Tainted Hearts (rewriting)

trouble

I had given up. It's been days since my last talk with Daniel, and I haven't made a single effort to talk with him again ever since. I've barely even left my apartment, today was my first day out into the real world after an entire week.

Marcus must've sensed something was wrong my last shift because he had told me to take a week off and left no room for argument.

That was our deal. Marcus knew I struggled with a lot and that I didn't have the best past. When I confided in him that I had quit therapy a couple years back to focus more on my lessons and my job, he made me promise that I'd let him know right away when things got too overwhelming.

Finishing up my shift, I cataloged the last of the days inventory and stacked the boxes neatly into the storage room. I went to bid Marcus a farewell but he was in a lesson with a student so I left without a word.

Taking my usual route back to my apartment, I stopped when I heard a familiar voice. Looking up through the crowd I could spot the familiar boy a few feet ahead of me. I didn't need to see the front of his face to know it was Daniel. He was walking besides a heavy set man about five inches taller than him, engaged in conversation.

Somewhere deep in the back of my mind I could hear faint shouts to keep on moving and just go home, but it just wasn't loud enough to steer me away. I wasn't trying to be creepy or anything, I just wanted to make sure he was okay.

This was the first time in a long time that'd I had made an effort to create a connection with somebody and I couldn't just back down now. At least not before he heard what I had to say.

I followed behind him as he slipped into a dark alley. My insides tossed and turned as the alley grew darker and colder, I was beginning to regret my decision.

Danny stopped in front of another man hidden in a hoodie, and pulled a large stack of cash from his pocket. Creeping behind a garbage bin, I watched the two exchange goods until my traitorous foot slipped causing the bin to crash on to the ground with an echo.

Shit. I tried my best to slowly back out of the alley until I felt my back hit something hard. Looking behind me, a very large and scary man stood blocking my path while another pointed a gun at my head.

I was utterly fucked.