He claimed to be an accountant, barely out of university and just getting a grip of the reins over his life. She didn't say much about herself, he hadn't asked, but his words did make her reflect on her own life. Had things gone differently, would she have gone to college after graduating high school? But, there was no point in fussing about experiences that would never happen, nor anger towards events that already took place. He had asked her to accompany him to the market, and she had smiled kindly, accepting his offer. He continued turning tales of whimsy, of traveling the world on student exchange and as a volunteer aid through his church, that sent members to countries torn by war to hand out necessary aid and build places to sleep. She was fascinated, his words filled with so much conviction. A man that could enact in such a selfless manner, her interest was certainly piqued.
"Do you live around here?" he asked suddenly
"A few blocks" she responded "It's a building in Collins Heights"
"What a surprise! I live around there myself" he exclaimed, seeming eager to guide her. She felt a little skeptical of that, considering the shoes he was wearing looked like they cost more than her monthly rent. But, she didn't question him about it.
"Perhaps we've run into one another before and just hadn't noticed" she retorted, giving an amiable smile.
"Would you mind if I walked you home, Harmony?" His inquiry surprised her even more, no one had ever offered to do that. She thought about saying no, it was less about the fact that he was a stranger, she always tried to think the best of everybody after all. Her hesitation had more to do with feeling embarrassed about where she lived. She was young, living on minimum wage and within an economy that enjoyed stomping on people like her. Her apartment building was in the depths of Brooklyn, certainly not the safest of areas, but it was home nonetheless. She reasoned that maybe it would be better for her to go home with someone else, rather than walking alone like she usually did. It would be a nice experience, so despite her inner reservations, she nodded, approving his request.
She got up from the grass below, dusting a few stray pieces from her pants, holding Zuni's leash in one hand and the empty paper container where raspberries once occupied. They started down the sidewalk, with cars passing by and other patrons wandering the streets.
The walk wasn't necessarily uncomfortable, perhaps peculiar because she wasn't used to having someone next to her. She followed the same set of turns and crosses she always did. She turned into the alleyway, away from the street. Habit was a petty beast, and the alleyway cut a good ten minutes off the walk back home. It was hot out, and she fully intended to spend the rest of her evening sprawled across the floor of her living room working on another sudoku, the dog snoozing next to her in bliss. She hadn't even realized the vulnerability she had just placed upon herself.
By the time her mind reorganized, they were already a quarter of the way down, stepping across gravel rocks and a few pieces of glinted glass that seemed to come from a beer bottle that someone had shattered. She did notice up ahead, a black, matte car parked to the side of the path. It didn't necessarily pique her interest, people parked in alleyways between buildings all the time.
"I took this shortcut whenever I was late for class at the university, it's never failed me" he spoke, a few strides ahead. There were clotheslines hung above their heads, and the sun looked rather beautiful reflecting through wind gusts and splashing of different fabric colors. She found her head fall, feeling the slight pull on the leash, turning back to sight Zuni sniffing part of a wooden fence. Harmony didn't want to pull her away, so she decided to just stand, wait for the dog to finish her exploration so they could continue. She moved astray from the man, John, to face Zuni, awaiting her to finish sniffing.
It was only a few junctures after she had turned that it all crumbled down. She saw the reach of a hand around her head, holding the cloth, but she hadn't had the chance to react before it was pushed against her face, smothering her nose and mouth. She stumbled back into his chest from the force. The cloth, It smelled like chemicals, with an acetone accent that coated the throat and caused her to cough almost uncontrollably. She tried to push away, fighting with all she had, but weakness seemed to grow every moment. She grabbed at his arm, his hand, attempting to pull it away, but he was simply too strong, and she was too weak. It all happened what felt like so slowly, but it was only a few seconds. Her awareness started to fade, eyes falling to hood against her greater will. The terrified pounding of her heart was all she could sense, accosting her ears. She fell back into him hard, losing all control of her being.
Zuni
YOU ARE READING
His Angel
Romance"You have a name, don't you?" his voice was deep and irritable, but rather calm. Her eyes lifted just slightly, now staring at the edges of dark hair that hung an inch or two from his shoulders. Her lack of answer seemed to annoy him further, she co...
