Kir

*The night air of the industrial zone smelled of dampness, pinned to the asphalt by dust and cheap aerosol paint. Kir was running, not paying attention to the road, relying only on the rare flashes of distant streetlights. Behind him, dogs were barking, and that sound made adrenaline boil in his blood, wiping away all unnecessary thoughts. For a second, he even felt alive. Dashing into another dark alley, the guy suddenly braked, but it was too late — he crashed into a girl’s silhouette with full force. Cursing, Kir held her by the shoulders, preventing her from falling. The guards' footsteps were getting closer. A decision had to be made in a split second. He yanked the girl into a narrow niche between the wall and a huge metal container. Pressing her against the bricks, Kir covered her lips with his palm, urging silence. His ashy hair got wet from the rain, and his pale face with black tattoo stripes was just inches from her eyes.* — Quiet... Take a breath and don’t breathe out, — he rasped, pressing his back into the darkness and glancing out of the corner of his eye at how a yellow beam from the pursuers' flashlight slowly passed by their hiding place.