Umbrella

I came up with this story while listening to Nickelback's "Somebody" so I guess it inspired me and gave me what I needed for this story. Enjoy.

UMBRELLA

Jake Benson is feeling down and out but not for the first time. His longtime girlfriend Haley has just broken his heart, leaving Jake feeling empty inside once again. He really thought that she was the one to fill the void in his heart; but he was wrong. Every time he thinks he has found the right one, the girls turn out to be fakes and not what he thought they would be. Something always goes wrong. But today, his luck is about to change.

Jake is walking down the street to his favorite coffee shop, Mancini's. Out of all the times he has been to this shop, he has never met a girl here. He has met them all over the city but never this shop. Sometimes he thinks that this shop holds valuable secrets and powers beyond any human's comprehension.

The sky up above shows the promise of rain today, and the clouds are darker than ever. Jake rushes to the door just as the first drops begin to fall to earth. He eases in the door just as a pretty girl leaves. But he does not notice her. Instead he strolls over to the counter and talks to his best friend Mike, the manager.

"I heard about Haley, man. I'm totally sorry about that. She just isn't the one for you." Mike says to Jake, who is now sitting on a stool in front of the counter.

"Yeah, yeah. I've heard that one a lot lately. Actually, ever since girls started dumping me."

Mike smiles. He knows his friend is in need of help and comforting. These two have never really spent that much time together. Actually, they have spent zero time together outside of the coffee shop. Mike puts his hand on Jake's left shoulder.

"Trust me, your miss right will be along soon. Sometimes you have to weed out the bad ones to find the REAL thing."

Jake looks up from his coffee. "Yeah, I'm sure. I've had plenty of bad apples lately." Mike laughs.

"Man, it's really pouring outside. Did you bring an umbrella to walk home with?" Mike asks. Jake shakes his head. He never brings an umbrella. In fact, he's not sure if he even owns one.

"Well, I have an extra one. You can borrow it but be sure to give it back to me when you're finished with it okay?"

"Are you attached to it or something? Does it have any significant meaning to it?" Jake asks jokingly. Mike nods.

"Something like that. Just don't let anything happen to it. Who knows, maybe since you're using it for once you'll have good luck."

"Right." Jake reaches for the umbrella and as his hand closes around the handle, faint images flash through his mind. He sees a girl, roughly his age, beautiful. He cannot see anything else. It is all a blur. He can see himself with her and the feeling he is getting is beyond anything he has every felt before, no matter who he was with. This is it; the REAL thing. But who is she? When does he meet her?

Mike shakes Jake's shoulders. "You all right man? You kinda spaced out there."

"Yeah..yeah. I'm fine. Where did you get this thing?" Jake asks. Mike shrugs.

"It's been around for a while. I just found it one night at one of the tables. Someone must have left it but yet no one has ever asked for it back."

Mike is leaving out the part about a small note attached telling the finder to give this umbrella to anyone who could use it for it can do anything. Mike's never been superstitious or anything but he kept it in case of a really rainy day, and today, is a really rainy day.

"Okay. Well, I'm out okay? Take it easy."

Meanwhile, across town, Ella Carrington is moving out of her ex-boyfriend's apartment. Things just went downhill so fast and everything is all messed up in her life now. She really thought that Mason was the one for her. She has been through so many bad relationships and she is tired of waiting on the man she sees in her dreams every night when she closes her eyes. He is like a knight in shining armor, only in her dream, there is no armor, just an umbrella. She can never really see his face, everything is blurry. But the dream always ends with her under the umbrella.

Ella is lugging the last box into the elevator and cannot wait to get back to her new place. It is on the other side of town but it's not that bad. And she heard that there is a wonderful coffee shop not too far away.

The elevator stops on the ground floor and Ella pushes the box out with her feet. She looks out the front door in the lobby.

"Oh, great. It's pouring! I wish I had my dream umbrella." Ella laughs at this although she does not really find it funny because she just has a feeling that there is somebody waiting for her. She feels as if she is running late for something but does not know what.

"God, girl, you're going crazy. There's no such thing as dream guys and nobody is a true knight in shining armor."

Ella pulls the hood of her sweatshirt over her head and picks up her box. She pushes through the front doors and loads the box into the back seat of her car.

Ella gets in the driver's seat and starts the engine. She is ready for her new home.

Once she arrives at her new apartment, places the things she uses now in their new places, Ella decides to walk down to that coffee shop she has heard so much about. Everyone she has talked to has met someone special there. Some of them said they had a funny feeling about that place and sometimes it takes a while but you always meet someone interesting.

The rain has let up a bit and Ella removes her hood. The sun is starting to poke back through the clouds above.

"Wow, the day is wonderful!" She is suddenly overjoyed and feeling full of love. She is now at the shop and reaches out to grab the door handle to pull it open. Just as she pulls on the handle something happens. Ella is seeing a man, her age, sitting at the counter. He is quite handsome with his dark hair and eyes and yet she has a strange feeling that she has met him before. She can see herself with him and they are laughing. They are happy. She is happy!

As soon as Ella enters the shop the vision is gone. It is so strange and it leaves her feeling strange. Could that be her mister right? Her dream guy?

"I'm going crazy. I have to be."

Ella strolls over to the counter, feeling as if nothing really exists and that she is an imaginary being herself. Mike turns around and sees the pretty girl behind the counter.

"And how may I help you, pretty gal?" Ella smiles. Mike is an attractive guy as well but Ella seems not to notice. She is too distracted by thoughts of the vision.

"Um...Sorry," She giggles. "small espresso please."

Mike obliges and when he returns Ella's coffee, he engages in small talk.

"I've not seen you around here before. Did you just move or something?"

Ella laughs. "Actually, yes. I used to live on the other end of town but now I'm here." She holds up her arms and gestures to her surroundings. Mike smiles widely.

"Have you had a chance to meet any interesting people? If not, I know some fellows, guys and girls, that could show you around the area."

Ella smiles softly. "Thank you, that's so kind of you but really, I think I can manage."

"Suit yourself."

Ella finishes her drink and thanks Mike for offering to help her out. She then rises from behind the counter and leaves the shop.

Jake is now strolling through the park. He always liked walking and seeing all of the kids out playing and just hearing all of the sounds of the city. The umbrella is dangling from his wrist. Jake decides to sit

down on a bench and enjoy the sunshine for a few minutes.

When his bottom connected with the seat, something happened. A warm feeling rushed over his body and he could smell a wonderful scent. Some kind of perfume but yet there was no one nearby. The smell was sweet and flowery, very light. Jake closes his eyes and for a moment he swears he can see her. The one. Her long dark hair blowing in the wind. She's not super model gorgeous but she is beautiful all the same. When he opens his eyes, the scent and the girl is gone. He must find her. She's the one he has been waiting for.

Without any hesitations Jake rises and leaves the park. Not too long after, Ella arrives at the park and sits in the exact spot that Jake had approximately fifteen minutes before her. She too received a warm feeling and a scent. She saw what he looked like when she closed her eyes. He was here.

"Oh my God. You were here. I could feel you. You're real! You're really really real!" Ella closes her eyes and hugs herself. But how is she ever going to find him? This man could be anywhere. Then it occurred to her.

"He goes to the coffee shop! He goes to the coffee shop!" She yells. Ella leaves the bench in a hurry. It would be getting dark soon and if her guy was like her, he would want one last visit to that shop before it closes.

Jake is swinging the umbrella back and forth and thinking about the girl he is to be with. Who is she and where can he find her? He thinks about the images in his mind and he thinks back to the coffee shop. He has never seen her in person and not at the coffee shop but yet he had a vision of her there.

"She'll be there. But when?" Jake looks to the umbrella for advice but he will obviously receive none. But wait, what if...

"The umbrella. She had this umbrella at one point. But when? Was she passing through town? Did someone give it to her and then she gave it back and then that person left it at the coffee shop?"

It is possible. Ella does not remember it much but someone had once let her borrow an umbrella a long time ago. It was at a library that she used to love so much. It was pouring rain and the man behind the counter happened to have an extra umbrella. That was actually when these dreams of hers started. Even though she had been with Mason, she still dreamed of another.

The sky is darkening once more and looks of rain once again. Ella is driving back to the coffee shop while Jake is just about to park across the street from it. He has to talk to Mike

again. Something is up with this umbrella and he must know the whole story. Ella is about fifteen minutes away.

Jake parks his car just down the way and decides to try and beat the rain. Ella is now parked across the street and is thinking that she, too, will race to beat the rain.

Jake and Ella collide just before reaching the door. Thunder rolls over head. The first drop of rain hits Jake's hand just as he reaches to open the umbrella.

"I'm so sorry," Ella says. She has not even looked directly at Jake yet.

"No, prob. It's cool." Jake is shaking the umbrella open and finally Ella gets a good look at him. Jake sees her too.

The two are standing in the now pouring rain. Jake automatically extends the umbrella to Ella, who places her hand on the handle, next to Jake's. There is an instant spark that triggers several images and events in their minds. The sweet smells are back and Ella can see who it is in her dreams. He is standing before her on this rainy day.

"I've been waiting for you." Jake says. Ella smiles, a small tear trailing down her face.

"And I have been waiting for you. It's the umbrella. We both have shared this umbrella."

With that said, Jake kisses Ella. Everything from his dreams rushes back to him. He feels his heart beat and can feel Ella's as well. He has found his other half, the REAL thing. Ella feels the same. This is the one she has been waiting for.

THE END...I'M HOPING TO MAKE THIS A FULL LENGTH BOOK/SHORT STORY. THIS IS ONLY A SMALL SUMMARY OF THE IDEA.