Red Moon - a flash fiction thriller

Red Moon

She was running.

Cold air swirled around her, filling her lungs. Her nose and ears were numb. Her hands were wet. In her right one, she gripped an object.

She blinked.

Snow fell softly around her, blanketing the empty street and the surrounding buildings, muffling the sound of her footsteps. Streetlamps lent a soft yellow glow.

A taxi drove by. She raised her hand to call it.

Then froze.

She dropped the knife. Crimson blood spattered onto the white snow.

A cry ripped free.

Frigid snow soaked through to her knees after she fell to the ground.

She hugged herself, arms wrapped around her ribs.

Then withdrew a sticky hand. Blood covered her palm, seeping between her fingers.

A strangled gasp hung in the air.

"Freeze!"

Her head whipped around.

A tall figure posed beneath the next lamppost. A gun shone in the soft light.

The snowflakes froze in the air. Heartbeats stretched into minutes. Breathing slowed.

Darkness descended . . .

A flash of light.

An echoed thunder.

A metallic taste.

. . . Her heartbeat returned to her—a cold pulse of life.

A sharp intake of bitter air brought back her senses.

Icy, shaking fingers pressed against her throbbing side.

A shudder wracked her body, crammed against a red brick wall.

She flinched at the hollow shots in the distance.

Her head spun, confusion threatening her mind, forcing her to the ground.

Hot tears warmed her face but soon became a raw, piercing cold.

Her hand reached into her pocket, bringing out a small cell. Red fingerprints stained the screen as she typed a number.

The cell shakily raised to her ruby lips.

Five words were uttered before the phone dropped into the snow and her head fell against the brick wall, eyes fluttering closed.

"I'm losing control . . . I'm sorry."

***

Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed it!

As for the title of this story, I couldn't think of anything better. I might change it later.