Wintry night

Juliet stood in front of the sink in the kitchen scrubbing a pile of plates dissolved in it. White bubbles floated over the water in the sink like a giant white cloud. Jansen advanced towards her he stroked her waist and stared at her face, "hon you look beautiful even when washing the dishes."

She scraped out of the bubbles and splashed them on his face and she giggled. Jansen felt the bubble tickling his nose and cheek and he stretched his hand towards the sink, "since that's how you wanna go...," Juliet panicked sensing him grasping some bubbles and she held his arm pulling it, "don't love." 

Jansen wrapped his hand around her waist and he stood so close to her their nose was almost touching and they stared deeply into each other's eyes she wrapped her hands around his thick neck.

"I can't ever stop loving you."

"I can't ever stop loving you either." She let out a chuckle.

****

Days after, in the wintry gloaming Juliet waddled on a secluded pathway heading towards her condominium, she endeavored to walk home as her cab driver's cab suddenly developed a fault. The wind whistled in her ears, it was extremely biting and chilly and it was sweeping the earth-dried leaves that were curling and roaming on the solid thick ground. The temperature is below zero degrees. The snow had stopped falling.

Juliet trembled, her arms were jerking and her teeth were clattering she was bowing slightly like someone having a hunch back she gave her coat to a pregnant lady she spotted on the sidewalk as she was exiting a coffee shop. The lady was gripped by the cold, Juliet observed her twitching and her heart sank also staring at her protruded tummy.

The street was deserted, there was no foot there, no sign of activity, and was devoid of cars which were just as well because no one was able to admire them. Cars sat empty along the curb collecting.

Tall huge lampposts stationed in the street were flickering like a flash of lightning. Juliet was feeling jittery as every object she glances at turned murky and reappeared bright as the lights in the lampposts keeps fluctuating. There was a glitch with the electricity in the lampposts. 

As she plodded further on the street, the only sound that could be heard was the purring of cats, the chirping of crickets, and the sounds of leaves rustling in the breeze. Everything appeared blurred, the air was smoggy.

"Squash!" The shrieking noise of a shattering bottle echoed in Juliet's ears she jerked feeling alarmed and she veered slowly to see who smashed it her eyes expanded feeling dumbstruck staring at three hefty tall men standing across the road and they were staring at her. The lampposts flickered, she was able to glimpse at their bodies and she specked tattoo marks printed on their arms and neck they were wearing sagging jeans and loose jackets.

She noticed a strange object protruding from their pockets and she guessed it could be a rod she strained her eyes staring at them as the mist and the lampposts flickering made the object appear blurry in her vision. When the lampposts flashed thrice more, the object appeared clearly in her vision and she gasped realizing that the objects are daggers she gasped awestricken, her eyeballs were protruding.

Could they be goons? She pondered. Staring at the goons, observing their clenched rigid jaw, their puff chests, their fists clenched by their sides, and their brutish bodies, she panicked, swerved, and quickly took to her heels.

Mia strutted in front of the large lengthy mirror in her bedroom staring at her reflection pressing a ruddy lipstick on her lips, she glanced at the dazzling wig on her head and her lips curled into a smile. "Oh, Jansen's gonna love this." She bit her lower lip, stroked her hips, and stared at the red short gown hugging her body firmly. She stretched her hand towards her perfume standing on the table, it was small and spherical and she poured some spray on her dress. It smelled like a mixture of vanilla and strawberries.

It is 30th April, her wedding anniversary with Jansen. She has been feeling excited all day to fix a date with Jansen in the mansion she purposely picked that enticing dress. Mia stepped out of the room and approached the sitting room. She paused across the room staring at the butlers standing beside the dining table.

The table is a European model and it was lengthy. It was coated with a white tablecloth. It was strategically set by the butlers as if the Queen of England were to be expected. Mia approached the table and grinned from ear to ear staring at the ruddy flowers with silver sparkles that adorn the tables to add a final touch. The lights are dimmed low and classical music plays in the background to create a tranquil atmosphere. A savory aroma fills the room and mist oozing from the bowls of meal hover in the air.

A butler glanced at Mia advancing towards a seat and he grasped a bottle of liquor by the bottom and erected it towards a glossy glass cup, "ms should I pour you a glass?" He stared at her and he observed her shaking her head, "not yet, " she replied, "I wanna wait for Jansen."

"Alright." The butler dropped the bottle on the table gently. In the middle of the table, many glossy bottles of liquor strutted and the brightness of the glowing chandelier was reflecting on them. The butlers stepped away from the table.

Juliet's face was puzzled pondering what else to do at this point? "let me dial Jansen." She slid her hand inside her jacket, yanked her phone from her pocket and she glanced over her shoulders speaking to the goons trotting towards her. One of them hoisted his dagger above his head attempting to hurl it at her she twitched and darted terrified as though she's seen a ghost. The dagger rolled in the air moving at an artist's pace approaching her she breathed hard and her heart was racing fast. Juliet suddenly halted, she glanced left and right struggling to see she was bewildered about where to trudge on as the mist and darkness made the path and bypath difficult. It looked as if a complete blackout were there for days together. The dagger nearly landed directly in her back but she fell on the solid ground as she fumbled for her next step and it ended up plunging into a pole. She rose quickly to her feet her pair of shoes pulled off from them and she continued darting. The cool ice beneath her feet was piercing her feet. Strands of her jet-black hair were hopping as she scurries and it crumples. She felt the cool wind blowing against her body. She gave a low moan of despair.

"Get back here!" Screeched the goons, their feet kicked a ton of disposed of bottles lying on the ground as they were scampering.

The bottles jabbed each other and emitted a boisterous noise that banged in Juliet's ears she howled wrapping her hands around her ears. Her hands were quivering and tears spurted from them flowing towards her chin. The goons pointed their lengthy torchlights at her and radiant rays of gleaming from their torch reflected on her.

Juliet tapped her phone screen and typed a text message to Jansen, "help Jansen! I'm being chased by thugs I'm at Havelock street." Almost immediately when she finished typing the message, she heard a deep stiff voice behind her, "Hey!" 

"Oh my God!" Could it be them? She pondered and she unhurriedly swerved she twitched feeling startled staring at them in front of her. She specked one of them sliding his hand inside his jacket and pulling out a dagger and he gnashed his jaw. Juliet's eyes expanded, shivers ran through her staring at a dagger and she moved backward slowly her foot stepped on a banana peel, it pulled her foot as he was being pulled by gravity and she moved unsteadily. Her phone dropped to the ground as she plops ground.

"Aw!" She let out a loud groan as she grazed her elbow harshly on the rough ground.