Untitiled, beginning

The air was crisp and felt like tiny little knives scratching at your skin, yet here I stood, in the back alley of McCallum’s Pub, inhaling the retched smoke I desired when people stressed me out and tonight was one of the worst nights I have had in a long time. When I woke up this morning, I thought my day was going to be a good one. I did not sleep in, which was a win in itself and I made it to my art class on time, so I was able to finish my painting. I caught the bus at the perfect time to be able to eat before my shift started. That was where my good luck ended. Just as I was about to take a bite of the steak sandwich with crispy onions and garlic mayonnaise, my arrogant and sexist boss asked if I could start early because a large group was being sat. From that moment on, I felt like I was falling off a cliff into an ocean of angry people. It was as if the cold brought the anger and hate out of humanity and it made me feel sorry for the world.

I inhaled the last of my smoke, dropping it to the ground and stepping on it before I even noticed that I was no longer alone. I looked up and pretty much jumped out of my skin as I stared across the alley. I breathed in, feeling every hair in my nose freeze as I did and held the breath. Slowly, I began counting in my head. One, two, three, four. I exhaled on five, closing my eyes briefly as I did. When I opened them, I subconsciously took a step back, putting myself closer to the back door. Ah, fuck, was the only thought that went through my mind. Any other person would run or faint or at the very least scream, but not me. No, I stand perfectly still in the frigid cold and stare at the thing that took away my sanity.

Please, just leave me alone? I know it can hear me because I hear the deep, gut wrenching laugh echo on the wind. My heart skips a beat, as I understand what it about to happen. I knew this day would come; it was inevitable, just as it once said to me. Only, I thought I would be older than this. Is it really going to happen here, now? I stared across the alley and waited my heart racing in my chest, every part of me tingling with terror and anticipation of what was to come. For a moment, for a brief second of hope, I believed I was going to walk back into work and this was all a hallucination, but then I felt the burning on my wrists as the iron shackles tore into my flesh. I could not scream, the pain was too much to even make a noise.