The wind howled through
the narrow alleyways, carrying
with it
the sharp scent of rain on
the verge of falling. Old newspapers
and stray leaves danced wildly in
the gusts, swirling around
the cracked pavement. Dim streetlights flickered
above, casting weak pools of yellow light
that barely reached
the wet ground. In the distance,
the steady drip of water echoed as it fell
from rusted fire escapes.
The city felt deserted, as if it had
been abandoned long ago, yet there was a strange energy in the air, an electric tension that hinted at something unseen lurking just beyond the shadows.