I stare into the murderous, bloodshot eyes of a monster and I shake with fear. He’s huge, dark and hairy. With a snarl, he whips out a gun and points it at me.
‘I gon kill you,’ he growls. What do you know – evil keeps its word. Without the slightest hesitation, he raises his 9mm and fires into my chest.
I’m lucky though, I don’t feel much. Hitting the pavement hurts more than the bullet.
Amazingly, I’m still aware of my surroundings. I hear distant voices, whimpering, a child crying, heavy, deliberate footsteps approaching. Someone roughly picks up my limp body and walks with it. Then I’m free-falling.
Suddenly, I’m wet and cold and it’s dark.
‘Mommy,’ I call, ‘my bathwater’s cold again. It’s too dark, mom. Turn on the light.’
‘It’s okay, Payton,’ my mom soothes. ‘Don’t fight it. Just come with me, baby girl. It’s gonna be okay, I promise.’
‘Mom, why didn’t you take me to this better place everyone says you’ve gone to? Why did you leave me behind?’
I get no answer, just a melancholy smile from my mom.