A few weeks later, Blair left the small town where she and her mother had lived all this time. She could take nothing with her besides the clothes attached to her body and the baby in her womb.
It was nearing the end of autumn. Blair traveled from one city and town to another. She would only stay in one place for no more than three days.
She completely stayed away from the town where her mother and friends lived. She didn't want to be recognized by anyone.
"I'm now officially homeless and a pregnant teenager," Blair muttered as she snuggled against one of the closed storefronts.
She didn't know where she was at the moment. She had just crossed a state where there were still a lot of forests there. She took a truck transporting staples until she arrived at the rest area.
After thanking the truck driver, Blair pretended to enter a supermarket not far from the gas station. Blair bought mineral water and some snacks for a low price. She had to save her meager savings.
Since becoming homeless, Blair has learned quickly how to earn money from the people she meets without needing to beg or steal. She has a good voice. Sometimes Blair would sing in the city streets, and people would donate a little money to Blair's voice.
From the self-service window, Blair kept an eye on the truck she'd just been in. She really had to wait for the car to leave before Blair could get out. Blair couldn't have stayed in the car, or the driver would have suspected her. She is most afraid of being reported to police officers or social workers. She didn't want to be caught and taken to a shelter like before.
Blair had stopped at the shelter several times but didn't feel comfortable there. Shelters are mostly made up of homeless men.
They always looked at Blair with wild eyes like hungry wolves. Although Blair repeatedly told them she was pregnant, no one believed her. Blair shivers when she remembers how in a shelter, she was tried by some homeless who wanted to rape her.
After the truck left, Blair immediately went to the cashier and paid the bill with her change. She grabbed a plastic bag filled with mineral water and some bread and walked out of the supermarket. Someone accidentally bumped into her at that moment, and Blair fell down.
A tall man in a black jacket looked very in a hurry. Blair couldn't see the man's face because his head was covered by the hoodie.
The man immediately turned and knelt before her when he saw Blair fall.
"I'm sorry, Miss. I was totally unintentional and in a bit of a rush. I must have hurt you," the man said politely and gently as he reached out to help Blair.
Just then, their eyes met. Blair was slightly stunned. It turned out that the face of the man who bumped into her was very handsome. He was a grown man with sapphire blue eyes and dark hair.
"Miss? Are you okay?" repeated the man, examining Blair's knees.
Blair was frightened and immediately swatted away the man's hand.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to be rude to you. I'm a doctor. I was just checking if you got any cuts or maybe sprains? Because it looks like I hit you pretty hard."
Hearing the doctor's words, Blair immediately lowered her face. She didn't want anyone to know that she was currently pregnant. Blair immediately stood up and refused the man's help.
"I'm fine. I am alright. Nobody got hurt by me, sir," Blair said nervously.
The man took something out of his wallet. A white business card with a line of writing on it. He handed it to Blair.
"If you feel hurt or harmed by my carelessness, you can call me and ask for an account from me at that number. I will definitely respond to you very well. I hope we can meet again someday under better circumstances," the man said.
Blair accepted the business card and skimmed it. "Axel Barney?"
"Yes, that's my name."
"You are a doctor in a large city in a state quite far from here. Then why did you…?"
"I came here to attend a conference invitation. Yes, it has to do with health. I am also a volunteer for the safety of wild animals."
The man picked up Blair's rolling bottle of mineral water and handed it back. Equally nervous, Blair accepted and quickly left the man.
"Oh, damn it! What do I think?" Blair thought to herself as she ran away from the supermarket. "He is a doctor. What if he finds out I'm pregnant just by touching my feet? That's a foolish thought. But I was so scared. I don't want other people to know about my pregnancy; maybe they will do something dangerous to the baby and my body."
That night, Blair just wanted to rest. Blair found used cardboard in the trash can behind the rest area and started laying it on one of the closed storefronts. She also took an old cotton blanket from the bag. She got the blanket from the shelter and a few pieces of clothing. Blair uses her backpack filled with clothes as a pillow.
"Perhaps this storefront was the last comfortable bed I came across before walking miles to get to the next town. Or maybe tomorrow I'll find another ride to get to the next town."
The first three months of pregnancy are very tough. Blair never knew that fact and never got any teaching from her mother about pregnancy, not even at school. For the past few weeks, she has continued to experience severe nausea and vomiting. Blair even had trouble swallowing food. But she still struggles to keep her life.
She often sleeps on a park bench at night, only on cardboard, and covers her body with an old blanket. Blair didn't know how she was going to face the winter.
"I didn't think my life would end here in just weeks. I should be sleeping in my room next to mom. Tomorrow morning I should wake up, as usual, to have breakfast and go to school. There are many things I have to do with the band I just formed at school. But look at me now."
Blair felt her still flat stomach. "This stomach will get bigger and swollen in a few months. I can no longer hide it from people. I have to be prepared for any eventuality."
Blair's tears suddenly dripped from her clenched lids. She held back the shivers and, at the same time, endured nausea that got worse when her body got tired at night.
"Some people I met suggested that I should just have an abortion. They thought I was too young and the world was so cruel. But not. This baby is innocent. How can I rob other beings of life? This all happened because of my own stupidity. I have to take responsibility for the mistakes I've made."
Once again, Blair felt and squeezed her stomach gently. "We'll make it through, honey. We have to endure all of this alone. I will definitely defend you forever."
In some of the small towns Blair had visited, she had managed to earn money in unexpected ways. Sometimes, she shows her ability to sing and play music on the city streets. She puts an empty soda can in front of her, and people who like or pity her will give her a few dollars.
"There's nothing I can do at my very young age. Without an identity, I can't find a part-time job. By singing, I can earn money to eat and comfort myself, who is suffering so much."
That night, to comfort her poverty, Blair hummed as she rubbed her belly under the blanket. The night is getting cold. In a few weeks, it might actually snow, and she would have to find shelter so she wouldn't freeze to death outside.
When the girl was almost asleep, and there was no more humming from her lips, suddenly she heard footsteps and the screams of someone not far from where she was. Blair immediately shuffled around and wrapped her arms around her. She hides under the blanket and doesn't move at all. She didn't want other people to know her whereabouts. Whether it was a drunkard, an addict, or whoever they were could be mean to her.
Blair heard smacking sounds and someone groaning in pain. She was indeed more than two people there. The girl felt her place was no longer safe. Blair quietly got up, folded the blankets, and stuffed them into the bag. Blair tried to get out of there and stay away from the commotion.
However, Blair took the wrong step. Not that she avoided the commotion, but she saw everything with her own eyes. Two men holding a man. One of the two men had a dagger in his hand. He stabbed the dagger right into the neck of the man they were holding.
Blair shrieked in surprise. She immediately hid behind a pile of used boxes behind the closed shop.
"Bastard, someone saw what we did!" said one of the men as he looked for Blair.
Blair tried to run away as fast as her feet could walk."I don't want to get involved in any trouble. I didn't see it. I have to get out of here."Blair had lost too much energy that day from nausea and vomiting too often. She hadn't even eaten the bread and water she had just bought from the convenience store. Just when she thought she had stepped away and headed for the highway to seek help, a man was suddenly blocking her with a dagger in hand."Hey, little girl!" said the man while carrying a dagger still covered in blood. "What are you doing here alone at this time of night?"Blair could only look down to hide her face. They were indeed in a dark area with no lighting. However, a few flashes from the passing vehicles were enough for Blair to see that the dagger was undoubtedly covered in blood.She was terrified and didn't know what to say. Right now, the only thing she could do was be honest. Blair hoped that honesty would save her."I'm just homeless," Blair said quietly."Is t
Blair jolted awake as if waking from a long dream when she opened her eyes. Blair felt her body hurt all over the place. She couldn't even move her hands freely. Blair glanced at her tingling hand. "Where am I?" Blair thought, trying to sit up straight. "Are you awake, Miss? Can you hear my voice?" A nurse suddenly approached and checked Blair's pulse and the pupils in her eyes. Blair felt uncomfortable and scared. She brushed off the nurse's hand and inched away. "Tell me, where am I? What happened to me? And the wolf? Then what about the two men in the rest area?" The image of pieces of skin and flesh torn apart by a huge wolf instantly made Blair nauseous. She could still clearly see the pained face of the man pointing the dagger at her. The nurse tried to calm down when she heard Blair's jumpy and incoherent statement. The nurse was aware of the condition of the patient, who had just woken up from fainting and was traumatized by accident. "Take a bed, Miss. Your condition has
Blair was sick of hearing the whispers and tone of the stranger's voice. She was also disgusted by his condescending and belittling gaze. Blair was sick of all the boys who just wanted her body.Unknowingly, Blair had pushed the man, almost tumbling down the stairs. The underground station is deserted. Blair panicked. She almost screamed when she realized what she had done could result in the man being injured if he did fall down the stairs.Fortunately, the man soon controlled himself. He didn't roll to the bottom of the stairs where he might break his bones. Only the man's violin fell, and he was furious. The man immediately got up to take his violin and headed towards Blair, still frozen with a pale face."Damn little bitch!" cursed the man. "You have ruined my only violin. You have to take responsibility. No matter what happens, you have to pay for it with your body tonight."Holding his broken violin tightly, the man glanced around at the empty state of the station. Blair became
"Miss, it's me!" scolded Axel, who was already standing at the end of the alley while putting on a worried face."Stay away from me!" Blair shouted. "Do not come close! I will scream if you do something bad to me. I knew from the start that you weren't helping me. There are no perfect humans in this world."Blair gasped."I realized that after I became a bum," Blair thought later."Wait, Miss. You must have misunderstood me. I didn't mean to hurt you or want to take advantage of you. But, yes, I did follow you for one reason.""What do you want from me? I have nothing, sir. I don't even have a penny to eat. If what you want is my body, I assure you before making that decision, you will regret it."Blair's voice trembled softly. She was terrified. She tried her best to keep the tears from falling. Blair had to cling to the wall between the two alleys where she was currently hiding."I'm not following you to hurt you but to help you," Axel said in the gentlest tone possible so as not to
Blair has no choice, and she accepts Axel's invitation for dinner. They sat opposite each other on one of the benches with a beautiful view of the river at night. Blair felt a little safe because she wasn't alone. Several other people were also sitting, enjoying the view of the river at night.The corner of Blair's eyes continued to be wary of her surroundings. She found two men dressed in all black who had knocked Blair out of fright. They stood not far from where Axel was."Who are they?" Blair asked. "Your hitman?""They're just my assistants," Axel said calmly. He opened the food bag and handed Blair a sandwich. "Sorry if they scared you earlier."Blair gritted her jaw. She still clearly remembers how two men pointed daggers at her in the rest area for witnessing a murder. At this time, Axel's two assistants also reminded Blair of the two criminals."You can't fool me, Mr. Barney. Tell me, what is your aim?"Axel didn't seem to hear Blair's words. "Are you okay with this? I had th
"What?" Blair shouted in great surprise. She wanted to make sure that what she heard was not wrong.Axel was still sitting comfortably in his chair. He put one foot on top of the other while leaning back confidently."You can stay with me," Axel said very calmly and confidently."Are you crazy?"Blair gulped and stared at Axel in disbelief."How can he say inviting strangers into the house so casually?" thought Blair."Do you actually want something from me? I believe the demand to pay the debt is just an excuse to ask for something more from me. What is your real aim?"Blair was absolutely terrified. She was not ready to hear the confession of the rich man in front of her. Blair didn't want to get involved with anyone right now, let alone influential people."I can live on the streets and survive for myself and the baby in my belly. I can do anything; sing, play music, or whatever. I'm sure I can survive like the rest of the homeless. They have even lived on the streets for a dozen y
"Carlos, let her go."Axel ordered his two men to get out of the way and let Blair go. Blair, ready to fight, finally just quietly walked away from Axel. Before leaving, Blair glanced at Axel and nodded her thanks."Ranty, wait!" said Axel. He seemed very reluctant to let Blair go that night. "Please reconsider my offer. Save my business card if you ever change your mind or need help. Feel free to contact me whenever you need it.""Well, I'll definitely contact you when I have enough money to pay off those debts, for sure."Axel looked grim, looking at Blair's back as she walked away. The two bodyguards stood near Axel and mumbled something."Should we keep an eye on that girl like before, Boss?""Not. Tonight leaves her alone. I'm afraid she'll be suspicious and even more distrustful if she finds out that you keep following her."It was really late at night. Blair had no more chance to find a bed tonight. She returned to the station. Blair had time to pick up used cardboard from the
"Get out of here, you damn bum!" shouted the train attendant at the next station.The man pushed Blair off the train because she couldn't show the ticket or pay the fare.Blair walked away, shaking violently. She hugged herself with her arms crossed over her chest. Blair lowered her head to avoid the scornful gazes and scorn of the people at the station."I was lucky they didn't take me to the police station. I might be thrown in jail or sent to social services if that happens. Then they'll know I'm a pregnant teen dan homeless."Blair stood behind the massive pylon supporting the underground platform. She leaned against the pole, and her body slumped to the floor. Blair crouched down, hugging her knees. She was literally sobbing like crazy."What should I do from here? This city is very unsafe for me. The man kept chasing me. I have to go to Washington, DC, soon, but what can I do without money? I've lost the savings, the backpack, and the old blanket. I can't possibly survive tonigh