Tools of Purge

Sin-kissed

Inhale.

Exhale.

Inhale.

Exhale.

The crisp morning sun kissed my fair skin as I slowed down from my lengthy jog. The clear, water-like sky was painted above me. I caught my breath and pulled out my sports drink; taking 3 generous sips, I placed it back. My youthful bones ached and my heels and soles became numb.
7 kilometres. I ran, jogged, walked, and conquered past the luscious greenery that enamoured the off-beaten path in the dense forest. I decided to head back home because of the exhaustion that filled me.

" Ugh! Why are you so heavy?!"

A perilous grunt echoed behind me in the sea of emerald decorated with vines and grass.

A woman. She resembled a gazelle. She wore a long face and prominent facial features that could be sighted from a significant distance away. Olive and rough skin draped this woman and her platinum highlights brightened her carved face.  She wore a navy blue knitted cardigan with a grey blouse and a long jet black skirt that not only hid her feet but extended onto the forest floor.
She grunted continuously; struggling to pull a garbage bag that looked foolishly full. As she pulled the menacing bag closer to me; sublime goosebumps erupted around my frail body. I wasn't sure if I had been imagining such an absurd thing, though my goosebumps were certainly real.
A cold treacherous raindrop landed forcefully onto the back of my hand. I looked up promptly to see if it had begun raining. My instinct was right. An army of droplets came hurdling towards me from the high grey clouds that towered over the vast forest; aggressively preventing the warmth of the sun touching any part of the canopy.
In a few short moments the forest floor was flooded with water that had suddenly become ankle-high.
The mysterious woman frantically looked around as if she was trying to look for someone; however, there was no one in the forest: except her and I. Her breathing became rapid, her face was drawn into a nervous glare, and then she crouched slowly and steadily towards the ground. I was confused as to why she is acting weirder than she was a few moments ago; then I noticed. She had seen me.
The glare she used was uncomfortable. I felt like a white cloth draped over me and sheathing me had been blown off to reveal a vulnerable cub in front of a ravaging predator.
       I glared back, but in a fearful way. Astounded at the absurd essence the mysterious woman gave that emulated a stomach ache; not caused by sickness but by guilt.
      I cautiously began to walk away from the surreal scene as though exiting a horror movie into my protected reality where I felt safe from serial killers and demons. Except, this was my reality. I was walking away from a menacing atmosphere containing a mysterious woman pulling a foolishly full trash bag.