I stole a
hurried glance behind me. It was still following me. I held my breath, sweat
dripping from my forehead. It had been following me for an hour already and I
still didn’t know why. My heart was thundering in my chest as I shuffled along
the pavement. I wanted to run but what if it was faster than me?
Suddenly,
on my left, I saw a narrow, dark alleyway. I decided to turn into it, rushing
as fast as I could along the dank pathway until I saw a large pile of festering
rubbish. I ducked behind it, peeking out as I desperately tried to slow down my
breathing partially because it was loud and partially because the smell of
rotting refuse was overpowering.
I could see
the rectangle of light that was the end of the path. Vague shadows of people
glided past. Maybe one of them had been it? Maybe it hadn’t seen me come into
the alleyway. I could feel myself relax. I could breathe a little better. No.
wait, there was a shadow, darker and more menacing. It was peering into the
shadow then peering away. Please go away!
I held my breath as it took a step away. Then it paused. NO! It was coming down the alleyway. It
moved slowly and yet it seemed to bear down at me. The shadowed figure shuffled
silently towards me.
Its
footsteps were nearly silent but I could hear it sniffing the air. For the
first time I was glad my hiding place stank so badly. Carefully I peeked over
again. It was facing away from me but I saw its huge body, mostly in shadow but
just enough to see the spikes on top, and the long claws glistening red. It
turned and I quickly ducked down. Praying desperately that it hadn’t seen me. It
sniffed again, louder this time. I felt the air grow heavy as it loomed into
closer.
Suddenly,
the air cleared. The sense of its heavy presence was gone. Cautiously I peeked
out. There was nothing there.
The relief
I felt was the most blissful feeling I’d ever felt. I couldn’t help but check
myself over. I was alive! I had never felt as alive as I did at this moment. I
stepped out carefully, avoiding the puddles of rancid garbage juice lying on
the ground.
At the end
of the alley just before the street, I peered out. Nothing. Just empty streets
with the occasional car in the distance.
Sighing the
biggest sigh of relief I strode out. A part of me was still cautious but the
closer I got to home, the more I relaxed. I had escape. I was safe! I had
survived!
There, I
could see my door! Finally I would be safe! I fiddled in my pockets for my keys
and as I walked up to my door, I looked down to find the right key.
“Yoohoo!”
cried a shrill voice. I froze, the keys fall from my icy fingers. My heart
stopped in my chest and I felt the blood drain from my face. “I’ve been looking
for you everywhere!” I turned around slowly. There is was. After all my
efforts, there it stood before me. The frizzy curls styled into spikes, the
nails painted bright red. Out of the shadows I could see her wire frame glasses
making her eyes seem like huge orbs staring into my soul. Her pink paisley
dress taut around her round pudgy body and that froglike mouth stretched into
and overenthusiastic smile. Mrs Figgles, chairwoman of the local culture club.
“I was sure
I saw you on the street, dearie, but you just disappeared! I did so want to
speak to you my dear, so here I am! Finally I caught you!” the high pitched
giggle threatened to rip open my eardrums and I barely hid my wince. “Now, I
need to ask you for your help at our fundraiser, you do know this year we are
going to sell our copies of Kittens in Kimonos calendar and we’ve got our bake
sale with gluten free cakes and for the first time, we are going to do a clown
competition and you were so helpful last year, we would really like to have you
volunteer for us again! You would look so lovely in clown makeup!”
Visions of
last year came flooding back. The nightmare of being surrounded by old ladies
chattering away about crochet. The horror of being force fed ancient fruitcake.
The complete humiliation of being dressed as a giant chicken and trying to sell
last year’s calendars ‘Cat Fashion – Knitted edition’.
“ I … Uh…” I
stammered awkwardly. I had to say no. I had to, otherwise I was trapped.
“Of course dearie
we know how busy you are which is why we would be so grateful! Mrs Poddington
has already made her famous fruitcake, gluten free of course, and Mrs Snodgrass
has agreed to knit you a clown outfit!”
“Um, I…
er.. I am … well I…” my tongue betrayed me. The words would not come out.
“Excellent
dearie! I’ll out you down as entry number 5, now I’m off but we’ll see you at
the fundraiser! Tada!” and with that, like an evil typhoon of paisley horror,
she was gone.
I stood
frozen to the stop. I knew now, I had never had a chance. My fate was sealed.
