Pocketwatch
Horse hooves clicked on the brick road as it pulled a carriage through the puddles. I watched it as it disappeared into the darkness ahead. I looked up at the sky. It seemed that the storms were over for the night. I checked my pocketwatch. One o'clock in the morning. Ella would most likely be home sleeping by now. I imagined her scolding me in the morning about how I should quit a job that keeps me out so late.
“I don't know why you put up with it, Reuben!” she would say. I felt a smile spread across my face.
“I suppose I should hurry home then,” I murmured. I tucked my pocketwatch back into my coat and carried onward.
I was halfway home when I heard the terrible sound. A tired groan. A groan of pain. I looked around. The streets were bare. I was about to continue home before I heard the noise again. My eyes locked onto an alley. The eerie moan came again. I inched towards the alley. I took a deep breath, then I peered around the corner. At first I couldn't see anything. Only black. Then something stirred on the ground. Another moan erupted. My stomach tightened. I clasped my hand to my mouth, urging myself not to vomit.
The creature on the ground was a woman. Blood soaked the ground and saturated her hair and clothes. Her dress had been torn around her abdomen, which seemed to be where most of the blood was seeping from. She glanced up at me. Blood oozed from her slit throat.
“H-help me,” she whimpered. Her dull gray eyes were locked onto mine. She tried lifting her bloodied hand. Tried to reach out to me. My heart was pounding in my ears. I backed away so she couldn't touch me. I stumbled backwards and fell. I heard the clank as my pocketwatch fell out of my coat and onto the ground. All I could do was stare at the woman as she tried to reach for me. A name popped into my head: Jack the Ripper.
Was he still around?! What if he came for me?! I scurried up and ran away from the woman. Her groans seemed to die away. There was nothing I could do for her anyway, right? I kept running.
When I finally stopped, my legs were numb and my lungs burned. I gasped for air. There were yells and laughter coming from down the street. It took me a moment to recognize my surroundings. Light beamed from a lively tavern. I went to reach for my pocketwatch before remembering that I had dropped it near the woman... I felt nauseous again.
Someone cheered from inside of the tavern. I eased myself up from my bent-over posture. Ella could wait a bit longer. She was probably asleep anyway. I straightened out my coat and headed for the tavern.