Ahanu: Sealed

There's a little girl that peeks her head out the doors. For a second she almost looked like Viv and I bite my tongue from calling out to her. A woman joins the girl and she looks like she's yelling to someone behind her.

I hear teeth gnashing behind me and a freakish howl. Every step is a mini firecracker of pain. I'm sure my filthy socks are covered with blood by now. I pound my feet into the broken pavement, breath coming ragged. I look up again and see five people watching me, faces grim. That's when I hear the woman calling out a countdown.

She's going to slam the doors, whether I make it through or not. I summon every ounce of energy, and leap through the air, yelling out as I fly through the closing doors. A whoosh of air surrounds me and I smash onto the hospital floor.

Drums bang inside my head and my legs are spazzing from adrenaline and murderous exhaustion. For a moment, all I hear is heavy breathing around me.

Then I finally hear, "You're bleeding badly."