7 Hours

1:34 am

As I half crawl half walk by the dark masses of buildings, I notice a large grimacing gargoyle statue perched on top of a pole. It had wings the size of large briefcases spread either ways. Its dark, feathery breast was puffed up and slick wet in the pouring rain. As a squinted closer, I could barely distinguish a Roman Numeral VII written in shiny titanium white across the gargoyle's chest. It had the mouth of a roaring lion with blood red ruby eyes which glinted in the moonlight. Majestic... Yes, but frightening indeed. I looked away. Something about the statue didn't seem right. It had a sort of dominant aura, like a shadow swooping down on you.
I quickly hurry forwards. The pain in my legs can not get worse, yet I didn't even feel remorse anymore. The pain had kept me going. It had kept me from slipping into the void of endless sleep. It felt as if hot pokers were being pressed into my thigh as I barged on through the night. Each droplet of water felt like small electric sparks on my back. The deafening sound of droplets hitting the concrete pavement echoed through the empty streets. Then I hear it. Soft and soothing in my ears 'Let go, honey, give up' the last syllable rang in my ears. Scenes from my past life flooded my mind. I shook my head. No. I still had one more thing to do. One last thing that would redeem my soul. But these hollow words were drowned by the laughter of a younger girl....

"A mirthful laughter escapes my lips as I run around in circles, trying to catch a rather interesting purple butterfly. I was wearing a maroon tutu, with black leggings which were two sizes large from me." The 9 year old Iro, who didn't care. The girl who didn't have things in her way. The girl who had a brighter future fulled with excitements. The girl who could not be, as an impossibility, be me.
"She laughed again and yelled, 'Hey come back to me! I want to see you better!' followed by buckets of more cheery shouts. The sunlight filtered through the gaps in the canopy trees, making patterns on the ground. The air smelled of freshly turned earth and new blooming roses. It smelled of home. It smelled of freedom. The child finally got tired of running and jumping as she slumped down under a tree, fingering a peculiar piece of rock. All was well. Nothing could go wrong. That was until, the darkness seeped through from under the knarly roots of trees. The twisted spires engulfed everything in its path, withering away grass it touched. It soon reached her and in a split second of panicked suffocation, the darkness consumed her... "

The pungent smell of raw blood filled my nose. I look up. The moon was nearly completely covered with dark, ghastly clouds. I have myself up, making the mistake of putting pressure on my leg. I twist and manage to stand up. What had happened? Had a blacked out? Had I died? No, it was just a memory flash. I had no time to spare. No time to ponder upon this queer topic. Sheer will and reason led me through the inky depths of the night.

After what it feels like eternity, I see the dark looming building towering over me. The London Big Ben. The clock showed 36 minutes passed 4. 2 hours left. Barely enough time to do what I am about to do.