"Figures. Right when I leave the office," I say to myself. The clouds above my head were already somber and grey, so I sort of expected it to rain at some point, but it is annoying that it didn't start until after I was already home. Luckily, the weather looked bad this morning as well, so I had an umbrella on me. If I didn't, I would've sworn that a higher power was out to get me.

The walk home that I take everyday is mercifully short, with only an 8 minute commute, so I don't have to spend too long out in this mess, but today I certainly have to keep on my toes. The water likes to pool on the sides of the street, so if an errant car comes through, I'll be drenched from head to toe. Due to this, I'm walking home home today very vigilantly, keeping my eyes glued to the road.

While I'm doing this, I'm noticing details I haven't noticed before. The car lights reflect off of the wet asphalt, and the slight bumps in it along with the rain make the light very erratic. Also, there's trash left behind on the road that is basically decomposed at this point, probably dropped there a while ago. There's also a...surprisingly clean-looking doll? This last detail catches me off guard, so I get closer to investigate.

Squatting down, I get a closer look at it. What I think is a doll is no bigger than 5 inches, and it seems to be wearing a ripped up piece of cloth as clothes, with small holes punched out where its head and arms are. It's in a sitting position on the ground, completely still, with its arms wrapped around its legs, almost as if it's trying to stay warm. Also, I'm not sure, but I think I can see its back rising and falling. Is it breathing?

At this point, curiosity has me, and I squat down even more and pick it up with my fingers. Once it's up to my chest, I close my fist around it, trying not to squeeze too hard but just hard enough that it doesn't fall. In my hand, I feel like I can detect a slight heartbeat on its chest (and if it is an actual heart, it is beating very fast), which surprises me immensely. Despite signs of life, it's completely slack, like its muscles are completely relaxed. Right now, I'm thinking that it's either the most advanced doll I've ever seen, or it's a small human who was caught out in the rain. Playing it safe, I decide to go with the latter, and place it in my suit pocket. Once I feel its feet hit the bottom of it, I pat my pocket gently and start walking.

"If you are a real person, don't worry, just want to give you a warm place to sleep for the night," I say, doing my best to assuage its fears. I still don't know if it's real, but I guess I'll find out when I get home.