Love the Pawn or Pawn the Love.

Chapter 2

Athena heard a beep on the other line after the emergency operated reassured her help is on route to her location. She was struggling to breath and stood with the public phone's filthy earpiece in her hand while staring into nowhere. Her daydream, or rather nightmare, was interrupted by an old lady rudely saying, "Excuse me, are you going to stand there forever?"

Athena dropped the phone and it swung around by its chord. She slowly turned around and pushed past the grumpy old lady, who was still mumbling insults towards Athena.

Athena's legs carried her a few paces and then she went to stand with her back against a mirrored-glass-wall of a tall skyscraper in the downtown area. She slowly and carefully glided down with her back against the glass until she felt the cold pavement chilling down her backside. Athena's heart began beating noticeably slower and her small figure started shaking. Her lips started turning purple, her skin reached an even whiter tone and small parts of her wet nightgown started icing. It was freezing outside and Athena's body could not keep up anymore.

Her soft sobs drowned in the sound of police-sirens cutting through the ice-cold night sky. Her body was now shivering irrepressibly and she gently drifted away into a state unconsciousness, though she had vivid flashbacks.

She remembered how excited she was to start her internship at a political campaign in her first year of law-school. That morning she jumped out of bed and whistled cheerful songs as she showered. The warm water streaming down her body made her realise that her life was perfect at that point in time. She danced around in the shower while shampooing her hair and soaped her body. Athena was in the middle of rinsing down her body and auburn locks when the shower's warm, soothing water got substituted with ice-cold water. She screamed of shock caused by the sudden change in temperatures. "Okay, everything in my life is perfect, except for this dump of an apartment I live in." she admitted to herself while smiling. After she quickly finished showering she wrapped a towel around her body and hair before looking at the clock on her bedside table. 6:15 AM it read. She only had to be at her summer office at 8:30. Athena clearly remembered this part because her clever freshman-self thought that there is more than enough time left to get ready and she laid her head down on the pillow. It was not long before she was fast asleep.

A very irritating bird woke her up, with its screeching, a whole two hours later.

Athena remembered how her hair was looking as if she was coming fresh out of a hurricane and she had slept on an embroidered part of her pillow and that pattern was imprinted on her face.

Athena's trip down memory lane, whilst almost fully unconscious, was disturbed by a police officer poking her around with the butt of a handgun. She grasped for breath and tried to let out a scream, but the officer's hand covered her mouth.

"It's okay young lady, we are here to help you not hurt you!" the calming voice of the ebony officer washed over Athena like a wave of relief just before she began to drift away again. The officer asked one of his colleagues how far out the medical team was and Athena once again relived the events of that day a few years ago.

She remembered how she rushed towards her cupboard and grabbed a pair of bright-orange capri-pants. She filed through her more precious garments and took out a spacious black transparent blouse to wear over a tight fitting sleeveless top. A comb met her hair briefly and she stormed out of her apartment on her stiletto-heels and her hands filled hair-accessories to put on in the cab.

Athena very well remembered storming through the campaign-office doors and interrupting the daily-briefing. Everybody's eyes were on her and the unattractive man speaking to the employees signalled her to sit down. After the meeting was over the personnel dispersed into many different directions and the man called her to the front.

"You must be Athena Bayswater?" he asked.

"Baywater, and yes, I am the new intern in legal!"

Athena could not remember the man's next words but the next thing she knew she was filing documents in the office of the handsome man on the electoral poster covering a whole wall in the main room.

An emergency medical team woke Athena up once again. This time around Athena was too confused too be scared. They wrapped her in a shiny thermal blanket and moved her onto a hospital gurney. The local bomb-squad examined the device attached to her body and the officers started blocking of the streets and redirected traffic. Soon enough the news-companies arrived, but Athena wasn't aware of anything. She drifted off one last time.

Athena remembered the handsome man entering his office and asking her who she was. After clearing out who she was and what role she would play in the office for the next few weeks the man reached out his hand to introduce himself

"Sivan Carr, pleased to meet you." He said whilst gripping her hand gently. His almond-shaped dark brown eyes was pulling Athena closer and his short cut brown hair was perfectly styled.

Athena's heart skipped a beat and she felt butterflies blooming in her stomach. She fought with every little ounce of power in her not to be the girl in an old worn out cliché-movie. She was an independent and strong women and did not need a knight in shining armour to save her. Her internal dispute quickly stopped when she saw a puzzled face connected to the hand she is holding.

 "Athena Baywater, sorry I... my mind was elsewhere."  She replied.

Athena quickly took her coffee mug and walked out of the office. She clearly remembers how she walked to the bathroom, whilst biting her lip so that she would not smile from ear to ear, and locked the door. She leaned with her back against the wall and regained her breath.

"No Athena, this cannot be happening. You cannot be falling in love with a married man running for senator." She whispered to herself whilst tugging her blouse around until it looked neatly.

Athena's flashback got interrupted when she quickly opened her eyes as a result from the searing pain in her chest. She stopped breathing and her eyes fell dead shut.

"She is coding!" the paramedic yelled.