A Silent Lullaby

Chapter 3-In The Present

You were fortunate to catch her; because a few days later she would... pass... in specific ways.

***

Lyn Richardson was a student. She took classes at Krye Park University. Although the university wasn't on the outskirts, it was right on the city limits. It couldn't have gone, it was the only source of college education for miles around. During the mass evacuation, the question was brought up: what of the college? It was debated whether or not to close it down or run the risk of allowing it to continue operation. Arguments were made and exchanged but leave it, the mayor said to his council. Krye Park University was no source for terrorists. It didn't produce them; there will be no use. It continued to be a busy center for classes that resembled auditoriums, teachers who didn't know their students well, sororities and fraternities that held parties until the early morning hours when the guests were so inebriated and wasted that they had to crash on the floor of the large group home.

It scared her sometimes, just thinking about it. The area near the school usually had vacant and empty streets. Who knows what kind of 'whack-jobs' lived in those parts of the city? On the outskirts. Still, she wasn't all that daft either, she knew the poor homeless (those who didn't have enough to sustain themselves or those who couldn't afford the expensive cost of housing in the metropolitan) resided there. It was empty and unkempt housing block after block and street after street. She wondered why no one else decided to 'rebel' and returned to their old residence. Oh, that's right– A week or so earlier she had witnessed a back a pair of police officers, one male, and one female, wearing the KPPD letters on their uniform, leading (dragging–a bit of excessive force was visible) out a man onto the sidewalk looking worse than a dog who rolled in mud than grass to the police car parked on the other side of the street. The policemen don't patrol often, however, but when they do, they look and look until someone is found. And they usually were (rest assured that Azod is secure), and dragged from their temporary residence into the car of nightmares, empty, waiting for its next victim to take them away permanently, and into a holding cell with no one to bail them out; no one to go to.

Lyn would always feel remorse. Of course, she was human. But something else would remind her and bring her back into reality: that it was the law; residence in the outskirts was strictly against city statute.

But ever since the mass evacuation, she wasn't so worried about other things happening, she has been going to this university for two years now and nothing bad had ever happened.

And, even though it may be in a 'bad' part of the town, don't let this university fool you. Don't let this 'town' fool you.

Though regarding her classes, Lyn was just scraping by as it is, and soon here in the next week, her exams for her courses are coming up. It seems to her that she bit off a little more than she could chew. When picking a profession, no one really thinks about the challenge it takes to achieve the dream career more than the money. Lyn wanted (and still wants) to go into psychology. She had a knack for helping people; or was it just listening to people's problems? Anyways, she loved it. One night in her middle school years, she had been on the couch, on her computer looking for potential careers (she wanted to get ahead and already had a plan) when she came across the field of psychology. She saw the course work: AP courses in psychology, statistics, science, or research and for college: a doctoral degree—either a Ph.D., PsyD, or EdS. But what caught her attention was the fact that psychologists could make up to six figures a year. She saw it and boom. She questioned herself and compared her ability to help others in need to her moments in school when she would help her friends with personal trouble. Her countless advice-giving. One of her...acquaintances, Casey from her science class. He was never the best behaved at home, and there were always arguments and conversations between him and his parents. It was not good, he would show up to school always in an emotional wreck or at times, having a meltdown right there in class. Once Lyn caught the ear of this, since rumors started to spread like wildfire, she went to him and wiggled her way into his inner circle. Gaining his trust so she could see for herself and assist him and his situation.