Watch Your Back, Mother

Prologue

"Yes, Auntie, I'm fine. Yes. Ye- yes, Auntie. Oka- okay, goodbye. I love you, too."
   Noreen smiled as she hung up the phone, sliding it into the pocket of her new skinny jeans. She shivered and tugged her grey cardigan tighter around her body. Unused to the chill of New York in early Autumn, she had forgotten to dress accordingly, and had left her new apartment wearing blue high heels, a soft grey cardigan over her favorite royal purple t-shirt, and a cheap pair of skinny jeans she'd found on sale the previous week.
"Jeans, t-shirt, and a leather jacket? At this time of night? Smooth move, Collins!" The redhead scolded herself, though she grinned at the satisfying clack, clack, clack of the heels of her boots on the sidewalk.
   She turned her head to the left, admiring the brick road beside her. She slowed down gradually until she had completely stopped, never taking her eyes off of the bricks. There was something about the color, but she couldn't quite figure it out.
   An image flashed across her mind: a little boy, he looked to be about seven or eight years old. He had fair skin, and brownish red hair- almost the color of bricks- which he brushed out of his eyes while he colored at a small table.
   The image disappeared. "No..." Noreen muttered, quickly resuming her walk, though she picked up her speed. Another image flitted in front her: A gloved hand... grabbing the boy's shoulder.
   Noreen started running, her eyes moving in every direction, but she knew that nothing would stop the movie playing in her thoughts. There was nothing she could do but stand there, staring in terror at the little boy's pleas for help. "No... please, no..." she whispered in horror as the boy's cries stopped abruptly.
   Noreen's head was pounding, she shook her head as she felt the blood pumping through it, muttering, "No, no, no." She saw the boy's blood splatter across his paper, and fell to her knees. The horrified woman screamed, it could only have lasted seconds, but it felt like hours to the redhead.
   When it was over, windows in the surrounding buildings were lighting up and she could hear concerned shouts coming from down the block. So, she did what she had to do... she ran.