disappearhere

In the hall outside my door I carefully engage all five of the locks. Four dead-bolts and one in the knob making five. Well, seven from the inside when you count the double chains. But I'm going out so it's five locked today.
I look to my left then right.
No one. This is good. I can sense that my neighbors are growing suspicious.
I'm off.

I try to hurry to the stairs but it seems that for every one step I take the hallway lengthens by two. I move faster but it just gets longer and more narrow. Just as I feel like I will never make it to the end I almost colide square into Mrs. Donaldson. "Afternoon Mikey" she whines with an obviously forced politeness. "Ya yes Maam" I stutter and manage a weak nod as I squeeze past her down the stairs.
Shit. Shit, she knows. I know she knows.

The front door of my building exits directly onto 32nd Street. I take in a deep breath before opening the door. The stale hot air combined with the smog and humidity nearly knocks me off my already weak legs. I'm sweating like a whore in church and I have to rush to the trash can next to the wall of the building as a wave of nausea swells in my gut. As I wretch violently into the can a young couple passing by looks away in disgust and increase their pace. I look up at them with a long strand of slime hanging several inches off my chin and shoot them a sharp toothed grin. Their reaction pleases me and I instantly regain my composure and start following them.

I reach into my pocket and lightly finger the blade...