*CHARITY*
Maybe it wasn't real.
Maybe it was a dream, maybe the letter was a prank or maybe Genevieve calling me into her office later and telling me bluntly that I was fired was not real-whatever it was, It didn't change the fact that I was packing my things off from where I have spent the best 5 years of my life.
It hurt. Not that I was getting fired, (okay, maybe that hurt pretty badly too) but it was because the cheeky bastard responsible was somewhere near my office getting only an earful from the management while I was getting fired. It takes two to tango but everyone's chosen to point fingers at me.
They could go to hell. All of them.
I packed everything. Books, stationary and even the little things that don't matter, I packed it all. My inside was a mess and the tears stung my eyes but I was determined to act like losing my job is nothing. I walked out my little cubicle in the office I shared with a few other journalists.
Blair , a co-worker was all over me, her big doe eyes held the kindest form of pity and only made me want to tear up so bad. I would miss her. The early morning coffee. Talking to her over lunch. Getting on our team leader's nerves. Writing articles that do nothing but reveal the gravest crimes in the city. In all, this is my life and I would miss it.
" I'll call you " Blair held me in her arms, trying so bad not to cry. She onlwas they one who didn't point a Finger at me yet or call me names. I teared out of her embrace realizing that it was left to me to fight this on my own.
As I walked out of my office, I felt the burning, accusing gaze of my co-workers, and yes, I wanted to collapse to the floor and cry, and hit something or someone, whatever! But still I walked with all the confidence I could muster.
I sighted him coming out of the editor in chief office, in case you're wondering who, it's the bastard, Micah. I tried my best to ignore, cause no! I'm not breaking down in front of him and so I walked past him with my head held high. Getting off the elevator, I walked the lobby wanting nothing but to get out of there as fast as possible.
I was almost out when my eyes caught something hanging by the wall. I'd be damned if I left this here! My hands gripped the paper glued to the wall amongst other article awards and I tore it off angrily, dumping it into the box that carried my other stuffs. Heads turned and I glared back. They can take my job but there's no way in hell I'm letting them take my award too. It was the only thing I had left.
With that, I walked out the building, to the garage and straight into Red, my rickety convertible car and then drove away from the nation news house. Perhaps, forever.
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It was just a one-night thing. Okay. Maybe we did it a few more times but still it was a secret between us that we both swore to keep but he decided to get drunk and spill it out at the company's dinner night.
Micah ruined me. God! I was starting to like him and he told me he was falling for me too. Goddamned liar! To everyone, I seduced him, as the editor-in-chief so he could secure me a position or even get that award and bastard that he is, he didn't deny it. I worked hard, blood and sweat for that fricken award! But nothing matters now, I'm fired.
I wanted to call my best friend, Shayne but I didn't know if I could handle her raving about how she's warned me about getting into a sexual relationship with my boss. Yes, she would, but Just not now.
At this rate, I couldn't help the tears anymore as I drove home. I just wanted to be home right then, in my bed, snuggle into a pillow maybe get drunk with booze and eat those forbidden chicken wings in my fridge and watch a stupid movie and think about my stupid life and-
Shit!
" Oh my god! " I screamed as I screeched Red into a stop, the screech of the tires cutting into the silence of the night with a deafening sound.
Someone...bumped...I .... into...almost. God!
I couldn't even put together a sentence in my head as I breathed hard, my head on the wheels and my hands gripping the wheels tightly still trying to comprehend what just happened.
I almost knocked someone down! fuck!! I sat up quickly, jerked the door open and ran out as fast as my weak legs could carryv me. I walked with to the spot where I just saw someone step in front of my car silently praying, I was fast enough to stop the car.
Nothing. No one.
Someone was just in front of me. In front of my car. My headlights flashing on a face before I stopped the car flashed into my memory.
Someone was right here and now they just...disappeared?
Cold Shivers ran through my bones and I could tell in hell that it wasn't from the chilly night. Was I seeing things? Damn! I knew I was a hormonal mess but hallucination sure to wasn't supposed to happen... right?
Suddenly, the ends of my hair lifted and my heart raced at the prospect of danger but before I could act on it, a hand grabbed my waist and all I could let out was a tiny squeak before another hand camw clamping roughly on my mouth and pulled me into a chest, hard and muscled. And something cold, I realized was the Sharp ends of a knife, pressed down on my throat. I winced from the roughness of the arms on mine.
" Empty your pocket sweetheart and I promise you won't get hurt " A deep voice rumbled into my ear and I struggled to break free, finally realizing that I had been ambushed.
" I'm going to let you go now, you let out one thing as little as a scream, I slit your throat, you give me what I want, you stay alive. Everyone stays happy. Agreed? " The voice came again and I nodded frantically. Scared shitless.
" Good" He said and slowly released me to go running for my car. My survival instinct told me to drive away the moment I got into the car but something else told me it wasn't not going to be easy. I'd save myself the trouble, give him what he wants and run.
I grabbed every single buck, coin and all, and rushed over to hand it to him. He was fully masked leaving only his eyes bare. He looked at it closely, then back at my car. Somehow, I knew it was just a street robber looking to survive.
" All of it? " He said tilting his head to the side
" I-p-romise you tha-that's all I've got " I replied quickly rubbing my sweaty arms together despite how cold it was.
I expected him to tell me to leave. To motion me to go away but he didn't Instead, his eyes raked up and down my body and I held myself tightly in my arms when I saw the dark look in his eyes. I instantly knew what that look meant.
" No! " I said immediately, backing away and heading for my car, regretting the decision I made not to run when I had the chance but he grabbed me and I screamed trying to get out of his hold as he trief to pry my clothe off me. He shoved me up against my car and it dawned on me that I wasn't getting out of that situation easily. And I was helpless fighting against muscles.
" Let her go"
I was going to give up struggling. Prepared for the trauma that will come after when the voice pierced through the night.
It was smooth and gentle, almost betraying the intensity in which he said the words from earlier. My captor turned, obviously annoyed by the intruder who just saved my life.
" Who the f.ck are you! "
" You don't wanna know man, let her go " The voice again. I couldn't see him.
" And what if I don't? "
A sigh. An irritated one. I just watch them banter, tired and helpless and so fast that it was almost impossible, my captor was shoved off me roughly and I fell to the ground like a rag doll, crawling away as fast as I could. Heaven knows I just wanted to get the fuck out of there.
But I stayed. I don't know why, but I did. Watching two bodies roll on the ground, fists and limbs flew in the air. Grunts and groans filled the silent night and then blood. Oh my God blood! I don't know why I let out silent prayers but I did as I watched with horror. I didn't know where the sudden courage to watch such show of violence came from.
And finally, a body laid limp on the floor and another stood, looked around before starting to walk towards me. I backed away but then stop when I realized it was a different man. The man whose voice had calmed me even when I was yet to see his face. The man who practically saved my life.
He crouched down in front of me and I'd be damned if I've ever seen eyes so blue. His eyes. They were the only things I could as his other features weere covered purposely by a cap. I let out a sharp intake of breath, feeling like air has been knocked out of my lungs. I know I probably look like hell right now and I've never felt so embarrassed about it.
" I. " I wanted to say something but he beats me to it.
" You shouldn't take this route on a Friday night; Fridays are hell in this neighborhood "
He said, maybe not realizing how deeply sensuous he sounded. There was something about him that made my heart go wild, maybe the air of mystery that clung to him like a cloak or the intensity of his deep blue eyes.
Hell! I knew this path was dangerous, heard a couple of heinous crimes happened here but I was too disoriented to care. Besides, if I had gone through this route then I wouldn't have had to meet the man in front of me.
And I wouldn't have been ambushed and nearly raped either. My mind tugged at me but I chose to ignore that part of my experience tonight.
He made to leave but I grabbed him. Holding him back before i mumbled
" T-thank y-ou" He slipped his arm from my grasp almost immediately
"Leave" He said curtly and turned to leave. My brain registered something and it filled me with horror
"Is- he...dead? " I pointed with dread to the man on the floor
" He should thank his stars that he's not " He grumbled before walking away and I watched and watched. Till I couldn't see him anymore.
I ran into my car and drove away as fast as I could. I didn't know why I still thought about it, or why my head is fuzzy as I drove home or why my mind kept wandering off to a pair of beautiful blue eyes. Somehow, I knew it would haunt me in my dreams.
CHARITY There are moments in life when it suddenly feels like the world has finally turned its back on you and has it middle finger right in your face. Moments when even your tears can't measure the amount of pain, you're in. I think I was at that point in my life. I laid numb on my couch, still dressed in my work clothes as I tried to think about where it all went wrong. We had it going for a long time, Micah and I. So long that I don't even remember who made the first move but it was exciting. The coy and knowing looks when we pass by each other, the feeling up while no one was watching in a meeting and even the frequent sexcapades in his office. Damn! He made me come while eating lunch at the company's cafeteria. Even now, my gut clenched at how reckless I had been. Recklessness is-it's Shayne’s thing. The only thing that has stopped her from w
CHARITY 'I'M REALLY sorry things turned out this way. I tried my best to get Genevieve to sign you some sort of testimonial so you could be able to secure a job at some other company in the city but she wouldn't have it. Your portfolio and of course your award should be able to get you a job somewhere else but I guess not in this city anymore. I transferredmoney that should be enough to secure you another job, let's say my way of apologizing. Trust me when I say you’re a great person, I had fun with you. Goodbye, miss Everton" The word fun didn't hurt me. As much as it sounded like I was some whore, it didn't hurt. Even the fact that he sent me pity cash didn't hurt—no it didn't. But the formality? How it sounded like this was some sort of business? It drove me crazy! It made me go over all of our previous messages, I cringed at the series oferotic messag
CHARITY Riverdale was a relatively small city. Not a hundred thousand population kind of small, I'm talking about a 30,000-population kind of small. No more no less. It's a city where everyone knows every tom, dick and Harry. Nothing ever happens in the city. Riverdale was more of a retiree home for the elderly who have worked their life off somewhere in the big cities and now seek rest. And that's where I grew up. And inevitably where I was going back to. Riverdale isn't all bad, the scenery here is beautiful and environment was nontoxic. I consoled with the thought that I needed someplace without the hustle and bustle of the city to keep me sane. I spent the next couple of days looking up apartments in the city. The best ones were not fit for my pocket, they would have if I accepted Micah's money but that's all I have left of my dignity and I don't regret it. T
CHARITY "Oh my freaking God! " A shriek. Clearly not the kind of greeting I expected as I walked into the stuffy company for the first time. I wasn't even in a good mood to say the least. My favorite and only car completely broke down and I had to wait a whole thirty minutes for my godforsaken uber!Not to even mention the loud music from the other apartment that kept me up all night! They were pretty loud for people who hated noise. My new work place might not really please me but I was never a tardy person and so that's why I am still rooted to a spot, in shock, not only from the shriek that broke out but the tight embrace I was locked in. I slowly disentangled myself from the chubby arms that held me so tight I could break and I come face to face with a lady with fiery red hair and makeup that looked like half the paint my new apartment had. It&
CHARITY I think my life just did a 360 degree split right in front of me. Don't know the possibility but that's pretty much how I feel right now as I stared back at the towering figure in front of me while letting my fisted hand that had intended to knock the door senseless fall back to my sides. I was gaping no doubt , drawn like a magnet to the set of eyes that seemed all too familiar to a dream. It ultimately reminded me of how I got here in the first place. "Looks like you have a knack for naming with colors" It was the kind of savage statement that usually comes with a smirk but no—the man in front of me wasn't smirking, his face was expressionless and accentuated by those icy blue eyes. And then that deep voice, smooth and rough all in one and it sent chills down my spine real
"....and guess who stole the car? " "Old man Pete? " "No silly! Emma ray! " "Right Emma" Julia. Me. Julia. Me. That's pretty much how the conversation went and I was close to losing it. It's been hours and Julia wouldn't stop talking about petty crimes that has happened in the city so far. The one she was currently talking about was about a car theft that had me mixing up names of the people involved. I think at some point I thought the owner of the car was the thief. I didn't want to discourage her, she was clearly intrigued by what she called their biggest story yet. Car theft? You've gotta be kidding me. It's been a week since I moved here and started working at Empire news House. It was supposed to be one of those moment when you admit time flew so fast t
I was 18 when I witnessed my first crime. Oh! It's nothing. Just saw a boy hit his friend with an hammer and made a run for it. I had called the police immediately and watched the boy get arrested somewhere along the other streets and it felt good to be called a ‘first class’ citizen for reporting a crime. I think that was when it all started. From then on, I wanted nothing but to report and reveal crimes. And report them I did. For years , I have researched , worked and written about the gravest sins in my country and I felt good doing it. I have seen worse crimes, met with dangerous criminals unknowingly in the course of my job and joined the police in their investigations. I even made a few friends with the detectives. I'm telling you I didn’t win the best article of the year for nothing! So why? I found myself asking. Why were my hands shaking? Why di
Everywhere was a mess.In one night, Riverdale, that small safe town I grew up in turned upside down when it recorded its first murder in the last 20 years and the people were going crazy about it. Local newspapers that I didn’t know existed were struggling to be the first to publish the story bits that they could gather from the police and people close by. Locals were scared and being watchful.And me?I was losing it!I knew that feeling. It was a very familiar feeling every child growing up must have had. That kind of feeling when you know dad has a big surprise for mum on her birthday but you have to keep it a secret when you badly want her to know what he has planned for her. That feeling of being the only one who knows a big secret ,sometimes dangerous and overwhelming--most times great and amazing , there's so much to risk if you let it out and so you watch how things unravel or maybe just spill it out.