Forget her shoes and wait out the storm on the counter.

(chapter originally by Misayaka on writing.com)

Would getting her feet wet make things better? She doubted it. As unpleasant as the thought was, Marie decided to leave her boots behind and wait.

She dreaded watching them get soaked, but hopefully she could dry them off without much effort. Still, the weather wasn't improving. The rain kept on pouring, and it seemed to even be encroaching on her hiding place. Was it going to be wise to stay there? Maybe Marie really did need to run for it...

No, she had to stay there! Going out into the rain would be crazy. It was getting cold, though. Marie felt a shiver as she rubbed at her shoulders. Why didn't she at least wear a jacket, or a blouse with sleeves? The lengths of her gloves were nice, but not much.

She sighed and set her palms against the counter. Then she recoiled and blinked, looking down at the cold spot her hands had contacted.

The counter was getting wet! Was it the wind and rain, or was it coming in from the other side? Marie reacted quickly, wiping her hands across the counter to brush as much of the water away as she could, except in the process...