It took a while for me to drag myself away from the distressing scene, but after a restless night, I needed to get home and hibernate. I thought nothing else would disturb me that day, but of course, I was wrong.
Sweat burst through my skin and trickled down my face as I sprinted through the twisting allies of my town. After only minutes of running, I was already gasping for air and desiring a break. I couldn't stop, not until I was at least a mile away from that...that...
What was it? The question floated around my mind until I couldn't feel my legs underneath me.
Panting, I finally came to a halt in a grimy passageway several minutes from my home. I leant forward, clutching my stomach and gulping down oxygen as I took in my surroundings. I had to squint to see the end of the path, but my vision was obscured by water in my eyes. Although I was still exhausted, I forced myself to continue.
But just as I set off, something caught my attention up ahead. Just a bird. I thought to myself, unsure. As I got closer, I realised it wasn't just a bird.
It was a dead bird.
But again, that's not what panicked me. It lay flat on its stomach, wings spread out, fully.
The closer I went, the more rapidly my heart skipped.
It wasn't just a dead bird.
It was the shadow of a dead bird.
