of the house, going to the window that he knew well. He was about to knock on it when he realized that that might sound far too threatening, especially to someone just roused from sleep. In the movies, people always threw pebbles at the window. He picked up a couple from a flower bed and tossed them at the glass, immediately feeling foolish. In the movies, the window was also always on the second story.
