Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
𝐑𝐚𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐝𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐭𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐂𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐂𝐢𝐭𝐲, the cold December air biting at her cheeks. She was bundled up in her thick, grey trench coat, her scarf wrapped snugly around her neck, but even with all her layers, the chill seemed to seep through.
The streets were festive, the storefronts decorated with bright holiday lights and garlands, glowing far too brightly for the dark afternoon. It was barely past noon, but with daylight savings, the sky was already a gloomy shade of grey, casting long shadows over the city.
Rae's breath came out in small puffs as she walked, her hands buried deep in her pockets for warmth. Normally, the city would be bustling this time of year—people finishing their holiday shopping, couples walking arm in arm—but today, the streets seemed strangely empty. Her footsteps echoed softly against the pavement ,it was unnerving.
She couldn't shake the odd sense of being watched. Her pace slowed as her instincts kicked in, eyes scanning the street around her.
That's when she heard it—a faint buzzing, like electricity crackling in the air.
Rae stopped dead in her tracks. She hesitated, heart racing, and quickly reached for her phone, fingers fumbling with the screen. As she scrolled through her contacts, trying to find Barry's number-
Suddenly, a figure appeared ahead of her—about ten feet away. It was Zoom.
His dark, imposing figure stood out against the bleak winter backdrop, his black suit seeming to absorb what little light there was. He didn't move, only stood there, his head tilted slightly as if studying her. The way his cold, empty eyes peered through his mask sent a shiver down her spine.
Rae froze, her breath catching in her throat. She could feel her heart pounding violently in her chest, the phone still pressed against her ear as it rang. Her grip tightened around it, her thumb hovering over the screen, ready to speak as soon as Barry picked up.
Zoom's head tilted further when he noticed the phone, his silence somehow more menacing than if he'd said anything at all. The moment Barry answered, Rae tried to call out his name, her voice shaky with fear. "Ba—"
But before she could finish, Zoom moved. In the blink of an eye, he was right in front of her, mere inches from her face. The sudden gust of wind from his movement knocked the phone from her hand, sending it clattering to the ground. She clutched her chest, gasping for air, her legs giving out beneath her. Zoom didn't touch her, didn't need to. His presence was enough to send her collapsing to the ground, overwhelmed by fear.
She watched, wide-eyed, as Zoom hovered near her for a moment longer, his dark figure looming over her like a shadow. And just as quickly as he had appeared, he was gone, disappearing into the city streets, leaving her trembling on the sidewalk.
