Beautifully Dead

The night was dark and cold. Wind whipped around and bit through her jacket like an Antarctic winter. The alley was dimly lit from the glow of television's that had yet to be turned off. The pavement crunched under her feet. The alley was crumbling away. The city did not care for this part of town so they did their best to forget it and not waste the money. Shayanna pulled her jacket tighter around her. She just wanted to get home and get off her feet. Tonight at work was a rough one. She worked at the Gato Bonita as a dancer. The night started slow but picked up around 10 o'clock. She let her mind drift back to the evening as she walked home. The later it got the more people started drinking. The more they started drinking, the more they tipped. Shayanna made enough to pay her rent for the week and put some food in her fridge. Her mind wandered to the strange man that sat in the corner all night. He was wearing sunglasses. He sat and drank his drink and refused every offer of company. something about him made her uneasy. By the time she was ready to leave he was gone. Shayanna was pulled from her thoughts by a sound behind her. She whipped around and stared into the dimly lit alley but saw nothing. She turned back around and quickened her steps. Suddenly she heard it. Footsteps behind her. Shayanna turned again and saw nothing. She turned back around and started running. Her apartment was two blocks away. The footsteps behind her started running as well. She could tell they were gaining on her. She saw her building just up ahead. Suddenly she felt something sharp in her back. She stumbled and fell from the pain. She tried to move but couldn't. She tried to call for help but choked on her own blood. Something warm was heating her up but she had no idea why. It was the middle of winter. She started to get colder and colder. As her vision started to fade she closed her eyes and thought she would just take a nap. Her eyes closed as her life slipped away.