Help

It was dark. And it was raining. And still, Callie was standing in the middle of the road. Blood ran off her skin and her clothes and Callie had no idea if the blood was hers or not. She didn't feel any pain. At least, she didn't think she did. She blinked up at the sky, wondering when the sun had gone away.

The cows in the field.

Callie could remember the cows in the field beside the road had been staring at her. But they were gone now. How long had they been gone? Callie turned in a slow circle, looking around her. All of the fields on either side of the road were empty. In the distance, Callie could see a small bundle of lights. A town, perhaps, and she didn't think it was too far away. Surely, she'd be able to find some help. She began walking, leaving a stream of blood behind her that mixed with the rainwater. She walked slowly and somewhere in the back of her mind, Callie recognised she was likely in shock. She couldn't feel her toes. In fact, the more she thought about it, the less of her lower body she could feel. Instead of causing the panic Callie might have expected from this revelation, she felt a strange serenity. She drifted down the road towards the town, hoping she'd be able to find someone to help her.

The bushes lining the road rustled in a breeze that Callie couldn't feel. She felt like her mind was completely detached from her body. Her thoughts came and went like puffs of smoke, and none of them were really able to take hold. Except for one.

Get help.

Up ahead, Callie saw a shadow cross her path. She stopped. Small pockets of fear began to bring life to her numb body. Her heart rate started speeding up. And then Callie realised it was only a dog, and she relaxed back into numbness. By the looks of it, the dog was a stray. It’s coat was long and matted, and it was very dirty. A smile crossed Callie's lips and she took a few steps towards the dog before she stopped again. The dog was crouched menacingly and growling at her. The growl seemed to come from the very deepest part of the animal's throat. It's hackles were raised and Callie watched its lips pull back from its teeth in a snarl. She took a step backwards and raised her hands to a position of surrender. The dog took this motion as its cue, so it turned tail and ran away.

Callie watched the dog run with nothing more than the same sense of numbness that hadn't yet left her. She began to move again, floating along the road. The lights of the town were closer now and Callie began to hear the faint sound of a few cars. She began to wonder when she had last seen a car.

She couldn't remember.

She couldn't even remember how long she had been walking. It felt like hours. She turned to look over her shoulder but had no way to tell where she had started her strange journey. The rain had washed away the trail of blood she had left behind. It was darker now so she assumed several hours had passed. It was much more difficult to see where she was going. Callie could only see a few feet through the darkness and the sheets of rain. Just when she was starting to think she might never reach the town, or die of exposure before she did, Callie saw a light break through the wall of rain. The closer she got, the clearer it was to see that it was a neon sign. By the time she could read the sign, which told her it was the Cow Shed Tavern, Callie was right underneath it and looking at the door. After a moment's consideration, she pushed the door open and went inside.

The first thing Callie noticed, other than the heat that greeted her in a warm embrace that brought goosebumps out on her arms, was the smell. It was like beer and burgers and sweat all mixed together and she had never been happier to smell it. The bar was a large horseshoe shape, surrounded by stools that were all occupied. The room was crowded and loud, which Callie found comforting after the loneliness of the road. And then she noticed something very strange.

No one was looking at her.

She had just walked into a crowded bar, she was drenched and blood was staining her clothes. Yet, not a single person had noticed her. The man behind the bar hadn't even looked up.

Feeling perplexed, Callie walked over to the bar, hoping someone would help her, "Excuse me? Where am I?"

No one answered her. They continued their conversations as if they hadn't heard her. Callie reached out to put her hand on the shoulder of one of the men who were sitting on the stools and drinking beer.

"I'm so sorry to interrupt you, but I-"

Callie stopped mid-sentence, stunned.

Her hand had passed right through the man's shoulder. He shivered and looked around, his eyes looking through Callie, rather than landing on her. The man sitting beside him asked if he was alright. He laughed and replied, "Yeah, just felt like someone walked over my grave."

Callie felt shock and terror wash over her in a harsh wave. She took a stumbling step backwards and a waitress carrying a tray of empty glasses walked right through her. As she did, the waitress gasped harshly and dropped the tray, sending shattered glass spinning across the floor. Callie turned, ready to flee the scene in total and complete fear, and her eyes caught a mirror behind the bar. Where Callie's reflection should have been, there was nothing. Just blank space space where she should have seen herself. Callie could see all the people passing behind her, like she didn’t exist. She raised her hands to her face, looking at them.

"Am I... dead?" Her voice was a hoarse whisper.

Tears filled her eyes and she looked around wildly, pleading with the people around her to help her. No one so much as blinked in her direction. Callie fell to her knees, sobbing loudly. She didn't want to be dead, she didn't want -

It was dark. And it was raining. Callie stood in the middle of the road, with blood dripping from her clothes and her skin. In the distance, she could see the lights of a small town. Only one thought was clear in her mind.

Get help.

And so, Callie started to walk.