Dark Down There

Her umbrella was shielding her body but the incessant rain was working its way into her shoes. She stopped and wiggled her toes. She hated her feet getting damp. Despite the rain and earliness of the day she no longer felt cold. Better pick up the pace or I will never get there she thought and pushed on down the winding path. The landscape around her was empty save for the occasional street lamp spilling its light in an amber puddle. She hadn't seen anyone since... Wait when was the last time she had saw someone?
Despite the lack of cold she shivered. She hadn't seen anyone since the, since the...

The monitor beeped shrilly and medical staff crowded round a bed, voices clamouring over one another

She shook her head. What was that? What was she thinking? She had to carry on. She could feel it, a pressure building up in her. She had to keep moving and get there. She pushed the umbrella using it as a shield and concentrated on the walk. She was so tired. But yes, onward she must.

It could have been minutes or hours when the shriek of gulls flying overhead dragged her from her reverie and she glanced up at the flock overhead. As she tracked their path a voice startled her.

'Run little girl.'
'What?' She looked around frightened.
'He comes. But, you still have time.'
The voice came from above. One of the gulls sat on a street lamp above. It tilted its head to the side, one beady eye fixed on her.
'You must run.'
'You're talking!' She exclaimed. A talking bird? Was this a trick? She looked around but there was only the featureless grassy plain broken by the path in front and behind her.
'Raaark. Yes. You have to run. He comes now.'
'Run from who? What are you talking about?'
'He is here. Run!' The gull squawked and jumped awkwardly into the air. Powerful wing beats propelling it onward to join its fellows.

She looked around 'Who is here? I don't understand. Run from who?' Her voice was lost to the wind.

Then she heard it. A long and aching howl of loneliness which made the hairs on her neck stand on end. Her eyes scanned behind her. There! In the distance she could see it, a big black dog. The sight of it made her quail. Deep down she knew it was looking for her. Her breath catching in her throat she spun and started running.

A syringe was raised and hurriedly but precisely injected into an arm, gown roughly pulled apart to expose a pale ribcage. 'Clear!' someone yelled

Her heart was hammering in her chest as she heard that howl again. Closer this time. She ran faster but she was losing strength fast. The distance seemed brighter and she thought she could see an end to the rolling grass. If she could just get there she knew she would be ok. She would be safe. She could hear it now. The snarling of the black dog as it closed. The hard scrabble of its paws at her heels. Up ahead, so close now she could definitely see where the grass ended. She was almost there. Almost there, so close...

It barrelled into her back, she tried to scream but it was crushing her. She couldn't breathe. It was crushing her. She couldn't see. It was crushing her. Downward, deeper and deeper.

And it was dark down there. So very dark.