The Footsteps

Night creeps into the city's almost empty streets. Your quick footsteps mimic within the silence. You look over your shoulder, but only shadows look back. Nervousness lives in your stomach and you walk faster. There it is again: the noise of footsteps following you.

This road seems unbelievably long. The flickering streetlamps cast peculiar shapes over the monochromatic pavement. It appears to you like every bush desire to grab you and behind each wall lurks a monster. The feeling of being observed hangs over you like a heavy cloak that seeks to pull you down.

you look behind you again, yet there is no one. You strain your ears and hear the rhythm tuk-tuk.

Footsteps...

It's getting darker by the minute. Every nerve in your body is on high alert and your breathing sounds piercing to your ears. Your heart is thumping in your chest; it beats a warning. 'Only one more street,' you think. 'One more then I'll be home.'

Soon you'll be home safe, and you can laugh about all of this. As soon as you have a warm cup of coffee in your hand, you'll see that you've just been overreacting. You are so focused on the feeling of protection that you don't realise that the footsteps have disappeared.

You are almost running. Safety is just around the corner. The freezing air burns in your lungs, but you hardly feel it. There is just one thing in your mind: Get home. At the end of the street, you see two light shining through the stifling dark. Your heart is erratic, and you feel comfort flooding through your body. You're going to make it!

You decide to Sprint the last stretch but before you could give another step, you feel strong hands wrap around your neck. The attacker pulls you from the road and away from anyone's sight. You kick and fight with all your power, but you cannot break your attacker's grip.

Your lungs crave for oxygen. You try to make out the attacker's face, but a mask looks down at you. Lights start sparkling before your eyes as the attacker tightens his hold. You grasp that this could be the end of your life. You try to move the hands away from your throat. The corners of your vision are growing dark and your lungs are screaming. With that last piece of your strength, you reach up at the person. Your hands grasp at the mask and you tear it off.

You realise who this is. You grew up with these deep eyes and that messy hair. The shock and panic drive any will to live you had left out of your body.

It's your brother...