• I'm not alone. Someone, or Something, keeps on catching in the corner of my eye, sliding around in the shadows. I try to ignore it, telling myself that I'm just imagining it. That would make sense since I'm walking at night on a dark street, alone. Plus, I have been told I can be very paranoid. No, I'm not imagining it. Something is following me. I can feel a chill run down my spine. I begin to panic, looking for some building I can enter to escape the darkness.
    From Across the street, I spot it. A small cafe that looks warm and inviting. I can feel the heat radiating from the light. The shadow crawler seems to have stopped pursuing me. I relax a bit, realizing that my hands were in a tight fist, and knowing that even though I have not moved any closer to the coffee shop, I feel the warmth enveloping my stiff body. I smile for no reason at at all. Everything will be fine.

    I realize that it's going to be a long night. My apartment is on the other side of town. To make it worse, I'm wearing high-heels and a dress. And it's a Tuesday. That means that there are no night buses or street cars. I laugh a little, thinking, "How worse can things get?"
    A sniffling sound catches my attention. I see her sitting on a bench on the park across the road.
    "Olivia?" I shout. She looks up and sees me, giving me a weak smile which then turns quickly into a deepened frown. "Emmy! I thought I would never find you!""Run away!" she's pleading. I laugh. "How do I know you're not joking?" But I'm worried. Olivia never joked around. My dead little sister, now very much alive.

    I start crossing the street when I suddenly slip on the slick ground. I fall over and break the heel of one of my shoes. "Shoot." I mutter under my breath. But all I can see are two headlights of a car staring right at me. They are blinding and I just sit there, mesmerized by the light. Then black. Then an every lighter white. Then I regain my conscienceness for just a second to know that Olivia is standing over me saying, "Told you so."

    I'm somewhere in dreamland. I'm gasping for air as someone is pushing me in the water. I feel nothing. I feel empty.