The Plague Doctor [RATED R] ✓

PROLOGUE

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THE RAIN WAS FALLING hard on us that even people with umbrellas were getting wet despite their strong desire to keep themselves dry. I was thankful that I was inside a cab, but the downfall was that I couldn't hear the radio clearly because of the loud noise that the raindrops were making on the cab's roof.

     As the rain continued to pour, I ended up hugging myself because of how cold it was inside the cab. I didn't have the courage to tell the driver to turn the heater on because I didn't want to get scolded by my mother who was sitting in the front seat in silence. I glance at her through the rearview mirror and instantly look away when she is about to look back at me. She's aware that I'm cold, but she doesn't do anything.

     I stare out of the window to busy myself instead. Dozens of people were walking down the pavement; some ran to get shelter, pushing those standing in their way. One boy even tripped when he got pushed by this oversized man. The action almost made me laugh.

     "This will be a long ride," my mother suddenly says, forcefully making me look back at her. "Rest," she then adds, her cold eyes now directly looking back at me through the rearview mirror.

     I politely nod and lower my head down, making me catch a glimpse of the bruises on my wrists. I stare at them for a second before quickly pulling the sleeves of my jacket to hide them.

     Soon after that, I closed my eyes and slowly drifted to sleep. As I dive deeper inside these deranged thoughts of mine, I spot a glimpse of light shining toward me in the darkness. What was once a small light peeking through the distance eventually turned into something that almost blinded me. I covered my eyes from it, but when I opened them back, I realized that I was teleported back to our little town called Totten's Landing.

    Kids ran around, getting mud on their clean pants while their mothers chased them with a broom. Vendors were selling fresh fish and vegetables in their stalls, calling for customers willing to bargain with them, while old man Buckley was walking around the market, pretending to be drunk so he could pickpocket those unknowing onlookers.

    The town was as busy as ever, so I tried to push through the crowd to get to my merry way. But as I continued walking down this familiar yet unfamiliar path, the noise from the town square suddenly disappeared, and when I looked back, everything was gone.

     A strong gust of wind then pushed me back, almost making me stumble. And while I tried to hold my ground, I spotted a small abandoned house. I didn't hesitate to take a look even though I felt frightened. I head inside, the floors creaking as water drops fall on top of my head because of the holes in the ceiling.

     The house was a mess, the windows were broken, and the wallpaper was already peeling itself off. Your first assumption would be that the house is abandoned, but when I reached the dining room, I found a table filled with deliciously warm food as if people just recently stood up and left. I didn't dare touch it though, so I proceeded to the second floor.

     Upstairs was quiet, and piles and piles of books covered the door in the middle of the hallway. I push the books away and approach the large door, but as I was walking towards it, I suddenly start to hear someone crying inside the room. I continued to walk towards the door until the cries turned into loud sobs. And as I reached the doorknob to open the door, a cold hand suddenly grabbed me by my shoulder and whispered in my ear...

     "Wake up Winter."

     I gasped and opened my eyes, my mother's face right in front of me while her hand was on my shoulder. I looked around and realized that the rain had finally stopped, and we were in the middle of what seemed to be the woods. When I looked back at my mother, she gently kissed my forehead and moved away from me. "Let's go. Grab your bag," she says, and I immediately head out of the cab, grabbing my suitcase from the trunk while my mother held onto a fruit basket and a flashlight.