When Sleep Falls Heavy On Me

I chased after the piece of paper, which by now had been picked up by the wind and was darting out into the road. I followed and looked up to see cars bearing down on me. The drivers honked and swerved but I couldn't let it get away. I slammed a foot onto a corner of the sheet and waited as a string of commuters bobbled their heads to get a look at who was interrupting their normally automatic procession.

The writing was curious to me, short bursts of appeal in a language I couldn't read, and looked like the messages of hope and goodwill I'd seen on the outside of a box I'd once picked up at a small take out restaurant on Somerset; Chinese.

The creaking floor and swinging chickens announced my arrival more succinctly than the soft chimes and before I could get my bearings the owner had appeared to ask what I wanted. I handed him the piece of paper and he frowned at me and told me he wouldn't do that sort of thing. I asked him who would and he looked offended, but lowering his voice he said, "Two doors down, two knock, two steps up and two right turns." and he disappeared as quickly as he had come.

Outside the mechs were wreaking havoc, citizens ran with all they could carry and the soldiers shot them without haste but with discouraging accuracy. Two doors down, two knocks, two steps up and two right turns later I passed the paper to a young woman who appeared to have no legs. She mumbled at me and then to herself and finally to a kid who had followed me up. In no time at all I was being ushered out the back door and into a cab. I turned to look at the scene of horror receding behind me and could only hope that the message of hope and goodwill I had received that morning was my ticket out of this place. I was safe, for the time being.