The Soul Snatcher

The First Encounter

IT WAS UNUSUALLY RAINY THAT DAY. It had been weeks since the last time I saw as little as a droplet. A few months ago, the cold season began but it seemed like the temperature has just started to drop. As cold as it was, I still felt excitement on the days I got up to go to work.

Three weeks.

That's how long I've been away from home. But I didn't feel homesick.

Not at all.

I knew I can go back home anytime. But I chose not to.

I like it here. It's peaceful and the air is fresh.

I checked the time and it was a few minutes to eight.

I should go.

I took my bag from the couch and walked to the door. When I opened it, I felt a certain strangeness I couldn't put a finger on. I wasn't sure if it was the food I ate for breakfast or maybe it was how the clouds moved in the sky.

There was something in the air that seemed out of place.

I walked up the paved street not without the wrinkle on my forehead. I must be imagining things. As I turned to a curve, I noticed the fog slowly descending and completely blocking all visibility. Worried about cars rushing on the road, I stayed on the side and remained vigilant. The academy was a few blocks away. It would take more than a casual walk to get there and I was running late.

I tried to lengthen my strides as I squinted through the thick fog. All I could see was the part where my foot landed.

I have managed to keep a steady pace while trying to make out the way through the fog when I heard an eerie sound. I couldn't see anything but not so far away, I heard tires screeching and the sound of something heavy dropping on the ground.

I immediately panicked. Though I couldn't see well what was ahead, I could guess what has just happened. I ran to where I thought the sound had come from, eventually, reaching the spot as I smelled something strange in the air. I felt goosebumps on my skin though I was wearing a thick jacket. It wasn't because of the cold.

I walked slowly towards where the smell was strongest. I almost groped my way to it. The moment I reached the spot, the fog has cleared out a little, uncovering a sight of a man in a dark suit peering over a seemingly lifeless body below him.

I suddenly moved with uncanny speed, disregarding the man and kneeling beside the limp woman whose face I couldn't  clearly see. Her face was covered with her thick dark hair.

My hands started moving before I could even think of what to do. I felt a faint pulse on the side of her neck below her chin. I turned to the man standing and watching on the side. I assumed he was the driver of the car and he might be in shock but they have to revive the woman.

"You", I called.

He seemed surprised.

No.

Probably more than that. He looked shocked.

But I didn't care less.

"I will do CPR but I have to move her to a safer place. I'm worried she might have broken something", I was saying almost absently as I tried to check for signs of any serious injury.

He didn't answer. He just gave me an incredulous stare. I signaled him to start moving and get help.

I stood up and looked around. They were actually on the sidewalk. The impact must have been too strong to throw the woman that far.

I gave up on the guy and just carefully positioned the woman since I was starting to worry I might lose her pulse. Before I could even realize it, I was pumping on her chest and was trying to breathe life into her. Each time I checked her pulse, she didn't seem close to revival.

"She's not going to live".

My head snapped back to the man behind me. He didn't look shocked anymore. Actually, he seemed very calm as his eyes dropped to the woman's unmoving form.

I wanted to shout at him! He wasn't helping at all!

"Help is on the way. But no matter, she is not going to be revived".

My eyes teared up but I didn't give up hope on the woman. There was no sign of movement. Her heart felt like it was slowly losing life.

I started to feel weakness in my pumps and I was running out of breath.

My tears dropped.