The Call

Tick Tock

I watch the birds tweet, on a Friday morning, and I sip my Mocha while I sit on a bench. It's been a week and the stranger hasn't been in touch yet, I'm taking this as a good sign and I'm guessing it was just a prank call... right? I mean what would a man, who I've never met in my entire life, threaten me using my mom. It's got to be a wicked joke from my cousins or something.

I breath in the flowery scent and watch a little girl, no older than 6, crying as she approaches me. I furrow my eyebrows in confusion and look around to notice no one is here except for me.

"I-I'm l-lost." The girl says in between sobs. I place my coffee on the bench before getting off and crouching to her height.

"What's your name, sweetie?"

"S-Sadie."

"Do you remember what the place your mommy and daddy were sitting at looked like?" I pitifully watch her cry her heart out before answering me.

"I-it h-had s-so many f-f-flowers a-and it h-had a s-s-swing." Her teary blue eyes begging me for help.

I immediately understand what place she is describing. I stand back up straight and take her tiny hand in mine. I lead her through the running track to a small area, filled with bushes of roses, with a big swing in the middle. I look around and spot no one, and just as I'm about to say something, the kid pulls back her hand and starts sprinting towards the nearby park-like-forest.

"HEY KID, COME BACK!" I run behind her.

She continues running for a while before finally stoping, and she starts to hug a figure, who's back is turned to me, standing in the middle of nowhere. I cautiously advance towards them when the man faces me and a glimpse of a smirk is shown on his face as he hides in the shadows of the trees.

"Good job, Sadie." A very familiar deep voice says.

My eyes widen in realization.

It's the freaking man from the phone.

I unsheathe a dagger that was concealed beneath my sleeve, and I adjust my grip on it to get into a throwing stance.

"Tsk tsk tsk. Now there is a child here, so why don't we put that away." I don't release my tight hold on the dagger as I briefly look at Sadie who looks anything but scared.

"Sadie, sweetie that man is bad. Come here so I can protect you." I watch her tighten her fists on the man's pants causing it crumple slightly.

"Daddy, what is that girl talking about?" Sadie look up at the man, no looks up at her father. No this can't be right. No no no this can't be happening.

How the hell could I fall to a such stupid trap!

"D-dad?" I stammer and apparently that was funny enough that the creepy guy started laughing.

I start breathing heavily, this can't be real. What the hell does this man want from me. I gulp and look around to see if anyone is there, and I end up with no one. My palms start getting sweaty and I can tell I'm on the verge of a panic attack.

No Luciana! not now! Focus!

"Since you aren't putting that weapon down, I guess this is my only choice." He pushes his daughter behind him and covers her eyes with his leg before pulling out a gun, I didn't notice, from his waistband.

I attempt to calm down to thundering heart, but it feels impossible. I carefully regard him as he aims the gun straight at my chest.

"T-this is wrong," I gulp, "I'll do anything, please." I certainly don't want to get shot and this psycho I over is... let's just say he's a maniac.

"That's the spirit!" He grins like a little child that has just gotten candy.

"Now let's get started," he clears his throat with the gun still aimed at me, "I need you to steal an apple for me."

I blink at him as my tiny brain comprehends what he just said.

"Wait, that's it?" I question hesitantly. To me stealing an apple is child's play. He just nods at me before adding more.

"There is a bomb connected to your house and I have the remote to activate it, you get 1 hours starting now to get the apple, and if you don't get me the apple to this exact spot back in time... then boom." He beams from ear to ear, sadistically.

I hear what he says in horror, with dread and fear settling into my stomach, as he walks away with his daughter awkwardly following behind him. I hastily grab my phone before setting an alarm. It's currently 8:54 in the morning, I take one quick picture of the place so I don't forget the location before I sprint to the nearest market, which happens to be 8 minutes away.

I reach the Byward market and abruptly enter. I pave my way into the fruits aisle and start my search for apples. I eventually find it and quickly stuff one under my baggy sleeve when no one's looking.

I set out for the door when the advertisement lady stops me.

"Aren't you gonna buy anything, we've got all kinds of sweets and chocolates. I'm sure we can find something you'd like." The lady says, with false sweetness.

"Uhhh no, I'm in a bit of a hurry." I give her a quick response before proceeding and getting out of the market.

I take a quick Look at my smartwatch screen that displays the timing of 7:08, which mean 46 minutes left. I'm about to start sprinting again when I hear someone talking to the security guard.

"I saw that girl, over there in the blue sweatshirt, steal an apple." I hear a man say in a hushed tone while pointing at me.

Seriously man, hasn't your mom taught you not to point at others, that's mean!

I bolt away just as the guard starts following up close and shouts at me to stop. Obviously I ignore his orders and urge me legs to move faster.

I run towards nowhere when I reach a dead end in an alley.

"Now ma'am, I need you to come with me."
The guard approaches me slowly as if I'm a rabid animal.

I look back at the wired fence-like-wall before I start climbing it. I hear stomps of boots behind me as the guard's hand brushes my ankle just when I successfully reach the other side of the wall. I land perfectly onto the pavement, on the other side, and I stick out my tongue at him before I go back to running.

I look at my watch again to read the time which happens to be 7:26. I had no idea I was running from that guard for 18 minutes, I open GPS to see which way the park is since I was running aimlessly. The app shows that I should just move straight before taking my first right and viola. I start running again while checking how far the park is and I nearly trip when I read the answer.

Holy shit, it's 23 minutes away, I had no idea I ran that far.

I hasten back to running and take my first right. I pass shops and markets in a blur and I start seeing the outline of the park. Come on I've got this, only 5 minutes left to go. I scurry towards the forest and it takes me a good 3 minutes to find the spot I was appointed to place the apple at.

I see a silhouette of the man, holding a remote, and I near him. I shove the apple into his palm and collapse on the floor, taking greedy gulps of breath. My cheek digs into the small rocks, just as the man starts laughing. I get back up and glare at him.

"You think this is funny!? YOU'RE A FREAKING PSYCHOPATH!?" I shake my head at him.

"Good job, Luciana. This was just to test your abilities, the real thing begins soon." And just like the first time I've meet him, I see him grin under the shadows that obscure him, while he leaves and takes a bite of the crunchy apple.

"Nice apple by the way!" He munches on the red crisp apple.