Emergency lights on the ceiling swirled, the spinning had a dizzying strobe effect. I staggered down the hall toward the illuminated exit sign. Pushing through the door, I burst onto the landing. The stairwell leading down was pitch black at the bottom. I held my breath and to hear a faint click. The sound of the emergency lights shutting off, floor by floor. Second. Then third. I was on the fifth floor. Fleeing the darkness, I headed up to the roof, taking the stairs two at a time. I hit the exit door with a thud. It wouldn’t budge.
I looked over my shoulder, the lights continued to snap off. Fourth. Fifth floor. Turning back to the exit, through the small square window at the top I could see a cyclone whipping through the city toward the hospital. A streak of lightning zig zagged down from the funnel.
The lightning was silver. And shaped like a woman.
“I told you I’d be back.”
The last light in the stairwell went out, enfolding me in the darkness.