The clock kept ticking and there was nothing she could do to stop it or to make it go slower. She could feel something drawing nearer every second, every heartbeat felt like the last. She woke up with difficulty, her eyelids were heavy and she was thirsty in spite of not drinking at all last night.
She walked to the bathroom to take a shower, the silence of the flat was depressing, but due to the recent events, she wasn’t allowed to have a radio, stereo or any electronic device to play music. The only sound was the constant tick-tock of the clock. She showered and walked towards the kitchen to drink at least a cup of coffee before going to work, trying not to pay attention to the last latter she had received.
Tick-tock, the clock announced that she was getting late for work. The only relief was that the office was only a few streets away. She could easily walk there, she shouldn’t. She definitely shouldn’t... the time was not suitable for wandering around, although you had a specific place to go.
Whatever, she thought. She grabbed her small purse and descended the stairs, covered her hair and face with her veil and went out.
As she walked throught the familiar streets, she checked the time on her wristwatch. If she walked a bit faster than usual, she would be able to get right on time.
She wasn’t tired but her heart was racing, she felt that everytime she went out. The worst of all this situation was not knowing when. After someone receives a death sentence, the judge will set a date, but this was different. She knew her time was almost over, but she couldn’t say when it was going to happen. She kept walking and hoping she would get to the office and have another cup of coffee, even though the sun was up and the sky was was clear blue, she felt there was a cloud over her, her shadow was invisible.
A rattling noise appeared out of nowhere as she reached a corner next to her office building. The men on the truck looked at her and everything was over in a second. She stopped and looked at the one on the back of the truck with a M16. She made eye contact as he pulled the trigger and the truck sped up and was gone. She was terrified, she had written several articles about war and different attacks, but she hadn’t seen one in her life.
She fell down on her back and realised she couldn’t breathe properly. It had finally happened, everything was over now, she knew no one would come to save her. She waited on the hot dirt looking at the sky, she heard someone scream, some people running... and as background noise, the ticking f the clock, it was maybe her idea but it seemed slower, as if it was counting her last heartbeats.
Tick.
She remembered the letter on the table
Tock.
The last call from her mother.
Tick.
She closed her eyes.
