Blindsided

Signs in Sight

 ᴤᴤᴤᴤᴤ

Tremors drove the beating of her heart intensely. White eyes stared back at her. A pale face streaked by the moonlight. A dark stain dripped down the oval face.

A monster Namjoo thought and nearly screamed, but the hand pressed harder onto her mouth, muffling her breath.

"It's just mommy, it's mommy," the woman rasped. Then gritted her teeth and shook. Tears slipped from her eyes. Of fear. Of relief. She quickly squeezed them shut. Desperately trying to steady herself.

Suddenly Namjoo's body didn't feel like her own. This container was shaking too hard, like a can of m&m's being rattled. She felt like she was peeing again. Her shorts were too warm. Her thighs wet.

Her beautiful mother staggered to her feet. Placing those long, graceful fingers around her shoulders. Precious hands that cooked breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Fragile hands that styled her hair each morning before school. The warmth that flowed from her palms whenever her mother cupped her face.

Those hands were so cold.

Namjoo was scared.

The dark on her face oozed down like slime. Painfully slowly. Tenaciously. Drowning the white of her eyes out until she looked like a one-eyed freak, and Namjoo had to force herself not to scream.

The wings of a bat fluttered, spooked. Slapping the wind as it flew off.

Crying fearfully Namjoo literally saw her heart breaking on her face. It hit her somewhere deep inside. In a hollow spot. Infecting the rest of her cells with agony.

That this was her mother's last act to save her.

Her mother squeezed her. "Run and don't look back." Those pretty, plump lips trembled. "Don't ever...look back."

"Mommy," Namjoo whimpered. "Mommy..."

Her eyes welled up, "I love you."

The dark was lengthy. Hovering over, around, under them. Despite the cover of the trees, Namjoo could see the shadow coming toward them. Constricting, stretching. Grunting and groaning like he was injured. A foot dragged across the earth. His heavy steps went thud, thud, thud.

The tears streamed rapidly. Her mommy gnashed her teeth. So many things spelled that moment. Despair. Grief. Loss. Overpowering fear.

"Don't look back." Her mother stared hard into her eyes. Letting go, she pushed her shoulder urging her on. "Go."

Namjoo wept the same despair, grief, fear.

Sliding away Namjoo turned just when her mother raised the black machine in her hand. Hearing a final whimper of her mother's voice. The gun blast through the air. Next came a sick gurgle. Namjoo hurled herself forward sobbing manically.

Her feet sloshed through dead, crispy leaves. Kicking dirt. Random thin sticks. Then silence, silence, silence. Nothing but her heavy, choppy breathing. Choking and hiccupping madly.

In one moment, Namjoo thought she was running then she was sailing through the air. Lost, confused. The breeze whipped against her. Slicing through her hair. Carrying a few droplets of regretful tears into the air. A blur of stars entered her field of vision just briefly before landing with a thump on the cold floor.

Just as another gun shot blast through the sky.

Namjoo's eyes sprang open. Meeting straight with the creamy wall. Nothing filtered through her head.