Between Showers

Cliff, a modestly affluent bachelor, acquires a modest cottage and spares no expense in furnishing it, intent on creating a sanctuary worthy of a future partner. His search culminates in the arrival of Virginia Vance, a poised young woman whose presence is accompanied by her austere step‑mother and a sprightly younger brother. The trio tours the freshly appointed rooms, admiring the tasteful décor and the promise of domestic tranquility. Yet as the sky darkens and rain begins to patter, the house’s gables begin to thrash in the wind, the timbered walls sigh, and the floorboards swell into undulating ridges. The storm escalates into a violent maelstrom that strips the cottage of its form, culminating in a spectacular collapse that leaves nothing but splintered memory of what once seemed a hopeful haven.