Chapter 1
I ignored the stitch in my side as I forced my legs to
move faster.
Gulping in air as I turned the corner, I almost lost
my footing, but righted myself quickly.
The sun was a sliver in the distance and sinking
rapidly.
Two more blocks.
The streets were deserted, everyone barricaded in
their homes for the night. Windows were
barred, doors bolted shut. Charms and
religious symbols were strung up with abandon, some windows barely visible
underneath the tangle.
One block.
The other side of the street was already dark, the
edge of shadow almost on the sidewalk my feet were pounding.
I saw something flicker out of the corner of my eye,
buried in the deepest shadow.
I refused to look, my already pounding heart
threatening to leap out of my chest.
There. The battered
brick front of my apartment building.
I ran as close to the building next to me as I could,
my arms scraping against the rough stone periodically.
The shadow of the building opposite was covering half
of the sidewalk now.
I fell against the glossy red door that meant safety. Fumbling in my pocket, I took out my keys, my
hands shaking as I tried to get my breathing under control.
I attempted to insert the key into the lock, but
finally had to resort to using two hands to steady it enough to work.
Come on. Come
on.
It finally slid in, and my eyes shut in relief.
Turning the key, I shoved at the door.
It didn’t budge.
I shoved it harder, than began beating my fists on the
door, even though I knew it was no use.
I’d missed the curfew.
Nobody would let me in.
I rested my forehead against the door, my hands flattening
against the slick enamel paint. Tears threatened,
my eyes hot with pressure. Taking a deep
breath, I pulled the keys out and dropped them back into my pocket on autopilot. Turning around, I leaned my back against the
door and sank down to the cement.
Numbness began to settle in, my hands and feet
tingling.
I kept my eyes down, the little patch of dingy gray
between my legs filling my vision. My
knees were bent, my toes just touching the shadow line.
I watched as the line slowly crept up my boots, past
my knees and hips. I felt the cool touch
of it across the bottom of my face.
Up my cheek bones.
Eyebrows. Forehead.
And then I was engulfed.
The world around me stilled, transitioning. Even the slight breeze was still, as if
holding its breath along with me.
The sound of footsteps.
I shuddered at the sharpness of it, the breaking of silence
an almost tangible cracking. The steady
click continued, growing ever louder as it got closer.
Click.
Click. Click.
My mouth was dry, my clothes sticking as new sweat
slicked my skin, combining with the tacky residue of my desperate run.
I was frozen, my nerve failing me. My eyes wouldn’t budge from the ground. The rough texture of the concrete blurred in
front of my eyes as the ambient like dissipated slowly.
The sound cut off abruptly.
Something next to me.
My breath was a loud rasp in the silence. I shut my eyes tightly, my hands clenching
hard enough for my nails to pierce my palms.
A large hand smoothed over my damp hair.
