Welcome back to Worlds Without Warning. This week, we’re reaching into the Cetera Magazine archive for “Rain Check” by Emily Brown, originally published May 21, 2026. Jon Negroni reads aloud the story of Marge, a woman ninety-two days sober whose carefully planned backpacking trip changes when her sponsor cancels at the last minute. Rather than stay home, Marge takes her permit, shoulders her pack, and heads into the wilderness alone, with a storm already moving toward the trail.

You can find the written version of this story right here.

About the Author

Emily Brown is a writer and poet based in Toronto. When she is not writing, she can usually be found walking by the lake, buying books she has no shelf space for, or making coffee she forgets to drink.

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About Cetera Magazine

We publish original short fiction every Thursday. Our stories span literary fiction, speculative tales, horror, sci-fi, fantasy, and weird fiction. All written without AI assistance and curated by editor Natalia Emmons.

Credits

• Author: Emily Brown
• Narrator: Jon Negroni
• Editor: Natalia Emmons
• Artwork: Jon Negroni
• Music: "Magic Escape Room" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

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