Color seeped from the pitch black sky, as the frail figure on the path tightened her grip on her plastic bags.

A wind whispered behind, brushing trees. Nothing but darkness now. Her breath stuck in her chest.

The old lady stopped.

Back in the slums, she had been careful as she slipped the money from her walls, made sure no one was watching her – hadn’t she? The night was dead silent.

A wind whispered two steps behind, murderous, snarling.

Then silence.

The wind panted, close, in pitch darkness beside her cheek.

Hysteria rose in her throat as she hurried on- tripping over herself as the wind closed in and cut ahead of her, howling in glee.

Cold city lights rushed to hit her as the trees broke and she stumbled out into the crowd. Someone walked up -someone she knew? He wrapped a parka around her.

“Thanks Gramma. I’ll write back often!" Shawn laughed, fumbling with his tie. “I got to catch my flight soon.”

“It- it was nothing.” She raised an arm to wave goodbye. “Study hard, alright?”