The Witch

Lilianna Moore unfolded her umbrella and stepped out of the hotel lobby straight into a stormy downpour. Although she held it tightly, the umbrella was almost immediately of little use against the brute force of nature. Streams of water drummed against its surface, while a shrill wind impetuously jerked the material, trying to snatch it from the woman's hands. It seemed as if the elements had conspired against her, as if they wanted to force her back into the safety of the hotel's walls. Lilianna, however, despite being soaked to the skin within seconds, did not relent. Her fierce face betrayed her determination, though a shadow of terror smoldered in the depths of her eyes. For her, the hotel was not a safe haven and staying there was a real danger. She hastened her step, avoiding the puddles, and approached the first better cab, knocking on the window with such force that the driver, who was most likely taking a short nap, jumped up from his seat confused. With gestures, she showed that she wanted to get in. The man, still not fully awake, vigorously nodded his head. He hadn't had a single course since the morning - the day had been so nasty that even a rat wouldn't poke its nose out of its hiding place, let alone a human being. Lilianna quickly slid into the back seat, and the cab driver immediately turned on the engine and started the heater, trying to add a bit of comfort. - The weather today is unlivable, isn't it? - he puzzled, glancing at her in the rearview mirror. The tired woman responded only with a pale smile. In another situation, she probably would have struck up a conversation, maybe even exchanged a few sentences with a sympathetic driver. But today? Today she was too shaken, too overwhelmed to muster the strength for anything more than a brief response. - Where should I take you? - He asked after a while. Lilianna hesitated. Where could she find help now? To whom could she turn? The past she had tried to leave behind had left her with few friends. In recent years, she had been consumed with work rather than useless social gatherings. Instead, she divided her time between the office and an empty house. The loved ones she could count on in difficult times were virtually nonexistent. She knew that asking for help could mean not only a threat to her, but also to anyone who dared to help her. She had seen with her own eyes what had happened to those who had once extended a helping hand to her. She could not afford a repeat of those events. There had already been too much tragedy in her life. For a moment, she felt relieved that in order to complete this project at work, she had to leave - away from everything that was most important to her. She hoped that at least there, at her home, everything remained in order. There was complete chaos in Lilianna's head. Thoughts swirled one after another, terror squeezed her heart, and fear paralyzed every nerve. She knew that she could not ask anyone for help without putting that person in danger. At the same time, she realized that she would not be able to get out of this absurd, terrifying situation alone. Someone had to exist, someone who would be able to save her. But who? Even the police proved powerless in the face of the hell her life had suddenly turned into. Not that she expected anything different from the uniformed services. It wasn't the first time they had completely let her down. Suddenly, as if in response to a desperate cry of her mind, an idea popped into her head. Her life could depend on it - and all signs pointed to the fact that it did. She panicked, searching through the pockets of her elegant jacket and coat, desperately looking for the small piece of paper on which the address was carefully written. She had to find it, she had to! And finally, her fingers came across the damp scrap of paper. Phew! She had found it! Although the piece of paper was soaked, like herself, Lilianna handed it to the cab driver. The man looked at the address written on it, which had already managed to blur slightly, raised his eyebrow in surprise, but said nothing. Instead, he simply moved ahead, plunging the car into the rainy night. Lilianna, still overwhelmed by her own thoughts, watched the rain-sinking streets through the foggy windshield. What had happened that her well-ordered, peaceful life had suddenly collapsed? The answer was somewhere in her mind, but she didn't want to let it sink in. She felt that perhaps she was wrong, that all this was not really happening. After all, she had been given a warning. He came to her, appeared suddenly, invading every aspect of her life, like an intruder entering someone else's home. His words were full of lies, but one thing was certain - he had warned her. It was because of him that she had to flee her apartment, because of him that she now found herself in that cab, soaked, distraught and scared. And he ... he has to fix it now. She had to end it before all hell broke loose. And she had to do it now.