When Road Meets Sky
She was a slight woman, some would say that she was boy-like and for her she did not care since she was born a boy. She had been a woman for some time now, changing her outside to match her inside when she was ten. She was happy her parents listened to her, that they believed her that she did not feel her body reflected who she was. She had a tattoo of a shooting star on her back, one that seemed like it wanted to reach the sky and fly off of her.
She was running through the park, her daily routine, feeling the ground underneath her feet. She had her yoga pants on and metal t-shirt that screamed, “Here I am!” She was always the sort of girl that wanted to make her existence known. She knew it was risky, there were many stories out there about trans women being abducted, hurt, and more. She did not care though, she challenged the world.
At that moment though, she wished later to the universe, that she did not challenge the world too hard. She saw some smoke from what looked like a fire. Odd to see in Chicago in the spring. She was running right near the lake, the park split off into two different paths. She slowed down, wary of what she would see. No one else was around, so she felt she should see what it was. She went through a couple of trees, seeing what seemed like flames, and something else, someone else standing there. It was a man, tall and thin bending over something. He was cloaked in black, tattered clothes.
He was hunched over the flame which seemed to be dancing out of nothingness. This can’t be real she thought in horror and awe. She had her phone out ready to dial 911 but at the moment she thought the man snapped his head around like an owl. His eyes were glowing bright purple his mouth open wide and deeply back.
Oh shit, what the fuck? She thought and stumbled backwards.
Then in a beam of light as the man opened his mouth wide a booming voice said, “You!” And disappeared.
Her breaths were coming out deep, she held her stomach her eyes tearing up. She started laughing, almost hysterically and then stopped. His voice of you resounding in her head.
“Hello Mariam.” The voice echoed through her mind and she held her breath as she looked no one was around but the soft mist that began to touch the pavement. In that moment, she disappeared.