Next possible prompt : anything this photography will inspire you.
View attachment 869917
“ Hey taxi! Wait !” I said chasing after the yellow cab but it disappeared into the night fog . I shouldn’t have gone out so late , I thought to myself. I looked down at my phone and realized that it was out of battery . “Just my luck “ I murmured to myself .
I walked across the streets and notice that a few block down the lights were still on in the Claremont Hotel , perhaps I could ask the receptionist to let me use the phone I thought to myself . Why do I always get myself into trouble.
Just then I heard the sky rumbling and it started raining .
“Great just great !” I said hugging onto my UC Berkeley sweatshirt - suddenly ! I felt a cold wind behind me but as I turned around I saw a man in his early 30s with an umbrella standing behind me .
“ It’s awfully dark and foggy tonight , why are you out so late ?” He asked in a British accent “ Come here before you catch a cold from the rain .”
He said “ Don’t worry , I won’t hurt you .”
I looked at him and then at the foggy street of Berkeley- I suppose it’s safer to be next to this stranger . He was lean, tall and elegant looking.
“ Im walking over to the Claremont Hotel ,” I informed him
“ I’ll walk with you.” He said kindly.
“ Actually...can I borrow your celll phone ?”
“ I don’t have a cellphone, sorry . But I can walk with you to the hotel, I see you have a Berkeley sweatshirt on .”
“ You went there ?”
“ I did .” He said “ I took a psych class.”
“Im a psych major ! “ I said “ Did you have any classes with Professor Chiovarelli ? He’s was the reason I became a psych major .”
“Tell me about it .” He said
We walked and talked for a while and I felt an instant connection with this British stranger- despite barely meeting him just a few moment ago . I told him that I was partying with some friends and was the last to leave the party thinking that I could Uber - only to find out that my phone ran out of battery . I mentioned the mishap of chasing after the yellow cab and we laughed about it.
“ It was the weirdest party yet - people were dressed as if it was the 50s/60s but I enjoy vintage and all those old fashion stuff.”
“ The 50s/60s isn’t as vintage as say the 1900s.” He joked
“Well that’s Victorian .” I said “ But yeah - I was too busy texting on my phone instead of enjoying the party so by the time the party was over - everyone left and I realized I didn’t have enough battery to Uber - and then well you know the rest - I tried calling the cab driver but he drove off .”
“ I’m forgetful myself .” He said “ In fact if I didn’t see you drench in the dark I wouldn’t even know how or when I got here either .” He said
“ Why are you here so late ? I asked him, “ it’s after midnight.”
“ I’m a night owl - I sleep during the day .” He winked at me
“ What are you a vampire?” I joked
“ Maybe .” He chuckled and smile at me - he had a great dimple smile
“ I don’t see any fangs .” I teased him
“ I’m harmless.” He said to me “But you should be careful around here. “Did you know that the Claremont Resort used to be a castle but it got burned down and then rebuilt later ? A man built the house for his wife and daughter but unfortunately his wife passed away.”
“ No way , that’s pretty romantic, building a castle for your significant other.”
“ It is pretty romantic huh ? Now it’s just a haunted hotel .”
“ Haunted - are you scared ?”
He chuckled, “ No but a young lady like you shouldn’t be alone , it’s not safe to be here at this time .”
“ Its Berkeley, I know, my friends car got broken into the other day .”
“ Be careful around this city at night .”
“ Lucky for me , I have you here .” I said
He smiled at me “ I’m not always here though .”
I walked closer to him to get some heat but it was still freezing , it’s always cold here “ It’s cold alright , by the way my name is Madeline, what’s yours?”
“ William Thornburg .” He smiled
“Thornburg - your last name sounds familiar.”
“ Look it up later .” He said with a wink
“ Well we’re here now , so I better leave .” He said .
I walked into the hotel only to realized that I was holding William’s black umbrella.
I ran back outside looking for him “ Will ! Will! You forgot your umbrella silly !” I shouted out but he had already disappeared.
I walked into the hotel lobby and asked the receptionist if I could borrow the phone , called my sister to pick me up .
As I was waiting , I smiled at the thought of the handsome stranger whom had kept me company and looked down at my umbrella and saw the word Thornburg carved on it.
I woke up the next morning , I decided to google more about William Thornburg- not much came up for his name , but I learned that there was a Will Thornburg who used to own the Claremont castle back in the 1900s, he built the castle for his wife and daughter .
“ That’s odd why would he tell me his name is William .” I said to myself
I searched for the picture of this William and realized that he looked identical to the gentleman that have helped me in the rain .