Dream Chasers

I honestly don’t know what I did to deserve being tracked and hunted like a rabid dog. All I know is that I found myself running away from three men. From over my shoulder I could only see that they were all tall, wearing dark suits. Dark, shadowy figures that closed the gap between us seemingly without haste while I used every ounce of my energy to escape. If they caught me, I knew they would kill me. Standing in the marbled lobby of a random office building, I repeatedly poked the button to call the elevator, hoping it would come in time. Frantically, I waited, but I could see them coming in the distance. Soon they would pass through the revolving glass doors and have me cornered at the elevator like helpless prey.

I made the decision to escape by the stairs instead. Upward I climbed but they were still in relentless pursuit. I thought I might have a chance to lose them if I ducked into one of the floors and found a place to hide. Unfortunately, the floor I chose was completely vacant. Stark white walls in room after room gave me no hiding place from my pursuers. Nowhere to hide and unable to leave, I was trapped. I could hear the men approaching, carrying on a conversation in a language I did not understand. I desperately looked around for safety. The floor was distressingly empty, except for one small table in one of the rooms. I rushed to it and flipped up a white towel that draped over the table only to find a large box underneath it, stored or abandoned by the former tenant.

With no other choice, I squeezed into the only space remaining under the table, next to the box. I pulled the covering back into place and waited. I dared not even breathe. I could hear the muted voices of the men still talking to each other as they stood in the doorway. Their unhurried banter created a cold feeling of terror in my stomach. For all I knew they could have been deciding my fate already.

“How long should we let her hide under that table before we kill her?”

“I have another appointment after this, but let’s just give it five more minutes. Just for the fun of it.”

I stayed frozen in my position, listening for any clues of what was happening outside my hiding place, hoping for an eleventh-hour rescue.

Instead I heard it. Loud. Clear. Devastating. The familiar melody sliced through the silent standoff. I felt the blood drain from my face. My heart pounded like an innocent man walking to the guillotine, as I fumbled in my purse to find my cell phone. I turned off the phone’s alarm and waited.