The Mysterious Man

The footsteps grow louder, echoing on the sidewalk and crunching on the hardened ice. The man's heart skips a beat, frozen with fear, as he watches the figure's shadow advance.
The man breathes a sigh of relief as he sees the figure turn around the corner of the block. He slumps down onto the pavement, his heart beating against his ribcage. He holds his head in his hands, trying to calm his fears.
He sits up, steps forward, and hails a cab from the sidewalk, rubbing his frozen hands together under his coat.
Tires screech as a cab stops in front of him, a pale yellow in comparison to the glistening golden light of the city. As the cab screeches to a halt, the driver rolls his window down.
"What you doing out in the cold?" he asks in a thick accent.