"Where you gonna go?
Where you gonna run?
Where you gonna hide?
Nowhere
Cause there's no one... like you... left..."
Invasion of the body snatchers (1993)
It was coming, she could feel it in her skin. A tingling sensation running through her body. Her 'spidey sense' just recently acquired but fully alive telling her the end was close.
The body in front of her, half eaten; herself covered in blood. She wondered how had it come to this. Only a week ago, life was beautiful; perfect. She had been offered a full ride into one of the most prestigious universities of the country and her boyfriend of three years had finally popped the question. How could it go wrong?
The sensation became stronger, like a live wire connected to her veins telling her to run but she knew there was no escape.
Her best friend, Allison, had told her about a psychic; she begged her to go with her. In the beginning it had been fun. The woman was pleasant, chatty and good humoured. Allison had gone first. The typical questions, Who am I going to marry? Will I be successful? followed by the typical happy answers. You'll be greatly loved. Your hard work will pay off... You'll have 23 children and a house with white-picket fence... yadda, yadda.
Then it was her turn.
Will I be happy?
She had shuffled the cards and selected three. The first depicted a man laying on the floor with ten swords sunken in his back. The second, a hooded man standing in front of three overthrown cups with two more still standing behind him. The last one, that of a tower being hit by lightning, burning away with people falling from it.
Not too encouraging- She said, laughing nervously but soon fell silent when the ashen-faced lady looked at her.
I'm sorry but terrible changes are coming your way. There's nothing you can do to avoid it. Life as you know it, will cease to exist.
What- what do you mean 'cease to exist'?!- She had been surprised but most of all, upset; thinking the woman was making a cruel joke.
Don't fall pray to false starts, it'll condemn your soul-
She wondered what on earth the woman was talking about. Allison freaked out, grabbed her hand and pulled her toward the store's door.
The murderers are eating the flesh of the ones they killed-
This most definitely was too much, she turned to see the woman; in her face, two white marbles. Like clouds on a stormy day, they cleared little by little back to resemble human eyes. She turned back to Allison in panic and hurried to the door. When they were about to cross it the lady held her arm so strong it left a mark. In her normal voice she advised her, When the light comes, don't run from it. It'll set you free-
She released her arm and ran away to Allison's car as fast as her petite figure aloud her. Who would've thought how soon her words would ring true in her mind.
She looked at her hands and clothes. The blood was drying, making her skin feel flakey and uncomfortable. Her attacker casting a bright light shining in the horizon, just barely visible now but soon enough it'd reach her. Ignoring the corpse in front of her, she concentrated only in the dandelions that were to be her bed of death.
Two days after the readings she had been mugged; or at least that had been her first assumption. The thing had left her wounded but not dead and when she crawled up from under the little pedestrian bridge in Central Park where she had been robed of her life, nothing was the same. She felt different. She could feel things in a way she had never before. Her senses more alive than ever.
The moon had casted a silvery light on her and it felt so good. A late runner came in her direction, unable to see the figure standing under the night, crouching. It was a man listening to his ipod: Britney Spears. It was so loud she wondered if the man was deaf on top of lame. She had to fight the strong impulse to jump on him. She was so hungry! It had taken all her self control. From then on she had hid from human contact, sleeping through the day and walking through the night. Until last night.
She had been avoiding main highways, taking parkways where less people walked and more animals were available. Then a dumb kid lost his dog. He came out yelling its name without caring who else would hear him. He had walked past the woods and closer to her. After five days of walking and barely eating...
The sun was coming out. When the light comes, don't run from it. It'll set you free- She remembered, -It'll set you free-
Looking at the carcass in front of her she asked him for forgiveness. She closed her eyes and awaited her destiny.
By Georgina Morales
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