killer instinct - || h.s. ||

23

I blink a few times and it all gradually disappears, leaving me with the sight of the golden sunlight along the perfectly bare pavement.

My chest rises and falls as I rub over my heart and swallow down the lump in my throat, shaking it out as I head down the pavement. I take another deep breath.

I slowly pull myself back together and sniffle in the cold, clearing my throat a little and continuing down the sidewalk.

Block after block, sliding past people on crosswalks until I get to the intersection at the diner where I take a left to head down the busier sidewalk.

I halt at the usual stop on the curb and grip my corduroy sleeves in my fists, watching the cars zoom by and letting out a deep breath that forms in front of me like a cloud before sticking my arm out.

I bite at my bottom lip while I wait for a cab to pull up to the curb. Sure enough, I walk over, slide in, and shut the door to be encased by the warmth.

I request my destination and stuff my hands in between my thighs as my leg bounces, trying to warm my body up. Staring down at my lap with my backpack still on my back, I bite the inside of my cheek. I pray this car ride ends soon – I wait and wait and wait with the chaos of my own mind while I try to regulate my breathing in the lonesome of the backseat of this cab.

The car slows down and my head lifts as I blink a few times, noticing the city station in front of me and escaping out of the taxi quickly. I shut the door. I take a deep breath whilst the yellow car drives away, ignoring my racing heart as I walk across the sidewalk past people to push open the glass doors.

I notice officers all around in their uniforms and find myself unbelieving of the lengths of desperation I've reached to be able to come here again. Every time I've tried asking law enforcement for help, I get nothing. Maybe I should have taken that as a sign to just stop altogether but this all can't be for nothing.

I look around, walking by officers at desks and appearing out of place as I try to locate Officer Anderson. I bite the inside of my cheek as I walk around to try to spot the familiar face in the sea of so many unknowns.

"Can I help you?" One of them notices my obvious wandering and I look over at him in his uniform with a mug of coffee in his hand and his blue eyes pinned coldly on me already.

"Do you know where Officer Anderson is?" I ask, attempting to sound more put-together than I seem, and he nods. His desk phone promptly starts to ring. He picks it up and points to the back of this large, crowded space for me.

"Thanks–" I begin and he waves me off to take the incoming phone call without regarding me any further. I follow in the direction he pointed without much more thought to it.

I pass by crowded desks and officers to the sight of a polished oak door and the very person's name on the door that I'm searching for. I lift my fist up to the door, taking another deep breath before tapping my knuckles on the wood lightly.

"Come in!" I hear a loud voice boom from behind the door and I push it open, instantly the vaguely familiar face peeks up from his desk and his lips curl up. "Aurora." He chimes and I smile at him as I let the door shut behind me and he motions to the seats in front of his desk, welcoming me with ease.

"Hi," I say, I can't even lie: I'm a little nervous.

I walk over and sit down, regarding him leaning over his desk with his hands clasped on the table and his elbows on the edge of the wood.

"What can I do for you?" He asks and I smile softly, still anxious about this.

"You said if I needed anything ..." I start and his eyebrows knit together in pursuit of my implication.