Panic

                                   


I could smell dampness in the air, and I instinctively quickened my pace. Dark clouds were scudding across the sky, blocking the scorching rays of the afternoon sun and dimming the surroundings degree by degree. The susurrating breeze in the trees had turned into a roaring gale, stripping leaves off branches, catching them up in a spiral motion and whisking them around me and the other hurrying pedestrians. A storm was imminent and I hoped I could reach the safety of the nearest bus stop in ten minutes. I had no time to spare. Very soon the sky would open up and a deluge would pour over the town. The wind screamed in my ears and the cacophony of blaring traffic added more confusion to the paroxysm of panic within me.

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