I felt a surge of adrenaline as the street bellow blurred. I was really picking up my pace now as pedestrians began to retreat to their hideout for the day. The only sound audible was the rapid thump of my sneakers echoing in my ears as they collided with the hued earth beneath. Beads of sweat manifested at my pulsing temples, rolling down my forehead, trickling further into the oblivion.
I sprung forward as fast as my legs would allow on the rapidly overcrowded streets of New York City, whoever said the city never sleeps was no fool. The city was constantly buzzing and things happened so fast you never knew what was coming or going. I know one thing for sure if I were ever mugged… heaven forbid, I sure as hell had no chance of recognising the criminal because like I said, things just happened too quickly here… far beyond anyone’s comprehension.
As I was dwelling in my thoughts conversing with my jumbled mind, I pondered to a contradicting fact: strangely, everyday during my ventures my path would at some point cross with an individual I would see again days later, such a small glimpse of their face becomes etched into my skull stuck like glue for some unknown purpose. No matter how hard I try to brush away the existence of these strangers, I can’t. In the deepest pit of my stomach, my instincts tell me I would need to remember… no scratch that, I knew I must remember each and everyone of their faces.
Littering the streets, people emerged out of thin air. There was not even a speck of emptiness, just an explosive canvas bursting forth under the scorching morning blaze. As I sprinted down the pavement, I felt exhilarated and oddly at home as I always did when running down the now familiar route that I had been using for the last month in my new home town.
As much as this route offered me a tiny piece of solace, it also tormented me to no end. One particular alleyway I pass on my way home always sent the hairs on my entire body prickling in anticipation of the mysteries that lie down there. It felt as if it had some gravitational pull luring innocents that dare pry upon it for too long. But guess what? That’s exactly the problem. During my month here, I had seen numerous people enter this isolated and deadly alleyway. The same strangers I had seen before. You’re probably thinking, what’s the big deal? It’s just an alleyway they are probably taking a shortcut home or even dealing drugs. Well that would all sound perfectly normal if those that dwelled there came back as they were before they went in. But no… they did not, they came back somewhat colder in nature as if they were living yet dead, void of any emotion.
Each day I would see someone different enter, then on the following day they would mindlessly wander the streets radically changed, utterly unaware of life. Take the endearing old man with his walking stick, limping along and coughing violently; I saw him only two days ago and he looked like death warmed up but now… he looked perfectly healthy as if he had some magic pill that knocked of twenty years and miraculously cured his organs. I have this growing feeling in my gut that’s telling me something’s not right. I wouldn’t have recognised him if it weren’t for his piercing blue eyes that crinkled whenever he convulsed in pain during coughing fits.
The vicious predator was about to prance yet again, my feet had stopped somewhere as my gaze fixated upon the next victim.
Suddenly I broke out from my thoughts to see an exquisite beauty. A girl… no, a woman so beautifully formed. Her golden tresses glowed and whistled in the wind as if she were in a hair commercial, using her beauty as an asset to hypnotise you, to draw people in. Even standing several metres away, I could make out her features; from her succulent locks to her bow shaped lips stained to correspond the colour of blood yet so perfectly matched to her flowing dress. Her small button nose to her striking green, almond shaped eyes. Even at her short height and her petite body so small and ready to be placed in ones pocket, I was so deliciously aware of her and only in the moment she looked in my direction did it occur to me that she was Olivia, my Livy, my childhood friend, my high school crush.
In an instant I was no longer seeing her or the scene played out before me but I was transported back to my very first sight of her: our first meeting. I was riding, the wind blowing through my hair as I steeped down the hill in a tumble. An almost scream tore at my throat and I gasped as I came to a sudden stop, falling to the hard ground in an awkward and rather uncomfortable position. I winced as a searing pain shot through my left arm and leg from my fall. Surely it shouldn’t hurt so badly? Hurried footfalls reached my ears and my head automatically turned to the source. A girl fell to her knees beside me, tears reaching the surface of her emerald jewels. Never in my whole 11 years of existence have I seen such a beautiful sight. “You’ll be alright, I’ll help you.” Her voice was soft and innocent; pure like an angel, my angel. Everyday for the whole month I resided in hospital, she visited me, took care of me, made me laugh… cried for me. I had never come across someone so pure-hearted and full of compassion for a stranger.
I was abruptly dragged away from my beautiful memory as darkness wrapped around me whilst I trembled with fear. Fear for Olivia, she could not go in there, I wouldn’t allow it. In quick dynamic movements, my limbs instantly came to life as I sprung up frantically running after her. As each minute passed, my anxiety only increased to such an extent that it was causing an excruciating pain in my heaving chest, making it almost unbearable to breath. It was not safe for anyone, especially her; she’s too pure, untouched. They would take immense pleasure claiming her. The fear rapidly became a poison within me as her silhouette began to disperse, leaving only a mere shadow in its wake. I desperately tried to reach out towards her frame that had by now disappeared into annihilation.
I stood frozen on the spot where she last stood with my arms extended, hoping that she’d come back unharmed: not tampered with. I could not believe this was happening, I refused to. How could they take her? I was surely in some nightmare still at home in bed. My insides felt as if they were being ripped apart limp for limb only to be put back together again so the painful torture could commence repeatedly over and over, ripping away at my flesh.
As I was trapped in the tight confines of my imagination, faces I recognised suddenly began to circle me. Their eyes were completely white and their skin pale; they appeared to be oddly beautiful. The old frail man I had seen only 3 days ago stood amongst them. I was totally enchanted yet afraid at the same time. I was trapped as they caged me in. The eyes of the devil staring directly at me and at its head Olivia stood…my sweet angel. Bile rose to my throat as our eyes locked hers no longer the lovely green. She bought her hands up slowly then came lunging towards me.
