untitled

Minding my own business

Walking down a dark alleyway wasn't one of my favorite things to do at 3 am. In fact, it wasn't one of my favorite things to do, period. It's dirty, smells of urine, trash and god knows what else. I shudder at the thought of cockroaches and rats scurrying around in the dark corners of the doorways lining the alleyway. However, it was a necessary evil if I was going to stay out of the way of prying eyes who would like to do nothing better than to find me alone at this time of night.

Not that I am scared of a good fight or anything. I may be a female and 23 years old but I more than know how to take care of myself. In fact, I'm not really a normal twenty -something. I have a natural ability to defend myself, am a little stronger than is normal for my age and curvy build. Most people are taken aback when they see me in action. (Not that I go out looking for fights or anything). My features aren't conventionally pretty either but I guess my ability to flirt without knowing it and slightly exotic features are enough to attract men of all ages (women sometimes too). I have dark, almost black hair which is slightly wavy and curly and down to my shoulders. My eyes are a shade of green that look like marble with a gold ring around the pupils. My lips are thin but pouty and my eyelashes are to die for they are so long. I don't need to wear makeup because my porcelain colored skin is flawless.

As I was walking down this nasty alley lost in my thoughts, I failed to notice I was being followed. I crinkled my nose as a pungent smell hit my nostrils and snapped back to reality to take in the change in my surroundings.I turned my head nonchalantly as I didn't want whoever was making that horrible scent notice me. I noticed a shadow flickering in a door way, moving so fast that I wasn't sure I had even seen it to begin with. I shrugged my shoulders and kept walking, figuring I was only smelling a decomposing rat or something.

I was headed home after bartending for a friend of mine and didn't want to be confronted by a particularly rough group of guys who seem to have it out for me in this neighborhood. They usually hang in groups of two and three doing things that riff raff normally do on the weekends. Ya know, bother pretty girls, get drunk, deface public property and yell threats at those who they are intimidated by... The usual. Of course, I fall into the first and last categories so I forever have to fight off advances by men that I am not even remotely interested in. In fact, I don't really date much at all. I don't feel the need to prance around in whorish outfits and lead men on for alcohol or gifts or whatever it is that you get out of dating. And I definitely am not ready for anything physical. I'm by no means a virgin but I feel the need to wait for something more... Solid. I feel like something is out there for me beyond this city of thugs, whores and the oblivious "upper class".

All of a sudden a metal trash can behind me toppled over, creating a huge clanging noise which echoed down the alley way. "Hmm, maybe what I thought was a rat was a bit bigger....," I thought to myself. I slowed my walking enough to get ready to confront whoever was following behind me in the alleyway. I am not naive, and whoever is sneaking in the shadows obviously is up to no good. A normal person doesn't slink in corners if they are just out walking.
Focusing on the sounds of the alley and town around me, I silently mapped out my surroundings. I knew from the sounds that there were not many people out at this hour, not even drunks leaving the bar would venture this far. Buses weren't running at this time of night and there were barely any cars on the road. I knew that on the off chance of me needing back up, I would have to be win-the-mega-million type of lucky. I listened for footsteps or breathing to see if I could get an idea of where the person was behind me before I turned around and confronted them. I knew without knowing exactly what was behind me and what their intentions were that I was in potential danger. What twenty three year old female wouldn't be in danger in this situation? We don't live in a good world and as tough as I am, I do not want to test my skills out in a rank alley way with no one to call for help. 

I sighed. Trouble always had a way of finding me and I suppose that I should just get this over with. "Hello?!", I said loudly, "I know you are there so you might as well come out now and stop hiding in the shadows like a huge rat!". I knew better than to taunt someone who could be potentially dangerous but I was never one to back down from a challenge and I didn't want to give off the vibe that I was a timid or victim. I waited for an answer as I turned around to stare into the dark shadows behind me. Did I mention that I hated alley ways? They stunk, they were dirty and just not conveniant for anything other than crime. I hoped that I wouldn't regret taking the alley way just because I did not want to be inconvenienced. 

I could see someone starting to slink out of the shadows. A male appeared, covered in filth from the top of their dirty blonde hair to the tips of their brown- or possibly white- sneakers. He stopped in the middle of the alley way and stared at me, sneering. I could see that he had spittle on the cornor of his mouth and dark circles under his eyes. His face was pale and his eyes rimmed with red as if he'd been up all night drinking-- which in this part of town was most likely true. He took a staggering step forward towards me. "Hello there pretty lady," he slurred, "I didn't mean to startle you, I just wanted to see what a girl like you was doing in such a run down place. You don't belong here. There are ...things here." I rolled my eyes, thinking to myself how lucky I was to try to avoid a group of drunks just to end up being followed by an extra creepy, smelly drunk in an alley way. "Well, I appreciate the concern but I don't think following me is a great first impression. I'm just going to be on my way..." I took a step back, hoping that this would be the end of the conversation....

***A/N - I am going to try to do my best to keep updating and adding when I can. I have hit a writers block. Please any comments, suggestions or anything would be great!****