The Green Vial

The Gold SUV

The glass door to the building slides open, and I hear the sound of rushing water. Great. It's raining even harder now, and I don't have an umbrella. It was supposed to clear up, not get worse.

I pause under the awning, a near waterfall dripping from its edges, to check the weather. Dense clouds cover the whole city, and the app tells me that it's probably going to rain the rest of the day. My head drops. It's going to be a long walk home in this downpour.

I could try to call for a ride. I don't have the funds, though, and I don't get paid until Friday. If I still have a job by then. My phone pings. It's Ruby.

How's your head?

It's fine, I text back. Nothing the dr could figure out. I might have to go to a psychologist to figure this one out.

U think there's something really wrong?

I stop and read her words over again. Is there something really wrong? I don't know. I don't know what's going on. Everything feels so weird.

I look around, lost in thought. In the back of my mind, I notice that no one is around, but I shrug it off as the effect of the rain. Still, there aren't even any cars driving on the road. I tap out a quick message back.

I don't know. Everything's just weird.

I know, babe. Tell you what. Y don't u go home, and I'll be over later to take care of you.

A smile splits my face.

Okay. See ya soon.

I look up again at the downpour drenching the city, and I feel a tingle at the back of my neck. It's like a cold wind blowing that makes the hair on my neck stand on end. My body convulses in a shiver, trying to shake off the feeling.

Looking to my left, I notice a familiar-looking SUV parked on the sidewalk. The gold paint sparks a memory I can't quite place. A cold breeze drifts by as I see the doors of the SUV open, and out step two men. They're both wearing jeans and black t-shirts, and I recognize the one who steps out of the passenger side.

It's hazy, but there's something about him, about his smile, that strikes a memory in me. Where have I seen him before? That Cheshire Cat grin looks so familiar. The rain pounds the awning and sidewalk, and suddenly it's like I'm struck by lightning.

The dream. The smile. The...

The haze begins to clear in my head, but I don't have time. I watch as both men reach behind their backs. Smiles may be smiling, but the look in his eyes says differently. I know what I'm about to see before I even see it.

Sure enough, two pistols emerge from behind both men. Neither says anything. I know what they want. I still have my phone gripped tightly in my hand. I could call for help. But who? If I call the police, I'll be dead before I even get an answer.

I turn to run, but I turn around too quickly. The sedative they gave me for the scan still has me feeling a little light-headed. I stumble and nearly fall to the ground, which is fortunate. I don't hear the gunshots, but I see the concrete walls of the building burst a few times.

That's enough to get a surge of adrenaline, and suddenly my head's clear again and I'm running. Running for my life. Running I don't know where. I just know that I'm running in a direction that is not toward these men.

I round the first corner that I can find, and I don't stop. I don't even bother to look behind me. I know they're there.