Seven (Completed)

CHAPTER 5 ~ The city

'I understand,' the man said. 'Thank you. Will you allow me to treat you with a small gift to show my appreciation?' he asked and started towards the back of the store. Mr. Freedenberg returned with a small, blue packet in his hand, the size of a small notebook. He handed it to Anne with a smile and she noticed the wrinkles at the sides of both his brown eyes.

She looked down at the object inside her hands. It was cool but not cold and it seemed to contain a double layer of paper inside it.

'It's not the sweetest kind,' the man said. 'But it's still chocolate.'

***

Anne exited the store with wings on her feet. Her parents did not expect her to return home right away because they knew she loved to look around the big city. She walked with her head held up and, despite her shyness, smiled at everyone she passed by. 'People treat you how you treat them,' she thought to herself and brought the image of the store keeper in her mind. 'He probably has a wife and a kid too. He could use the money.' Anne felt generous; she was important in her own little way.

Being lost in her train of thought, Anne failed to see the bicycle that was trying to pass in close proximity of her body and when she finally did, she scratched her left wrist to its side. Anne rubbed her forehead but she had no time to spend on negative thoughts.

The traffic light with the little man on it became green and Anne joined the big group of pedestrians crossing the wide street. She somehow felt like she belonged there.

The bag has started feeling heavy on her right hand so she shifted its weight to her left without slowing down her pace. Anne reached the fire station and waved at the people working there as she passed by them. She knew her parents' house was close but she refused to let her walk end. She took a left turn instead of a right one and found herself in a narrow alleyway that ended in a deserted square.

The wooden bench she sat on seemed ideal as she could watch the people pass by while slowly enjoying her dark chocolate bar. A woman was jogging, her hand folded around a green parcel. A minute later, a group of loud children ran and joked around with each other. The chocolate bar was gone sooner than she had expected, sooner that she would have liked it to end.

She picked up the brown bag from next to her and headed home, her eyes still sparkling under the sunlight.

***

She pushed the door lightly and it swung open with a sound extremely familiar to her. Carlos was startled for a moment but smiled as soon as he saw her face.

'Sonia, oh, hey!'

'Your ... your mother let me in but I can leave if you're busy.'

'No, no. Always a pleasure. Are you gonna come in or-?' he asked. Sonia's eyes were glowing, her lips were parted and Carlos also noticed her left hand was shaking. 'Sonia?' he asked, sure his friend was upset, and got up to reach her side.

He tilted his head to find her face behind the messy strands of hair that hid it.

'What's the ma-what happened to your face?' he asked loudly and pushed aside strands of tangled, dark brown hair with his fingertips. He immediately noticed the bloody scar on the right side of her forehead. For every passing second without an answer his heart was beating faster and faster to the point he was sure it would tear his chest apart.

'Answer me!' he yelled and his voice cracked, making Sonia shiver.

'Please don't shout at me,' Sonia whispered and the first tear started running from the curve of her cheekbone to the end of her chin while she was staring at her feet.