The Great Awakening

Chapter 2

            The time was 10:50pm as Melissa treaded through the hall of her house, walking up to the door of Jayden’s room. She gently turned the knob, opened the door silently and peered in. Jayden was sound asleep on his side with one arm slid underneath his pillow and the other in front of his face. She took a moment to watch her son sleep peacefully, for it was one of the only times he was truly at peace. Especially since the society had everyone working all the time, and even students like Jayden weren’t exempt.

            She shut the door silently as she realized that time is of the essence. The next place she walked into was her bedroom, where she went to the wardrobe and pulled out a black-hooded sweater and black skinny jeans. It was a dangerous world outside and even more dangerous at night. At least in the day, you could see all of the angles around you. At night, not so much. She then placed the clothes on the bed, taking a deep breath as she stared at it. This is fucking insane, she thought. Should I do this? Is it worth it? She contemplated each possible scenario that she could think of, mentally preparing herself for any danger. It was always something she did before leaving the house, but she never left the house at night. It was like venturing into uncharted territory; she now didn’t know what to expect.

            After not even moving for a couple of seconds as she continued to stare at her raven sweater and jeans, she sighed. I’m fucking insane for even doing this. It was important. He wouldn’t have called her if it wasn’t. That phone call was actually the first she had heard from him in sixteen years.

            She finally mustered the courage to put the sweater on, and then she walked quietly over to stand by their front door, where she had previously left her Identification Card, her keys and her pocket knife. She contemplated about her decision once more. Last chance to walk away… Her hand shook as she reached for the items, and gulped as she touched them. Her thoughts of doubt and fear echoed through her mind as she quickly forced her body to ignore them, pocketing the items and quickly, but quietly, opening the door and shutting it behind her.

            Fifth and Brennan. That was quite the walk away. Still, Melissa trudged through the dark city streets, which was only partially illuminated by the streetlights and the moonlight. With little police enforcement, this part of AngelCity was a criminal haven.

 Throughout the entire walk, she had her hands in her coat pockets, where she held the concealed blade. She kept a calm exterior, but her heart was pounding like it wanted to tear itself out of her own chest and make an effort to escape, which was similar to what Melissa wanted to do at this exact moment. Every sound made startled her, forcing her to clutch the knife tightly enough to make an imprint on her hand. After taking in a few relaxing breaths, she finally checked her watch. 11:45. Fuck. She quickened her pace as she approached the upcoming apartment buildings. Fifth and Brennan wasn’t too far away, but she had to make it there quickly. She could feel the presence of an evil entity watching her.

She had reached Fifth and Brennan at precisely 12:00 pm, and surveyed the area. The street was a four-way intersection, with abandoned buildings on each corner. The walls had been painted over white, and even the blank slates were signs of terror for Melissa. But there were more pressing matters on her mind: he wasn’t here. Why wasn’t he here? He is never late, nor is he early. He arrives precisely at the time he gives, but he wasn’t there. It was then that the terror of the situation began to sink in: she was alone in the center of the criminal haven, with only a pocket knife to protect her.

She heard footsteps coming from around her. Oh no! As if she was stalked by a vicious predator, she stayed still, trying to not emanate her fear. She clutched the knife tighter. The footsteps came closer, and with one fell swoop, she pulled the blade from her coat pocket and swung in the direction in which the footsteps were the closest. She had hoped that the knife would connect with some skin, but it didn’t. Her wrist was intercepted and her entire arm was twisted behind her back, forcing the knife to be dropped from her hand. She winced as she was slammed against the cold white brick wall, chest first. “Now what’s a pretty lady like you doing alone at this hour?”