“How can I run if I can’t even walk?” The concern distorted her mind. Agony bounced around inside her knee as she leaned against the cinder block wall, garbs dripping wet. “I have to keep going. I have to.” The cry in her head rallied.

She stumbled along her knee, appearing more like a wet noodle than a joint, every so often surrendering a whimper.

“Please God! Wake me up!”

She screeched into the desolate road. An echo of her cry came back, stamped with return to sender.

No one was around. No cars, no people, nothing. Just the harmony of the rainfall collapsing into the ground. The lockdown was working. “Was this the illness everyone feared?” Another thought sought to make sense of what was taking place. “No. That was no pathogen, that was nothing from this world at all.”

She rounded the intersection. A lengthy stretch of homes occupied the road ahead. “Help! Help! It’s trying to murder me!” she announced in the avenue.

Pushing through the injury, she climbed the steps to the doorway of the red stone city home. She rattled on the first door. “Please, let me in!” No reply. Back down the steps and over to the next stone duplex.

“I’m not sick, I’m not sick. Please.” She banged and pleaded. Then to another and another.

Watching behind, her eyes swollen with tears and blended with the rainfall that rolled down her face. “I will not die like this. I refuse.” She took in a strong breath, and climb a series of stairs with a tall red door at the top. This time appeared different. This time there was a light on. She banged and begged, “Please, I’m injured. This is life or death.”

The melodies of the latches being withdrawn acknowledged her cry, and with them contributed to nothing shy of sheer bliss to her heart. She glanced behind her once more. The door screeched open and out popped a massive black umbrella. “Oh, come on, dear, you’re looking perfectly… wet.” A dusty, flat tone hissed.

Connected to the umbrella, a long moon grey skinned palm clutched the wooden handle.

“This isn’t happening.” She froze under the umbrella. For a moment, it seemed so delightful, not feeling the rainfall. Her eyes expanded, and she struggled to scream. Nothing had appeared to happen. Her arms felt lite, but impossible to carry. Her legs, heavy like anchors, kept her in place.

What seemed like a lifetime of being frozen turned into three steps backward. The third being on air. She started to stubble down the stairs and smashed her skull. A deafening crack was returned to the sender. Her vision tarnished as the water underneath her had a red tent.

The colossal character now settled over her, hunched under his massive black umbrella. Tall shining trench coat reflecting. It’s lengthy grey collar connected to a round head. Vast bare circle eyes that looked like they belong to a cadaver. It’s nose is nonexistent, two narrow cuts. The odd smile on its face had no lips. It was examining her draw her last breaths. It moves in closer, somehow remaining in the same spot, but now its head was close enough to hear her breathing. Suck in, exhale, inhale, exhale, inhale, ex. Hale.