Short stories (one shots)

Unpaid Death

Heya guys, so this was one of the stories I've submitted at school but no worries. My friend has bugged me to write this and publish it on here. So here you go and I do hope that it's good. Comment anything good and if you comment bad stuff then I'll just block you.

Ja~

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"...time's up Katy..."
The unknown number and message flashed upon my battered phone. This did nothing to ease my nerves. It has been a long time since I felt safety and reassurance. My salary did nothing to help pay off the debts that drags me down from the world of luxury. Walking down a familiar grime-covered alleyway, it leads me to a series of runs down buildings here in Manchester. The lifestyle I have been living ever since college was down right in poverty. After four long years of college, I was finally about to land my dream job and live my life to the fullest. However, due to family complications my life savings were all poured into repaying bottomless debts. Rats scurry down the road, letting myself wonder how many times I had moved until I settled here. Moving into about seven different cities for three years, I was constantly looking for a better job. That and the fact that I've been running away from loan sharks.
"...Hey there lady. Wanna come with me for the night?"
A random fellow trailed after me. Mumbling a quick 'no thank you', I quickened my pace.
"Perverted jerk."
I was minutes from what I call 'home' at the moment. The inside was as bad as the outside. Walls were stained with mysterious stains, insects crawling everywhere and they did nothing to prevent me from hearing the neighbour's activities at night. Reaching the rusted creaking stairs, I saw all of my belongings packed and stacked outside the cheap apartment.

Tumbling to my belongings, I banged on the door until I noticed a scrunched up paper taped on the wall. Ripping it off from the door, my legs collapsed under me as I thoroughly read the notice.
"Dear tenant,
Your payment for the rent has been three months late. We took the liberty of evicting you for the sake of our business. Please take your belongings and go away..."
Silent tears flow down my cheek, it had happened before but with the job I have I thought it wouldn't happen. I had been depositing money to unknown accounts since my first job. Brushing the tears away, I hauled my belongings with me down the stairs and started to walk away.

Life back in the never sleeping New York City was exhausting but at least I got to live with luxury. It was in my first year when my father started to become more distant. I always thought it was because I was leaving him since my mother died after my birth, or so I've been told. Though, I found the reason why he was so distant with me in my third year. He was gambling all of our money away and kept loosing all of it until he had nothing left and gambled the house and land. It was all hidden from me until I finished my fourth year in college and loan sharks demanded money. Everything was revealed to me. My father had just disappeared and the debt was left for me to pay back. I had countless jobs and moved to different states before finally settling down here in Manchester.
"To think, Manchester was the city of feminism and their soccer team. Yet here I am, walking aimlessly after being kindly evicted out of the most run down apartment in the city." I grumbled as a I reached a small bakery.
A stack of paper had fallen out of my bag and on the cover, it had said the words 'CONTRACT FOR LOAN'. There was no memory or recollection of me signing a loan contact no matter how hard I tried to remember. Sitting myself on a chair outside the warm bakery, I re-read the contract until I found the page of the actual loan. There it spoke about how much the money I borrowed and how many years I had to re-pay it all back. The account of the company was written on it as well but I don't recognise it to the account I've been depositing.
"Wait, so I've been tricked and overdue to repay thus contract." I panicked as I read the consequences.

"...if payment is overdue or not complete, then the one who signs the contract will be eliminated..."
Shivering, I felt a pair of eyes watch my every move from the corner. Suddenly, the man came closer and I could study his features a bit better. The man was definitely more than a foot taller than me and had this typical Spanish god-like aura but maintained a menacing look. He had midnight black locks that any woman would want to run their hands through and a well built body under his expensive Armani suit. His face was chiselled and held an emotionless look, his lips were full for a man and his face shaved clean.
"Bella dama( pretty lady), please come with me," his voice was deep and cold that sent shivers down my spine.
I only looked at him, wondering why would he ever talk to me.
"I'm sorry but, who are you?" I voiced out as I slid further in my chair.
He looked at me with a cold, calculating look before stepping in closer to the table.
"Ms Katy, I'm your CEO and all I want is just some of your time to get properly accompanied with you."
His reason was sketchy but it was definitely better than roaming alone these high rated-crime streets. Nodding my head, I tucked the paper under my arm and dragged my luggage behind me. We started walking down the streets only then did I realise that we were going deeper into the neighbourhood. The streets started to become much darker and the sunlight hardly reached the floor. Silence filled the air with a tension that I could not figure out. My friends always did say I was very naive and that my naivety would cause me trouble and possibly death. I slowly decreased my pace and started to notice where exactly we were. The sounds that filled the air was two pairs of footsteps and the wheels rolling on my suitcase. Ceasing the sounds I create, I immediately started walking away silently from the man as he was on the phone, leaving my belongings behind. I turned around a corner and tripped over my own pair of heels, ripping them off my feet I threw them away and started to run.

Familiarised with the dark-infested streets, I kept on running as I fast as I can. Ignoring the stinging impact the asphalt that digs into my feet. My hair fell from its former bun and cascaded down my back, swinging back and forth with each stride I took. Heavy breathing came out of my mouth and filled the air along with padding from my dread-filled steps. In almost an instant, another pair of footsteps followed the same twisting roads I passed earlier. Looking around in paranoia, I twist my head left and right. Trying to see who was following me and where they were? I eventually lost my directions and ended up in a part of the neighbourhood I don't know. Sweat dripped through my pores as I continue to run despite the lack of knowledge to where I'm going. Gazing through every possible exit there was, this only lead me a dead end without any alleyways to go through. Fear filled my blood as the atmosphere suddenly turned ice cold. My actions became more frantic and I started to retrace my steps back but a silhouette inched closer. Taking steps back from the advancing figure, my whole body stiffens as I feel the brick wall behind me.

*——*——*——*——(change of POV)

Occupying myself with a call, the steps behind me suddenly ceased to a stop and run in another directions.
"I'll call you back," I closed my phone and chased after the girl.
Normally, I would be in my office by this hour. Fixing a few paperwork for the rest to complete. Being a CEO of a high class business and the leader of a gang, I'd have to be pulling the strings from the shadows. Yet somehow, this girl intrigued me when I recently looked through her file. Katy has been working in my company for almost a year and signed a contract for a loan with us. Surprisingly, not a single cent of the loan was paid off in the time limit so I sent someone to investigate. Instead of depositing money in our account, she's  been paying somewhere else. We did retrieve the money back but I had the intent to kill. Seeing her chestnut brown hair swing uncontrollably, made me slow down. Something about her made me feel like I want her to stays alive but my initial intention was clear. Following the padding in these silent streets, my shoes slapped against the concrete slabs. After minutes of following Katy around, I found her backed up against the dead end. She became more frantic and suddenly collapsed on the floor when I stood in the light.
"Please, don't hurt me. I beg you please, sir. Let me go." tears streamed down her face.
Something tugged in my chest, an unknown feeling. It was strange for me to suddenly hesitate to kill someone who defied our rules. Shaking of the unfamiliar feeling, I shook my head and stared at the distraught almost angel-like figure.
"If we only met under different circumstances, I would have kept you but this is unfortunate. I have a reputation to keep up and you're in the way." I took out the gun tucked in my pants and held it at her face.
Her sobs became more distinguishable and it broke my heart in the smallest way.
"Any last words?" I took off the safety and held it straight at her chest.
"Can I at least have your name?" her request made me look at her weirdly but with a dash of amusement as well.
"Alright, the name's Antonio. Nice to meet you Katy." at that I immediately pulled the trigger.

I was glad that I pulled the trigger before I could have any second thoughts of this. Tucking away the gun, I looked back to the fallen victim. Blood had flowed out her mouth while blood was scattered across her face and hair from the impact at the chest. Picking up a strand of her hair, light glowed her face and there was a smile on her face. Immediately dropping the strand of her hair, I dusted my hands and non-existent dirt from my suit. Retracing the steps I took, I went back to where Katy left all of her belongings. Gathering them all, I chucked it in a nearby bin and picked up my phone as I walked away from the scene.
"Are you finished?" a colleague asked.
"Yeah, she won't be a problem for us anymore. Find any single file there is on her and put them away. As if she never existed," ending the call at that.
'...I wish she never did...' I thought before picking up the pace.
Walking towards a nearby cafe, I held my head high with authority but an unusual feeling filled the back of my head.