The Pursuer

"Is he gone?"

"How close is he?"

The thoughts run through my mind as my heart races. Let me explain. A few minutes ago, I was walking home at ten o'clock at night, just after finishing a long day of "work," when a car pulled up next to me. Before I could react, a man came out of it, swinging a short, squat club at me. The first time he swung, he missed: the second time, I had to duck. I ran away from him, but he followed closely, his stick clutched in his right hand.

I sped down the sidewalk, jumping over benches, trashcans, rocks - anything in my way. No matter how fast I dodged the obstacles, I could not shake my Pursuer. I heard his thundering footsteps and labored breathing over my own, drowning out my thoughts.

He screamed words like: "STOP!" and "Get back here!" But no matter what he said, I would not listen. As I was running, I noticed a sizable gap situated between two buildings. I ran into the gap, finding myself in a narrow alley.

Unfortunately, I couldn't shake my Pursuer with a quick change of direction. I knocked down a couple trashcans and wooden boards, but my Pursuer dodged them all too easily.

I screamed, my lungs burning more with each step, "Go away!" and "Stop!" and "Help!" but he ignored my protests. Across the street, after the alley's end, I saw a forest, which I ran straight to, my Pursuer hot on my trail.

As I sprinted through the woods, I heard the snapping and crackling of twigs, leaves, and sticks behind me. My pursuer was now wheezing, but even his lack of fitness couldn't deter him. I saw I was nearing small ravine, about five feet wide, so I took a leap of faith, soaring over it in an attempt to shake him. But I had underestimated his skill - and soon found myself running once more.

My pursuer and I burst from the woods, into a quiet suburban area. I wanted to run to a house to get help, but I was afraid my Pursuer would get me at the door. Then I noticed a street sign, and realized with a hint of satisfaction that I was only a few blocks away from my house. I ran with new purpose, gaining ground on the man who was following me.

I swerved through backyards, dodged garbage cans, and jumped fences- all to no avail. Somehow I found the energy to to run a littler faster, so when I saw my house, I was moving a little faster than before. I reached the front door, throwing it open with a bang before skidding toward the basement. I opened the cellar door, and quickly noticed a small gap between the stairs and the door. Squeezing myself into the tiny space, I shut the door as swiftly as I could, plunging the room into blackness. Suddenly I heard heavy footsteps in the foyer, and felt my pulse speed up. Cursing violently at myself for not closing the front door, I waited with bated breath until my pursuer finally came upon the cellar. He muttered something unintelligible, pushing the door open as I cowered in my hiding spot. Slowly, he walked past the gap, clutching a flashlight. Just before the beam settled upon my form, I leaped out of the gap, using my full body weight to shove the pursuer down the wooden staircase. As the torch sailed through the air, I first head a scream, then a thump, them a low moan. In the fall, the pursuer's flashlight had broken with a pop, plunging the world once again into darkness. So, I turned on the light and stared down at the scene.

I sinister smile spread across my lips when I saw the police officer's face, his eyes dazed and alarmed. He gazed slowly around my basement, horror growing as his mind finally registered the situation. He looked at the bloody walls, then my "tool" table, and lastly, the crimson stained knife I was holding precariously in my hand. He feebly tried to crawl across the room, to where his baton had landed, far out of his reach. He'd never reach it in time- his legs had been broken in the fall. I closed the door silently, slowly inching toward the officer my smile getting wider as I moved between him and his weapon.

I leaned in close to the my pursuer's face, wiped a few beads of sweat from his terrified face and said, "It looks like you solved this case officer."