You reach for your suitcase and sneak into the nearby bathroom to change, being sure that your footsteps are silent. You wouldn’t want the nurse to walk in, would you?
You change into your signature maroon sweater and hiker’s pants. Then your one sock, and the other. You squeeze your feet into your steel capped boots and wiggle your toes. There was just enough space to feel comfortable and avoid a podiatrist.
Once changed, you sneak into the long, twisting halls. The cold tiles radiate an eerie aura of permanence, like the stuck victims of a spider’s web. Every now and then a nurse would shuffle by, their eyes weary from the extensive night shift. You could only imagine the blood and sweat that goes into the job of nursing, with so little payment, the job becomes an ordeal.
You manage to push past emergency doors without setting off the alarm. A lucky escape indeed.
You can’t wipe the feeling that your family is in danger. It’s a horrible feeling that leaves you with a pit in your stomach.
You try to shake the feeling off. You are focused on trying to help them, if they need it at all. You walk towards the maze of the inner city, its twisting brick and stone walls wet with rain. The cold wind blew past dilapidated bricks. Each growing its own piece of moss, a variety of dull colours in a garden of grey that was the alley. The air was thick, the breeze screamed as it flew past, whispering forbidden knowledge and secrets in mass.
You shiver, coming home seems like a pain, nothing could stop the terrible gut feeling that was following you.
The moon above smirked, a cold smile only amplified by its pale face, as it knew it was immune to the treacherous night sky that swallowed the sun. You begin to walk faster, the buckle on your belt clicks as you walk, the sound echoes across the alleyway, bouncing off the old brick walls.
You keep walking, your pace slowing down as your legs grow tired. Your feet hurt, the callouses on your toes going raw as they rubbed the leather insides of your shoes.
Out of the blue, you hear something click back. A guttural call that sent shivers down your spine. You freeze, turning to look behind. Nothing. In front of you was a turn, a corner in the alley, and to the left was a path to a nearby park, on the edge of the forest.
You weren’t sure which was the way home, but at least the park was a bit open, for all you know, the alley is full of criminals and scum.