Lovers Lane

Chapter 1

“Get back here, you jerk!” I yelled while running after him

“You’ll never catch me alive, skippy!”

I sped up a little and jumped onto his back

“Oh really, because I believe I just did.” I whispered into his ear and smiled. He grabbed my legs to hold me up

“Well I believe that I let you win”

“Sure you did Anthony, Sure you did.”

“ I did!” he turned his head and flashed me his million dollar smile.

I jumped off his back and grabbed his shoulders

“ you keep thinking that” I smiled back and walked away from him.

“Jenelle! What the hell girl” Anthony said and grabbed my arm, “ you can’t go all mysterious on me yet.”

“ I won’t, I won’t. but I have to go Anthony, I’ll call you later.” I smiled again

“Alright. At seven.” he let go of my arm and waved as he walked the other way down the street. He always wondered why I would stop hanging out so early but it took a long time to walk home.

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I stopped at the diner that I went to every day

“Hey Cindy” I said as I sat down at he counter

“Hey Sweetie. How was your day?” Cindy said as leaned over the counter and gave me a kiss on the forehead

“ It was good I guess. I hung out with Anthony today” I played with the napkin holder in front of me.

“That’s nice, he’s a nice boy, has a nice family too. Dad’s a sergon. Did you know that?” she said as she poured an older man another cup of coffee. I shook my head. “ Well maybe he didn’t want you to see him differently. Do you want something to eat?” she looked over her wire-framed glasses at me.

“Of course, the usual.” I said placing some napkins in front of me. She nodded slightly, her blonde hair moving along with it.

“ You’re cherry pie, how could I ever forget.” she shot me a smile and I smiled back.

“ That smile, I swear,” she began, “ it could get anyone with a blink of an eye, right baby?” I shrugged.

She set my food down in front of me and leaned against the counter again.

“ You walking home again tonight, Sugar?” Cindy said.

I nodded and she sighed.

“ Jenelle, you know what I think about you walking all the way home in this town. It’s not safe. I never know what could happen to you, I never know if you will walk in here again tomorrow. I never know if I’ll see my favorite little girly in all of this universe. This place just isn’t right for a kid like you. You see when I was younger, down in New Orleans, everything was safer, everybody loved each other. They don’t call it the big easy for nothing’ Sugar.” Cindy said pulling off her glasses and looking at me

“ I know Cindy, I know. But nothings ever happened to me. I’m a smart girl” I took a bite of my pie and she stared at me.

“Baby, just be careful ok. It’s getting darker everyday. just take the main streets.” I looked up at her.

“Alright well I have to go but I’ll see you tomorrow” I smiled at her and grabbed my brown coulderoy bag.

“ok sweetie, but be careful.” she gave me another kiss on my forehead and handed my a five dollar bill.

“ because i know your mom won’t give you it. Be good sugar.” she shooed me out of the door .

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I skipped down the cement stairs outside of the diner and walked quickly across the dirt parking lot. I should at least respect Cindy’s wish to get home quickly.. Or whatever she had said.

I cut though the little patch of woods off of the parking lot.

‘Easy-peasy’ I though, ‘Cindy had nothing to worry about’

I moved fast and skillfully; I knew these trails like that back of my hand.

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It didn’t take long for me to make it back to the uptown streets. I had already walked for about fourty-five minutes and I still had another half an hour to go.

‘why do I torture myself with this’ I though.

I jumped across the open manhole on the sidewalk and turned down the alley that would lead me to the right part of town.

I hear someone move around by the dumpster to the right of me.

‘probably just some homeless person,’ I though, ‘ not big deal.’

I began to walk a little faster anyway. Not worth taking the risk.

“Well look at who we have here” a man said.

I turned around. ‘ oh god no.’ I thought.

“ A lovely young lady taking a little stroll tonight, I see? Well isn’t that just precious”

I tried to squint through the darkness to see who it was

“Leave me alone.” I said.

I heard him chuckle “ You probably hope I will right? But guess what sweetheart,” he began to walk towards me “ I won’t.”

I tried to turn around to run but the man grabbed my arm

“Not so fast.” he said.

“Who the hell are you?” I said trying to see his face.

He leaned toward me and whispered, “Your worst nightmare.”

And then, it all went black.