Death's Avenue

*Contains inappropriate language*

I’m standing next to a rusted dumpster in one of the city's many lightless alleyways, engulfed by the towering brick skeletons of the buildings above. The air here is thick with the smell of damp concrete and old rain. Suddenly, my coat pocket buzzes against my hip, a jarring vibration in the dead silence. I pull out my phone, the screen’s aggressive white glow cutting through the dark like a blade. A text from her. My thumb hovers over the glass, my breath hitching as I read the words.

Carmilla

“Hey, bestie, you wanna hang out later? I’ve got a new bar we can try.”

7:45

Me

Sorry, Camie, I can’t, I’m meeting someone in less than half an hour.

7:46

Carmilla

“Who ya meeting? You finally got a date?”

7:46

Me

“No, I am just meeting an old friend I haven't seen in a few years.

7:47

Carmilla

“You sure, Robin?”

7:47

Me

“Yeah, I’m positive. I haven’t seen them since high school, and I finally have some time off from work, so I made the arrangements, and we are hanging out.”

7:47

Carmilla

“Who are you meeting?”

7:48

Me

“A friend, it is none of your business. I am meeting someone I've known for a long time, a very long time.”

7:48

“Message Read”

What the hell is her problem? She’s constantly convinced her boyfriend is cheating on her with her friends. I’m sick and tired of these accusations. I don't even like him. Nobody likes him, he’s a total toxic douchebag. For Christ’s sake, I’m not meeting a man. I'm meeting my cousin so the two of us ladies can talk about family issues. Where is she anyway? She should have been here by now. What is wrong with people today, and being late?

I flip in and out of my messages, refreshing the screen every minute. I’m looking to see if my cousin will text me where to meet her. She never specified where on this street to meet, so I’m just hovering by an alleyway. She said eight o'clock, and it’s already nearly seven fifty.

Behind me, the alley was a black void. The sun had long since vanished, and the moonlight hadn't yet reached the pavement. It felt like something dark and predatory was looming over me.

Me

“Hey, where are we meeting?”

7:51

Message delivered

I keep refreshing the messages, but the screen remains unchanged. What could she possibly be doing? This is useless. I click the lock button, and the display dies, leaving me in the dark. I let out a long, heavy sigh that seemed to echo against the brick. There isn't a single soul on the street—no passing cars, no distant footsteps. The entire block feels like a void of solitude, swallowing me whole.

I glare at the blank screen of my phone. Come on, just text me already. I let out another jagged sigh, the cold air stinging my lungs. I’m done. I’m just going to go home. But before I can even take a step, something lunges out of the shadows behind me. A heavy hand clamps over my mouth, stifling my scream before it can even leave my throat. The hand had a glove with a gritty texture, which made them feel like sandpaper against my already chapped lips. What was going on?

I thrash against the grip, clawing at the hand clamped over my face. I hammer my fists into their arms and scratch at the skin, but nothing works. I’m being hauled backward, dragged toward the suffocating mouth of the alley. I lunge forward with every bit of strength I have, straining against the weight. Suddenly, the hand begins to slip, and the silence breaks as I finally gasp out a few desperate words.

“Get off of m-”

A jagged sting pierces my side, and the world freezes. For a heartbeat, there is only the shock. The pain arrives in slow, nauseating waves. Warmth begins to bloom around the metal, soaking into my clothes. I try to scream, but the hand repositions itself back to cover my screams of pain.

My legs start to feel numb as I slowly fall, my body hits the ground hard. The ground is cold, but not for too long. I feel something grab me from under the arms. The ground beneath me starts to move; I’m being dragged into the depths of the alley. No, this can’t be. Why was this happening to me? What did I do to deserve this? I let out a weak, mumbled sound, “Why?”

At the back of the alley, the shadowy figure props me against a brick wall. I hear the clink of metal being set down beside me before footsteps begin to fade. Through a haze of pain, I watch the dark-hooded silhouette sprint toward the street. I try to give one last advance for help. I lift my arm, reaching out for someone there. Anyone.

My eyes flicker down—my phone, abandoned at the mouth of the alley, suddenly buzzes to life. Damn. That has to be my cousin. I look back at the empty pavement, praying for a savior, but there’s no family coming to rescue me. Only A bright green catches my lingering attention. A street sign, I barely make out the words as my vision blurs, “Death’s avenue” reads the sign. How ironic. Here I was in a prison of darkness, about to take my final breaths, and the gods mock me. How…amusing. The street finally starts to go dark, and the pain swiftly subsides. The edges of the street finally began to bleed into black, and the searing pain took its leave, replaced by a hollow numbness. My body gave way to the pavement once more, but this time, I landed on my left side. The moment of terror was over, and I had stood right next to my own fate.

Cousin

“Hey girl, where are you at? Ive been waiting for you forever now.”

8:01

Cousin

“Girl, I thought you might have figured it out, but I’m at your favorite restaurant right now. LOL. I thought you would have gotten it as soon as I sent you the street address.”

8:03

Cousin

“Girl, you better not bail on me! I’ve been dieting to hang out with you.”

8:05

Cousin

“If something's up and you can’t come, just let me know it’s no big deal, really."

8:06

Cousin

“Girl! Fuck this shit, I’ll text you later, I’m heading home. I don't know what your problem is, but I’m not dealing with it tonight. Okay?”

8:10

Messige delivered.