The echoing sound of my feet slapping against the wet pavement bounced off the ally walls, breaking through the silence; but that wasn’t the only sound. The loud footfalls of my pursuer also echoed through the ally way, adding to my own. My pace quickened as my stride turned to a run. My shallow breaths came in short puffs creating steam clouds in front of my face. The urgent pounding of my heart matched the pace of my now sprinting feet.

I twisted and turned through the maze of New York allies and side streets hoping to loose him-hoping with all my heart that he wouldn’t catch me-fearing what would happen if he did. Though it was only seven o’clock and the sun should still be sharing its final rays of light on this fall evening, the sky was dark with storm clouds. The buildings, so tall that they seemed to almost kiss the sky, surrounded me and made me feel as though I was trapped inside a box, never to escape.

I slid on the wet pavement, sloshing through a large puddle, and immediately skidded to a stop. A brick wall towered above me, blocking my path. Lightning lit the sky like a blazing fire as thunder sounded making the ground quake beneath my feet. Rain began to pour down on me, washing my skin clean of sweat and dirt. The cold droplets of water quickly cooled down my feverish skin sending a shiver down my spine. Another bolt of lightening shot across the sky as thunder sounded in a deafening crack. I was trapped. I frantically looked around me, seeking another way out. I searched and searched until I was positive my efforts were fruitless. I had two options: stay here and wait for him to find me, or walk back the way I came and meet my death head on.
I fell to my knees gasping for breath. My throat began to close as warm tears began to slide down my frozen cheeks. Both options were just so horrible. I began sobbing as I realized there was no way out of this; it was hopeless. I was going to die, and the worst part was that there was nothing I could do about it. My knees ached as my body was racked with shuddering sobs. Finally, I couldn’t take the pain in my knees any longer. I shakily stood up as my tears began to slow. I thought about the choice that would determine how I died and I decided I wasn’t going out of this world a coward. I prepared myself to turn around and walk back to meet my pursuer when I noticed it: the absence of sound.

It was eerily quiet. I could no longer hear my pursuer’s footsteps. Hope surged through me chasing all the ice out of my veins. Then I heard it: a breath. One, single, short puff of air directly behind me. I whipped around, an icy fist of terror clenched around my heart. The last thing I saw before I died that night was the gleaming blade of a knife reflecting a single bolt of lightning, slicing through the frigid air and diving toward my chest. The blade plunged into my heart, silencing me forever, but not before I let out an earsplitting scream that was drowned out by the booming thunder.