My hands moved on the old walls, misty gasps leaving my lips. I could still hear his footsteps getting closer. My chest rose and fell, my heart pounding fast. Titus the wrecker wanted my blood.
My leg and shoulder were hurting, there was no way I was going to beat him not with the axe with him. The sound of traffic filled my ears. I was here, in Bema street, the busiest street leading to section Ordit. I finally came to the busy street. I pulled my jacket’s hood on and blended with the thousand people carrying umbrellas.
The corner of my eye, caught sight of Titus who came out the narrow his bloodshot eyes scanning for my presence around the busy street. He couldn’t see me as I moved into the crowd waiting to cross the busy street. I noticed him heading up the busy street.
The traffic light turned green. I moved along the crowd crossing the street. I held my shoulder, moving through the crowd, the divine smell from the exotic restaurants around filled my nose making me aware I hadn’t eaten anything all day.
I moved towards the store written Fregin store, pushing the glass entrance open. I had been in this store a number of times. The elderly woman sat at the counter, reading a comic book. I knew her, Mrs. Chan.
She was a good friend of Zoe. I moved past her heading to the hygiene shelf. My hand pulled the pack of cotton wool and bandages. I then moved for the refrigerator. I opened it and pulled out a the cheapest 500ml bottle of energy drink and closed it meeting my reflexion on the glass door.
Blood on my nose, my eyes blood shot, face swollen and red marks around my neck. That bastard! Realizing I had almost lost my life. I opened the cotton wool and pulled one out wiping my nose before heading to the counter.
My eyes saw the few packs of chips. I pulled one 250g cheese pack of chips and headed for the counter. I placed it on the counter, my hand running through my water proofed jacket, pulling out a few bank notes.
“Need a plastic bag?”
Fuck! My gym bag!
“Hey!”
I snapped out of my terrible realisation. “Ye…Yeah,” I quickly replied.
My Knees sachets and new combat shorts that had been washed had been in there. What now?
“Wait I know you,” she said, putting all the items I had purchased inside the small plastic bag. “You that friend of Zoe, in fact it’s been long since she came here, where is she? Is she alright?”
“You’re mistaken,” I quickly replied placing the two bank notes on the counter and took my plastic bag, heading out.
“Wait I’m certa…”
I was already out. The last thing I needed was answering questions I had no answers of or maybe I did have answers but I didn’t want to talk about them. Somethings were just meant to be kept in the past. The past meaning never revived.
I stopped walking leaning on the wall behind me, under the verandas. My fist ran on the wall. “Fuck you Zoe,” I cursed.
Breaking down now wasn’t something I needed. “Come on Hyphen, pull it together,”
I was angry, angry at myself. My fist moving away from the wall and ran inside my jacket’s pocket.
I pulled out my phone. I switched it on. 9:20pm. I was running late. “Fuck,” going to my contacts.
Whether I wanted or not, I needed help. I went through my contact list with only four contacts. Morgen, Hito, Jason and Zoe. I quickly went to Zoe’s contact. I stared at it for a few seconds, looking at the photo of me and her in a stripper club during my birthday, which I had saved on the contact.
I had been happy, drinking and dancing all night celebrating my birthday with a person I had called a friend. I could still smell her grape scent, still hear her gasps and warm strong touch. I quickly deleted it. I had to move on.
I was done sobbing over something that wasn’t mine. I started calling Hinto. I placed my phone over my ear, biting my lower lip while I heard it ring from the other side. I was screwed!