Reckoning in the Sunshine State

Chapter Two

It's dark. I'm crouched behind a metal structure. I can't really tell what it is, but I'm hiding from something. I'm holding my breath and I peek around the corner and notice a silhouette not too far from me. I look at the floor and there is shattered glass all over the floor along with a red sticky substance. My hands tremble and I try not to move when I hear the crunch of glass getting closer. If I move it'll hear me. I look around for something to protect myself with.

There is a gun not too far from me and I cover my mouth trying to hold back my scream. Next to the gun is a police officer sprawled on the floor staring at me with a blank stare. Not moving, not breathing. Tears stream down my cheek apologetic to the man whose life is gone all because I called for help, because of me.

"Nicki, I love you, you know how much I love you and I'm not going anywhere. I respect what we have right now and I understand it can't be more at the moment but it doesn't change the fact that I will always fight for you and will always choose you even if your not showing me at the moment." the voice says and it feels like my chest is about to burst from how fast my heart is racing in fear. I need to go for the gun, it's the only way. Before I can even take a step I feel a sharp pain in my side. I look up and it's him.

"I'm trying to show you that you can rely on me, that's what I'm focused on so stop working against me all the time please." he says taking the knife out of me, I can feel my body getting heavy.

"And you don't seem to care at all," he says before a ringing sound pierces my ear drum. Everything is turning red. I feel myself melting to the floor, I can't breathe, I need to breathe!

I gasp for breath as my eyes open wide staring at my new popcorn ceiling. I can't move. My body is stiff and I have no feeling in my arms or legs. I try to slow my breathing. Tears fall down and enter into my ear. I can move again. I sit up grabbing my phone that is next to me.

It's 5:47 AM, 14% battery left, and two new email notifications. I feel my heart falter. I check my smart watch for my heart rate. It reflects 147 bpm. Shit. I get up from the floor where I had fallen asleep last night. My body is sore and my clothes are drenched in sweat. I feel nauseous and walk to the sink in my bathroom. I take a big gulp of water coughing after the disgusting taste.

That's right, my sister told me not to drink the tap water here in Florida. I turn off the faucet and turn on the shower instead. I jump in and the cold water is refreshing as it sheds some of the stiffness from my body. Once done I go to grab my towel but of course its no longer next to me, I never hung it up after last night's shower.

I try to wipe off as much water off my body as I can and carefully get out to grab my damp towel on the floor. That was something else on my list of things to do today, get more towels. I checked my heart rate again and it went down to 125 bpm. I take off my watch and plug it in to my charge along with my phone remembering I still needed to check my emails.

I open my emails and the most recent email is 5:45 AM sent by another unknown sender.

Good morning,

I've been understanding and respectful throughout all of this and enough time has passed to where we should be able to have more communication. I've done nothing to you to deserve the treatment you've shown me. But of course you choose to find a reason to argue and fight with me per usual and now you wanna ignore me smh

No sender name, but I know who it is. I back out and mark the message as unread and archive it once more.

I look at the second email that was sent at 5:12 AM. It was a response from Loews Hotel upcoming Orientation and Onboarding. Finally, I checked the schedule and Orientation starts on Monday, just a few days away.