Nemesis

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Blood was all I could taste. Coming down my throat, giving me nausea and stirring the bile in my stomach. I didn't know how I was still running, the adrenaline in my veins was slowly fading away, and I was starting to feel an unbearable ache through my feet due to the race.

All I could hear was the sound of my feet hitting the pavement, the water from this morning storm wetting my ankles, and a continuous deafening beeping in the back of my head.

The paranoia was making me hear footsteps behind me, without knowing the accuracy of these. My eyes were burning with passion, starting to dry out due to all the crying that was currently happening.

I just wanted to get home as soon as possible.

Without realizing it, I began to slow my pace until I came to a full stop, looking back, I could not see anyone, there was a mist stuck by the streetlights, making it almost impossible to distinguish anyone. With shaky hands, I grabbed my phone, checking its state after I dropped it to the floor at the beginning of my race.

The screen was completely cracked, but I could still use it if I was careful enough. I tried to call Jade, if I was lucky, she could still be at the club I just exited a couple of hours ago.

"We are sorry the number you are trying to reach has been disconnected or is no longer..." the robotic voice sends me directly to voicemail, so I hang up.

"Shit" I barely whisper to myself. It feels almost painful to speak out loud, fearing the attraction of the men I was trying to run away from.

I feel sweat at the back of my neck, the humid ambiance wets my hair making a couple of strands stick to my face. I am not able to stop shaking, my brain is working in fast motion, replaying inconsistent

images all over again.

I start walking with no course or recollection of where am I, hugging myself because of the numbing cold that embraces me ruthlessly.

"Maybe I was roofied back at the club..." I stammer, controlling my breathing.

Maybe what I saw it's just a product of my imagination.

I try calling my friend again, still not getting a response. The uneasiness is apparent, I'm utterly lost in an unspecified neighborhood late at night. I feel helpless, I have no idea where to go, there are no cabs, no cars not a soul in the street that I could reach for help.

Suddenly, my phone starts vibrating in my hand. The screen shows an incoming call from a number I cannot identify. I wonder if Jade is calling me from another device quickly answering for some odd reason not questioning myself about it.

My pulse is rumbling behind my ears, I hold my breath the minute I press the green symbol, hearing soft breaths on the other side of the line. It wasn't until a deep raspy voice flooded my senses.

"You'll have to run faster than that to escape from this, darling"