ELLI

After a long night shift she finally went home.

'' Hey, you forgot something! '', Annie yelled at her. Elli turned and saw the scarf in Ann's hands. She was tired but she had to return for it. How didn't she realize she hadn't wrapped it around her neck ? It was cold outside, wind blowing. The days were short, and Christmas was approaching.

'' I've been extremely tired lately'', she thought.

Elli never had a real picture of herself, she did not have a certain goal in her life. For her it was enough to do her job and take care of herself. Sometimes she wondered why she didn't feel it.

She begun to feel tired. Tired of all jobs she worked so far. She was losing herself. She felt more distant from herself and that goal, which had always been somehow unknown to her.

The only time she felt belonging was when the wind would blow. She would listen it's sound. Sometimes she would hear her name, or a deep distant voice, calling her. She would feel like someone is standing near her. Holding it's hand. To reach it... But, she couldn't see it, couldn't reach. So close, and yet so far away. She felt deep pain inside because of it. She looked the sky, hoping she will, some day.

Wondering in her thoughts, she didn't notice a few white snowflakes that fell on her shawl and face. Their coldness invoked her from her thoughts back to reality. Which was not very interesting, and often not pleasant.

She looked up, and closed her eyes, enjoying the wind and the first snowflakes of this unusually cold winter. ''Though no one will welcome me at home. ''

That thought tormented her for a long time. Her parents died few years ago, and than she was left alone.

Ever since she was thirty, she worried more and more, would she ever found someone, or create a family, be a mother? ''It doesn't matter,' she was comforting herself. "It's not the time for that yet."

After a shorter walk in the cold winter air, she reached her even cooler apartment. "Of course, they shut off the heating, even though I said I would pay it tomorrow." Elli was always late with paying because the cafe she worked in had less work every day, and so her salaries declined.

'' I think it's time to look for a smaller apartment''. As if this was not already as a wardrobe.'' Or to look for a new job? "

With that thought in her head she went to the bathroom. At least there she would warm up herself a little bit this night, it was obvious, it will be a long, cold night.

'' As if they were not anyway ... ''

The next day, she was woken up by the wind. It was still dark, but she could see the whiteness it had brought with it. It will be a white Christmas after many years. Strange. The last time that we had the real winter was when I was a girl. After that, they were shorter and we could only hope for snow. It seems that the effort to bring the planet back to its original state is still worth it.

Elli wrapped herself of from warm pajamas and put on tight jeans and a long knit tunic, and a slightly worn coat. She decided to look for an extra work. Anyway, often she didn't know what to do with herself before and after the work. "At least I will be spending my time usefull '', she thought, feeling some kind of longing and deep pain inside.

After long wandering and negative responses from all places she asked to take her, she remembered that her boss once offered her a job at his other café. A few blocks away. Only she will work longer because he still hasn't found enough workers and work goes crazy there. Unlike where she worked.

"It doesn't matter. I don't know how to fill the rest of day anyway," she said to herself and gladly returned to her apartment to get ready for work.

Even today, it will be a long and boring day at work. And it was, but at least her boss let her to work in his other cafe. She was a good worker, and he needed someone like her there.

While walking in cold to her apartment, she heard again... The wind was telling her something, someone calling her from a distance. But there was nothing, it wasn't her name in it. Must be me imaging it again.

The street was empty. It was late, almost about midnight. The streets were dimly illuminated by tiny lights. People were preparing for Christmas. Walking, it began to feel like someone was watching... going behind her.

A few weeks ago strange disappearances and murders took place in the city. She felt no fear. There was never anything happening around her. Probably the wind is playing it's game again. Like every day since weather got colder.

But again, the sound is somewhat different, harder. Had she begun to feel a little bit of fear, or is that a hope rising inside of her?

I think I'm going crazy. " I hopeing I'm going to run into a madman who'll tear me down? I really became desperate! "She laughed herself. The anxiety began to absorb her heart. Am I really so lonely?

Behind her she heard more of that unusual sound. No, this was no wind. She started walking faster, till the walk did not turn into a run. Going forward. To safety.

The sound was behind her and suddenly in front of her. But she did not see anything. How could someone be so quick to get it in front of her just like that. But she sees nothing, she only hears some unusual sounds, like the sound of some animal. It was walking closer to her. And then everything turned black.

Xxxx

This is my first story ever, so don't be too harsh with me Hope you like it.