Very slowly, I collected my contents into a pile. With a few scooches of my ass, I was able to reach my broken purse. After an armload of stuff, it was full again. The broken strap lay useless next to it as the fake leather lay like bloated roadkill on the asphalt. I needed to cut down on the stuff I carried, but that was a problem for another day. Today's problem was to get home.I crawled to my feet. My left shoulder screamed in pain with the movement, but I soldiered through it. If anything, that was one thing I was good at. I could soldier through a lot of pain, because I got hurt a lot, but mostly because I was raised to be tough, at least physically. I had to get home. I couldn't stay here all night, especially if I was losing my mind. I bent over slowly and picked up my purse. The gravel in my hand and the fresh blood stung. I knew I was getting blood on everything, but I just needed to get this done. When I was finished, my purse hung by the singular strap as I pinched it to
Sun streamed in through the pale pink curtains. It was an odd sensation for the morning since I was on the west side of the building. I blinked against the impeding light as I realized what the time must be. I rolled over, having forgotten about my shoulder. I cried out in pain. My body freaked, failing like I was being beaten and I promptly fell on the floor. This caused a surge of pain that rattled through my bones into the aching shoulder. My teeth rattled in my head with the concussion. After many minutes of recovering from the pain and the spinning vertigo, I pulled myself up using the edge of the bed to balance. As I stood, the sun streaked across my arm. I sucked in air with surprise that of course made me cough and sputter. When I caught my breath, I twisted my arm around to see it better.Swirling red marks wrapped around my arm from my fingertips all the way to my shoulder. I opened and closed the right hand as I flipped it back and forth. My eyes traced the spiraling mark
I packed my stuff from my cubby into my tote. It was time. I was the last one again, left alone in the light of the work room. I stepped out the back door. My finger hesitated above the light switch. I knew I would get in trouble for leaving the light on, but I just couldn't do it. My hand shook. I couldn't make it flip the switch. I closed the door and locked it, then pressed my back against the door. The parking lot lay out before me cast in the yellow glow from the store sign above. The hornet was the only car in the lot. Damn thing. I briefly considered trying to start it again, but no, it wasn't worth the effort.My eyes scanned the lot, then passed the bushes to the street. The more I stared, the more images of unknown scary things flickered through my mind. No, I would not start that again. I banished the thoughts. They never completely left me, but I buried them beneath my grief for Mila. I felt the familiar "being watched" feeling. A burning cigarette caught my eye from acr
I waited on the hospital table for the doctor to show up. I was dressed in one of those paper gowns with my ass hanging out. I really didn't think it was necessary, but the nurse insisted. They had already patched up my scrapes on my knees, palms, and chin. I felt like a mummy wrapped in bandages. I was just waiting for the doctor to show up and put my shoulder back into place.I twiddled my thumbs together and stared at the wall as I waited. My eyes went out of focus as I stared. The shadows around the room pressed in. A red spot appeared in my peripheral vision. I slowly turned my head to see the faint outline in the shadows.I knock at the door snapped me out of it. The hospital room was bright and clean."Kira? Can I come in?""Yes, sorry. Yes, please."The doctor arrived with his professional tablet and his professional smile. "Seems you have a dislocated shoulder.""I nodded."He probed me with a few fingers. "You're going to feel some pain as it moves back into place. I'm
I showed up to work on time. The walk from urgent care wasn't too bad despite the sprinkles of rain. Other than the lower thighs on my jeans, I stayed pretty dry under my black rain jacket. Bill, the manager, gave me a professional nod as I entered. I shoved my tote bag in the locker then donned my name tag and fake smile for the day.After a few hours of manning a cashier station I could feel the heavy curtain of exhaustion coating my conscience. I smiled at the next customer and my eyes did a double take. I had been pushing food across the counter after greeting him, but this was the first time I actually looked up. He was bald with an average build but his ears were all scraggly and pointed. I quickly looked back to my task of pushing items across the scanner. What the heck did I just see? I must be getting really tired. Or maybe he just had an ear deformity and it was weird for me to stare. And his eyes had been so green, not normal green, like crazy bright green. What was I see
I started marching in the direction of my apartment. There was no need for silly imaginary dark smoking figures and people with funny eyes or funny voices that only I saw. I was the problem. My fear of the dark was a problem, too. I was so chalked full of problems I should just end it all.My thoughts echoed in my head as my footsteps echoed through the empty street. The familiar fear started strangling my guts. It slowly moved up my spine until it was choking up my throat like I had swallowed a handful of marbles. I tried to ignore it, but my heart thrummed and the silence pressed in around me. It was coming. The thing that didn't exist, but somehow it was coming for me. I felt it just like the other times. This figment of my imagination had so much control over me that it felt real. I made it real. I spun. Damn, why did I do that?Looking always made it worse. I faced a smoking black wall of darkness billowing towards me. It filled every crevice as it raced up the street, blackening
My dreams were plagued with the walls of darkness. I couldn't get the image and the sensation out of my head. I woke covered in sweat and panting. It wasn't much of a sleep, but I had to get myself together. It was still dark outside, but the sun would be coming up soon.I peered out the window. In the alleyway below, the familiar ember faded into view.Was I really seeing things? My mind mulled over the night before and the conversation with Anton. What he said made sense. But... there was no blood.I pulled on a pair of jeans and a T-shirt. I needed to talk to him again. He was the only thing in my life that didn't make me feel like I was completely losing it. I jammed my socked feet into my pair of black converse shoes before I pushed down the hall. Anton's snores filled the front room from behind the curtain. I didn't flip the light on, but I did grab my tote bag turned purse. I locked the door behind me and set off to find my figment.The alleyway below was empty. The edges of
Strong arms wrapped around me and dragged me through the icy water. My eyes wouldn't open and my lungs wouldn't breathe but somehow I could feel everything going on. I was on the brink of death but someone had dared to interfere. Why couldn't they just leave me to my inevitable fate?We reached the shore. I was dumped onto my back. I sputtered and gurgled water, but my body couldn't push it out. My half closed eyes tried to catch a glimpse of the meddler as he pounded on my chest. Water gushed from my lungs. I turned to heaved it out. My eyes still wouldn't stay open. Even my coughs felt weak. The cold clung to my skin and clothes.I heard the man grumble out a few word. "You are more trouble than you're worth, little girl.""I'm not worth anything," I whispered. "Just let me die."A deep growl escaped his throat as if he was contemplating something. After a long moment, arms lifted me up. I could smell the charcoal smell off of him. It reminded me of a campfire."Hold very still,