Midnight Charades

The Chase III: Out for a Jog on New Year's Eve

Osman, despite his best efforts, could not cover the distance between them. Meera's head start had her in the front. Their frozen breath streaming behind them, their cheeks red from the exertion and the cold. 

"Miss" Osman panted out, but his words were lost to the whirlwind of snowflakes falling down. 

Osman had been expecting Meera to veer off course, so when she ducked into an alley way, he was right behind her. 

"Miss take off your coat!" called out Osman behind her. 

At the sound of his voice Meera ran harder. 

Meera was in disbelief that that boy was following her, and following her diligently. When she cut off  the main road again circling behind the shop he was there right behind her telling her to take her coat off. She was terrified, and would've obliged had the thought of having to run and take her coat off seeming too hard of a thing to do in the narrow alley and instead raced further ahead. It was a mistake on her part as she rounded behind the shop building and skidded into ice slamming into a wall. 

Osman had to hold the snicker that nearly escaped as he saw her slide across, than scramble to get back up. It felt like something he'd seen in a Charlie Chaplin short. His moment of arrogance however was cut short as he too skidded on the ice and fell flat on his bum and skidded forward. He panicked when he realized he was off his feet; the only things keeping him alive. He snapped his head back to see the horrid men ambling into the alley, and a high scream escaped his throat. He pushed onto the wall and grabbed Meera's arm who was still flailing around and dragged her forward picking up the run. 

Behind them he heard a commotion as his pursuers slipped on the same slippery ice. Afraid of their current proximity he was too afraid to turn back and savor the moment. But he took a moment to let out a bark of laughter. Shaking his head he looked to Meera to share his laughter but she only said flatly, "You screamed".

Osman did not get a chance to reply as something sharp whizzed past the two of them. This time both Meera and Osman screamed, but who screamed louder Osman would never din to dignify. The two sharp daggers that had flown past them landed directly ahead of them and they nearly stopped in their tracks, nearly, but they were a smart duo and the second they slowed they picked up the pace, their feet smacking the ground in unison as they ran, heightened by the further threat, faster than before, faster than even they  ever would have thought possible. 

"You screamed again" shouted Meera in disbelief as they turned into another alley leading back to the main street. 

"Shut up" roared Osman back at her, unjustly consciously blaming her for his fall and everything that happened since. 

They entered the main street nearly slamming into a bar's outdoor dining wooden fence, but after nearly avoiding that, they knocked over a miniature evergreen tree plant by the front instead. 

"How many are there" shouted Meera exasperated when one who'd presumably stayed running on the main road came into view. 

"I don't know" cried out Osman.

"You don't know?" shouted Meera in disbelief. 

"Five? Six? They've been chasing me not standing in line waiting for me to count them" he wheezed out. 

The rest of the conversation was cut short as there breath could not be wasted on words. Rather the continuous rhythm of the run, neither willing to fall behind or having any energy to go further ahead. 

The sound of their shoes crunching in the newly fallen snow, that was beginning to cover the wet barren streets, was the only sound alongside the beat of his heart and his raggedy breath that Osman could hear, and for Meera she could only hear her heart alone and this was what the two went on hearing as they ran, slowing than speeding but never stopping or looking back. This was until Meera looked up and saw the sign up ahead.