Chapter 3

Anna

It’s been five days, five long torturous days since I got that letter from those men. I’ve taken all the safety measures that I could think of; getting extra locks, and buying a silly breast knife that I do not even know how to use. How can I harm someone with a knife when more often than not, I trip on my own feet?

Even though I knew deep down that I won’t be able to defend myself with that knife, I felt a little rest assured that the extra locks will keep them out, but the image before me shows that my efforts were nothing but stupid and useless.

I wasted the little money I had on those locks, only for them to come out useless.

Staring at those two words, boldly written in fat serial letters which simply say ‘TWO DAYS’, I felt nothing but chills run through my blood, turning it cold with fear.

Frozen with fear, my brain thought of the best action to take, but the only thing that came to mind was ‘RUN’ I have to run for my life if at all I want to survive these men. Paying what my father owes is out of the equation because if I had that such amount of money, I won’t be living in this rat hole, to begin with.

 

Snapping out of my frozen state, I quickly picked up a few clothes and essentials, cleaned up my room so those men won’t figure out I’m on the run the next time they decide to visit then called the coffee shop where I worked to inform them that I contacted the flu, hence the reason I won’t show up for some days.

 

Certain that I’m not leaving any hint that I’m running away, I pocketed all the money I made from tips from generous customers and ran for my dear life, praying and hoping that those men and their boss won’t come for anyone close to me.

*************

Three days later and I’m still running, still hiding from a crime that I did not commit. The money I had on me couldn’t take me far away, it only handled the rent of a local motel which is where I’ve been hiding while trying to figure out how to deal with the situation at hand.

I can’t be hiding forever; that’s not even a possibility for me, because someone depends on the money I make from the coffee shop.

 

Searching through my purse, I groaned under my breath. “You can’t be fucking serious!” Fate can’t be mocking me like this. “Sixty dollars?” What the heck am I suppose to do with sixty dollars?

Plopping down the bed, I stared at the peeling ceiling. In my entire human existence, I’ve never been so confused and helpless.

 

Sleeping away my sorrows, even if it’s for a few minutes seemed like the best solution. Besides, my brain can’t be productive with a such throbbing headache. Yawning tiredly, I closed my eyes and succumbed to the clutches of subconsciousness.

********

A loud thud on the door woke me up. Without being told that danger lurks, I searched around for my breast knife, ready to disconnect the intruder’s windpipe. Standing on shaky feet, I tiptoed to the door and paid close attention to what was happening on the other side.

I heard it, a voice whispering something to the other person who equally responded in the same tone. I may not have been able to hear what they are discussing, but at least I was able to find out I have more than one attacker, and aiming at them with a tiny knife is nothing but a suicide mission.

I chose flight over plight. Gathering the little money I had left, I rolled up the windows, climbed up, and prayed to whoever that is listening that I don’t break my tiny legs. The thudding on the door became louder and fiercer which gave me more courage to jump.

The moment I jumped off, the door opened. Luckily for me, I didn’t break anything. Without waiting to check out those men, I ran straight to the busy streets, stopped a taxi, and told the driver to drive me into the city.

Shakily holding my hair with a band, I kept looking back to see if those men actually came after me.

“Miss?” The cab driver called out worriedly but I ignored him, much more interested in the black Benz racing behind us. I remember seeing such a car outside the coffee shop that day those men approached me. “Miss? Are you okay? Should I call 911?”

I’ve never trusted the police, they’ve failed me more than I care to count. “Pull over,” I instructed the driver, certain that the car is after us. “Stop the damn car!” I bellowed, hitting the driver's seat repeatedly. The man pulled over and I tossed his money over to him, got off the car, and raced down the street.

My feet hit the wet floor, staining the tip of my pants, but at this point, I’ve gone beyond caring. All I want is something, anything that will act like a distraction, anything that will shield me from those men.

Looking back, I cursed under my breath when I noticed them chasing after me. “What the fuck is their deal?” Why are they acting as if I stole their Christmas present? I cringed at the word Christmas.

Let’s just say I have the worst experience when it comes to Christmas. Growing up, I used to think that Santa Claus is actually real, that he actually dropped gifts every Christmas Eve. Imagine the disappointment of a seven years old when she found Santa Claus bleeding out on their porch, only that it wasn’t actually Santa, but my father Mr. Fordd Smith.

That was the day I lost my father and the day I gave up on Christmas.

Shaking my head to get rid of these unwanted thoughts, I halted suddenly and eyed the gigantic casino sitting pretty before me.

This should be big enough to hide me from them. Blocking off that part of me that tried to talk me out, I righted my looks and stepped into the casino.

Finding a seat at the far end corner, I scattered my hair, trying to at least hide my face with the voluminous mass of hair. Certain that I won’t be easily detected in the crowd, I peered at the door, praying and hoping that they won’t come in.

Just as always, my prayers went unanswered. Three familiar faces stepped into the casino, their angry eyes frantically searching the casino space for me.

Fear gripped me and just like that, I lost the confidence that they won’t be able to find me due to my messy hair. “Think Anna..” I muttered to myself, my eyes pinned on the door. Running out of here isn’t an option seeing as one of them is standing very close to the door.

For a moment, I was in dilemma, right until my eyes caught sight of the man seated close to me. Jumping you my feet, I acted irrationally for the second time this night.

First, I grabbed the man’s jacket and covered my once-white shirt, then I leaned down and slammed my lips on the man’s, hoping that I’ll be able to fade away with this.

The young man stilled at first and for a moment, I thought he was going to push me away but he surprised me by deepening the kiss. Confused, I pulled away, blinked rapidly, and looked around. Alas, the men were nowhere to be found. Seizing the opportunity, I raced out of the casino as fast as my legs could carry me and I didn’t stop until I got into a bus heading to a destination that I know nothing about.

Placing my head on the window, I took a deep breath for the first time in many hours. My eyes watered at how crazy my life just turned within days. Wiping my tears, I looked down only to discover that I’m still wearing that man’s jacket.

“Shit!” Pulling it out, I stared at the jacket, checking for the label. My eyes bulged when I saw Versace. How much does this cost? “Rich freak.” Maybe I should just return it.

Dipping my hand into the pocket, I felt something so I pulled it out. “What the fuck?” Can’t today get any more worst? The young man helped me hide from those men and now I have his jacket and his wallet.

I opened the wallet and pulled out his card.

Dante Williams.