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Red Light, Green Light
A young man waited at a crosswalk. Next to him, an old woman. The light showed a red silhouette of a person, indicating that they were not to cross until person lit green. It was late at night and no cars were around but hey, the law's the law.
The man checked out the woman. She looked sickly, pale white. Her face drooped like a mask, the skin flopping slightly as she looked left to right for passing cars. He also noticed how arched her back was. The woman's backbone protruded almost as if it would tear her skin at sudden movement. Then the light went green.
With the kindness of his heart, he sought to help her cross the street. She tried to struggle away from him. Was she afraid that he was a robber? No, this was something else. He knew the proud look on her face from his grandma, how she refused help until the cancer pulled her six feet under. So he persisted. She fell to the ground.
The old woman dropped her purse, spilling it's contents all over the sidewalk. He rushed ahead to help her stopping short when he saw the gun under the purse. "Poor lady," he thought. "She must be all alone to have to have protection on her."
He reached his hand out to her as she sat there on the ground. She wasn't moving. Wasn't saying anything. He thought he looked silly there, his arm outstretched. He backed away and noticed something odd.
Her pale white back skin had been ripped, like paper. Sharp-looking bones poked out of her back. It looked like it was coated in something black and slimy. He looked all over her and thought she didn't look right. Her joints bent in unnatural positions. He backed away as he slowly realized that she was not a sickly old woman, as she raised herself from the ground. Feet first, without touching the ground for assistance. She shuffled toward him, her bones creaking. The nan couldn't move, he was frozen, afraid. She looked deep into his eyes and he saw that hers glowed. Beneath her eyes, he saw the eyeholes of her pale skin-mask droop, revealing night-black slimy skin. Like an animal, she crawled on all fours across the street, then quickly up the wall of a building like a lizard. He stood there in shock and awe as the light turned red.
#WritcoStoryPrompt7
© Dustin Julian Domingo
The man checked out the woman. She looked sickly, pale white. Her face drooped like a mask, the skin flopping slightly as she looked left to right for passing cars. He also noticed how arched her back was. The woman's backbone protruded almost as if it would tear her skin at sudden movement. Then the light went green.
With the kindness of his heart, he sought to help her cross the street. She tried to struggle away from him. Was she afraid that he was a robber? No, this was something else. He knew the proud look on her face from his grandma, how she refused help until the cancer pulled her six feet under. So he persisted. She fell to the ground.
The old woman dropped her purse, spilling it's contents all over the sidewalk. He rushed ahead to help her stopping short when he saw the gun under the purse. "Poor lady," he thought. "She must be all alone to have to have protection on her."
He reached his hand out to her as she sat there on the ground. She wasn't moving. Wasn't saying anything. He thought he looked silly there, his arm outstretched. He backed away and noticed something odd.
Her pale white back skin had been ripped, like paper. Sharp-looking bones poked out of her back. It looked like it was coated in something black and slimy. He looked all over her and thought she didn't look right. Her joints bent in unnatural positions. He backed away as he slowly realized that she was not a sickly old woman, as she raised herself from the ground. Feet first, without touching the ground for assistance. She shuffled toward him, her bones creaking. The nan couldn't move, he was frozen, afraid. She looked deep into his eyes and he saw that hers glowed. Beneath her eyes, he saw the eyeholes of her pale skin-mask droop, revealing night-black slimy skin. Like an animal, she crawled on all fours across the street, then quickly up the wall of a building like a lizard. He stood there in shock and awe as the light turned red.
#WritcoStoryPrompt7
© Dustin Julian Domingo
