Taken By Surprise

by Jessica Frances

  ***

  Much later, after the long drive is finally over, I’m the last one to leave and notice a strange look from the bus driver as I get out. He obviously doesn’t remember me from when he checked off tickets. After a few seconds, he shrugs his shoulders and gets back onto the bus, ignoring me.

  I walk towards what I assume is the city and shiver as rain starts spitting lightly down on me. It doesn’t take long to turn fierce and hard. Soon, I’m soaked and remember why jeans are a bad thing to wear on the streets. It’ll take days for them to dry. The holes in my shoes make it easy for my threadbare socks to get soaked, too. There is no way I’m going to be able to stay dry tonight. Tomorrow, when the sun is up, I’ll need to get my bearings, figure out where the public restrooms are and perhaps an easy place to hide and stay dry. I need to find somewhere to get food, too. My stomach is already grumbling. I’ll need whatever strength I have to fight off the cold I‘ll end up getting from this night in the freezing weather since I no longer have Gavin to look out for me.

  The city is busier than what I’m used to and people appear to be everywhere. I feel suffocated by all the bodies around me and look to find somewhere quieter.

  I keep moving until I find a quiet area in what looks to be a park and see a bench that has some cover from the rain. I wonder if cops frequent this area, looking for homeless people. It would explain why it’s empty right now.

  The darkness stops me from looking for somewhere else to sleep, so I sit on the bench and quickly curl myself up. I instantly miss the sleeping bag I left back in Phoenix, hating being so out in the open here. I hate not knowing what to expect. I hate that I no longer have Gavin. I hate that my stomach is already craving food. I hate my wet clothes and how they make my whole body shiver. I hate my life.

  “Who the fuck said you could sleep here? I own this park and I don’t recall giving you permission to be in it.”

  I jolt awake and my senses go into overdrive. I’m grabbed by the hair and thrown to the ground.

  “I asked you a question.”

  I squint into the darkness and see four pairs of legs surrounding me. I’m outnumbered. So much for having a quiet first night here.

  “It doesn’t sound like he wants to talk to us, boss,” one of the others surrounding me speaks up.

  I keep my head down. If I have learnt anything from Uncle Sid it is staying quiet and still helps keep the anger from getting worse.

  “Answer me!”

  I receive a strong kick to the ribs and think I might have heard a crack. I flip onto my back and with the dim street light a few meters away I can make out the four silhouetted men. Perhaps silence doesn’t work when they want you to speak. Uncle Sid never wanted to hear me say anything.

  “Sleeping.” I’m surprised by how much it hurts to talk, I feel out of breath and a sharp pain in my side grows worse where the boot had connected with my ribs.

  “Well, this is my park and I say who can and can’t be in it.” Another kick, but this one is to my head.

  My visions swims and I groan when more pain spreads over me. I’m then picked up and two strong arms pin my own arms back behind me. It makes my ribs hurt worse and I can’t catch my breath. Just as I manage to suck in my first breath, I feel the first punch come, striking me straight along my jaw. I think I might get whiplash when my head bounces back from the force. Then the second punch comes and it is straight into my gut. I want to double over in pain, to curl up into a ball and protect myself, but I can’t. Whoever is holding me is strong.

  Punches keep coming and after three more, I don’t bother to count. I begin thinking about Gavin. Will I see him soon? Is there a place that everyone goes to after they die?

  I hear yelling then and try to concentrate on it because whatever is being said makes the hitting stop. Is it a woman’s voice? I can’t make out what she is saying, if it is actually a she, and then I’m suddenly dropped to the ground.

  I hear several footsteps running away from me and someone else’s slowly approaching. My arms are moved, but this time the touch is kinder, softer. I still try to move away from whoever it is, feeling tired, so tired that even though I might be about to die, all I want to do is sleep. I look up into a woman’s face that’s leaning close to mine and her mouth moves, but I can’t hear what she is saying. It doesn’t seem important to listen to her. Her hand slowly comes to my face, but I let the darkness swallow me before I have a chance to flinch away from her touch.