PART 21 - HARDER

 My pace elevated, each time, the echoes of the speaker, rang in my ear. The file was heavy, and could almost tear a hole in my jacket. I tried to increase my pace, as I came closer to closing the door behind me and escape before anyone would come back and find me. My steps felt like drums being struck at with a hammer. I tripped and fell, struggling to hold my pace, with the heavy file creating interruption in my escape, at the same time, looking in every part of the corridor in fear that I would soon be heard and cause a lot of noise as I came down to the club's entrance. The stairs that were once, a joy to the soles of my shoes seemed like a never ending journey down a mountain. My jacket, grew looser and began to lose its tightly woven threads. The file, slipped in and out of the side of my jacket, as I began to come down the second last flight of stairs. My wish was that I could grow the tentacles similar to an octopus as I began to get closer and closer to the crowd of people that were consumed by the enticing beats of music while others were filled to their consciousness with frothing liquor and could barely stand. I crawled into the crowd, dipped to look like a human hedgehog in the club. Many people looked at me, wondering what had been going on with me, as I came off someone who had an ache or problem with my abdomen.

In my awkward position, the crowd proved to be an obstacle, with space seemingly difficult to get through and maneuver past. The horizon of my sight was covered with colour, beaming in different variations with, drinks pouring onto me erratically. During my turns and squeeze trying to get to the door, I notice, the guard I first met when I entered the club, coming back to the club. I rolled myself on the floor and arrived at the bartender counter among many seats that I collided into. Eyes hunted me, with gazes and squeezed eyebrows blocked my horizon from seeing anything else. The henchmen of the club slowly followed after, as they seemed to be walking towards the stairs that led to their office. I crawled slowly away as people tried to push me away and move me in frustration of invading their personal space. After trying to avoid, the presence of the guard and owner of the club, I quickly tried to make a run for the road.

Freedom sang its hymns, as the cold air brushed against the sweat droplets on the surface of my skin and my eyes widened in joy of the relief to finally take a deep breath of fresh air. Before I could, place my jelly-like tired legs on the surface of cemented pavement, I heard alarms come from the around club, and a loud shout from the corridor. The henchmen of the owner began to quickly come out of areas I hadn't even gotten to see in the club. "No one will leave this place, the club is going into lockdown" A speakers on the roof sounded. I managed to sneak past the guards and squeezed through the legs, with a few people who struggled to leave. Some of them were lynched and captured. I hoped, jumped and made quick short strides in my crouched position and finally got to the car, with some of the guards, running behind me, a few meters apart.