Night

The wind was howling ominously . It was pitch black and not a soul in sight.She pulled her overcoat closer and clutched the umbrella tighter. The street lights were not working.The moon was caught behind the clouds.The only sound other than the wind was the steady 'click-click' of her heels.
There was still a long way to go. There was this weird feeling that gripped her, she could feel she was not alone , turned back a hundred times but could neither hear nor see anyone.She couldn't risk stopping either.She tried to move faster but was too tired to continue at that pace , as soon as she would slack fear would kick in and then she would force her weary legs to move , they would rebel against her and she would coax them , her mind was steady though the body was burnt out.
She had to get there. He would be waiting for her, waiting to take her away from the sordid mess that she was in.Another mile to go, she had been walking 4 hours already.Its just another mile she told herself,there is a city with life just another mile away , the city that can give you your life back.
She froze in her tracks.That was unmistakably the sound of footsteps.Her heart was thudding so loudly that if they hadn't seen her,they just might hear her.She broke into a run .The footsteps picked up pace behind her.There was no time to even panic, all she could do was run."Run , dear run ! Look , you are going faster than your brother, you should go for the Olympics someday", she heard her mother's voice after all these years.How did she get herself into this mess ? From that sunny day at the beach with the blue ocean to this dark lonely night.She broke into sobs,her legs gave way and she fell , face down.
One bullet,just one bullet, that's all it took.25 years of life,25 years of laughter , 25 years of fear ,25 years of memories - all taken away in one second.They had got her.It was all over.All that she held dear was over.At least there would be no more terror, maybe some pain but no more terror.She was free.
She did not hit the hard ground,she fell into something soft,she held on tight and looked up.It was him, she had made it after all.There were lights all around her.She had made it into the city.She just hadn't realised.She handed him the package that she had guarded with her life.
She smiled and closed her eyes . There was no more pain now.