happy for awhile.
As dawn paled the trees, Vanessa stirred and rolled onto her back. After a minute, she sat up and surveyed her surroundings. Then she jumped to her feet and turned in a circle, looking for something. Michael grinned as he remembered the items Jeremy had been carrying. That cat never missed a beat.
Vanessa gave up on finding her belongings and drifted toward the bushes where Michael hid. She squatted and the sour smell of her urine tickled his nostrils. Standing, she zipped her jeans and headed back into the clearing, pulling fingers through her hair to untangle the bits of dry grass and twigs clinging to the strands.
In the square, Vanessa made for the bench and sat with her back erect. After taking several deep breaths and rolling her shoulders, she clasped her hands and stretched them high over her head, palms facing up. Then she opened them and slowly brought her arms down to her sides. When done, she was still for a long time. Finally, she looked under the bench. What she saw startled her and before Michael could react, she leapt up and sprinted away.
Michael followed, ducking between trees and trash cans to stay low, quiet, and out of sight. When he reached the other side of the park, he frantically swept his eyes up and down the empty street. Vanessa had disappeared. Working to slow his breathing, he tried not to panic. She couldn ’t have gotten far.
Most of the storefronts were covered with gates or rollup doors. Of those remaining, only two offered a reasonable place to hide. One had been a bar and its plain , wooden doors swung open into a dark interior. Its coolers, closets, and cabinets could easily conceal a small woman like Vanessa. The Laundromat was the other option. She wouldn’t squeeze inside an abandoned washer or dryer, but the stairway that led to his old apartment was ideal for someone trying to disappear. Michael didn’t dare go into one and risk losing her in another. At the same time, he couldn’t just wait for her in the street. Both buildings had backdoors to the alley and it wouldn’t be long before she discovered an exit.
He glanced at the sun and was glad to see how far it had climbed. Facing toward home, he cupped his mouth with his hands and gave a loud cry, praying someone would recognize the emergency signal. “Aieeeee, woo woo woo! Aieeeee, woo woo woo!” The sound bounced off the buildings and rose into the crisp, morning air. He waited. When there was no response, he sang it again. This time his call was returned. Shortly after, footste ps smacked against the pavement and Michael sighed audibly as Ashley bounded into view.
She greeted him breathlessly before looking around, puzzled he was alone in the middle of the street. Briefly, he explained the situation.
“Ashley, who’s behind you?”
“I don ’t know. I just yelled and ran.”
“Okay. Stay here and keep an eye on the Laundromat. I ’m going to check out the bar.” Without waiting for her response, Michael sprinted toward the double doors.
Inside, his eyes adjusted to the gloom. Overturned tables and assorted debris filled the seating area. Cobwebs hung in the corners. Broken glass from a shattered window covered a section of the hardwood floor. He inched his way to the servers’ station at the end of the bar and gingerly pulled open the swinging gate that led behind it, careful not to make a sound. Holding it with one hand, he dropped to his knees and crawled forward. Vanessa was not there.
He stood, letting the gate swing shut behind him. On the far side of the narrow corridor, he spotted a storeroom. Creeping to the open door, he peered into the pitch-black interior. Then, using his hands to guide him, he made the circumference of the small room. When he touched the wood molding of a doorframe, he put his hands out and stepped into the opening, expecting to find a closet. Instead, his stomach lurched as his foot met air and he plummeted into the basement below.
On the street,
As dawn paled the trees, Vanessa stirred and rolled onto her back. After a minute, she sat up and surveyed her surroundings. Then she jumped to her feet and turned in a circle, looking for something. Michael grinned as he remembered the items Jeremy had been carrying. That cat never missed a beat.
Vanessa gave up on finding her belongings and drifted toward the bushes where Michael hid. She squatted and the sour smell of her urine tickled his nostrils. Standing, she zipped her jeans and headed back into the clearing, pulling fingers through her hair to untangle the bits of dry grass and twigs clinging to the strands.
In the square, Vanessa made for the bench and sat with her back erect. After taking several deep breaths and rolling her shoulders, she clasped her hands and stretched them high over her head, palms facing up. Then she opened them and slowly brought her arms down to her sides. When done, she was still for a long time. Finally, she looked under the bench. What she saw startled her and before Michael could react, she leapt up and sprinted away.
Michael followed, ducking between trees and trash cans to stay low, quiet, and out of sight. When he reached the other side of the park, he frantically swept his eyes up and down the empty street. Vanessa had disappeared. Working to slow his breathing, he tried not to panic. She couldn ’t have gotten far.
Most of the storefronts were covered with gates or rollup doors. Of those remaining, only two offered a reasonable place to hide. One had been a bar and its plain , wooden doors swung open into a dark interior. Its coolers, closets, and cabinets could easily conceal a small woman like Vanessa. The Laundromat was the other option. She wouldn’t squeeze inside an abandoned washer or dryer, but the stairway that led to his old apartment was ideal for someone trying to disappear. Michael didn’t dare go into one and risk losing her in another. At the same time, he couldn’t just wait for her in the street. Both buildings had backdoors to the alley and it wouldn’t be long before she discovered an exit.
He glanced at the sun and was glad to see how far it had climbed. Facing toward home, he cupped his mouth with his hands and gave a loud cry, praying someone would recognize the emergency signal. “Aieeeee, woo woo woo! Aieeeee, woo woo woo!” The sound bounced off the buildings and rose into the crisp, morning air. He waited. When there was no response, he sang it again. This time his call was returned. Shortly after, footste ps smacked against the pavement and Michael sighed audibly as Ashley bounded into view.
She greeted him breathlessly before looking around, puzzled he was alone in the middle of the street. Briefly, he explained the situation.
“Ashley, who’s behind you?”
“I don ’t know. I just yelled and ran.”
“Okay. Stay here and keep an eye on the Laundromat. I ’m going to check out the bar.” Without waiting for her response, Michael sprinted toward the double doors.
Inside, his eyes adjusted to the gloom. Overturned tables and assorted debris filled the seating area. Cobwebs hung in the corners. Broken glass from a shattered window covered a section of the hardwood floor. He inched his way to the servers’ station at the end of the bar and gingerly pulled open the swinging gate that led behind it, careful not to make a sound. Holding it with one hand, he dropped to his knees and crawled forward. Vanessa was not there.
He stood, letting the gate swing shut behind him. On the far side of the narrow corridor, he spotted a storeroom. Creeping to the open door, he peered into the pitch-black interior. Then, using his hands to guide him, he made the circumference of the small room. When he touched the wood molding of a doorframe, he put his hands out and stepped into the opening, expecting to find a closet. Instead, his stomach lurched as his foot met air and he plummeted into the basement below.
On the street,
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