Changed and Renewed

The Beginning and The End

The day was, like any other, quiet and boring. I was driving to work (the rec. Center for swim lessons). I parked and walked inside the building, heading towards the office that had all the instructor's boards. Grabbing mine, I closed the door and turned around to see the life guard standing and looking at me. I jumped, clenching my heart that was beating 3 times the normal pace. Ryan, the lifeguard, bent over laughing dramatically.

"You jumped so high!!!" He exclaimed.

I glared playfully, "That's not funny Ryan! I almost died, you almost killed me!! You are a lifeguard, not a murderer!!!" I playfully scolded him before falling laughing.

He chuckled and we walked back to the employees closet so I could grab a towel.

"You ready for today?" he asked.

"Ha, no, are you? It is the first day of lessons for this session, who knows how many of my kids will try to jump in today." I said back to him smugly.

He laughs and looks at the ground. "Your classes are the only ones doing that." He said. I nod, "I know." we stop talking and walk away from each other. I go into the locker room and get changed into my bathing suit. Looking up, I see a lady with a dog and a car battery charger. She walks by looking around. I quickly slip my sweatshirt over my head, covering my bathing suit. Alexis, another instructor, walks in with her towel around her waist. I tell her about the women with the dog and the car battery charger. We looked at each other and grabbed our clipboards. I head out of the changing room and into the meeting room. Ryan looks at me as I sat next to him.

"There is a sketchy, looking women in the locker room with a dog and a portable car charger." I whispered to him as Alexis walks in.

He furrows his brows in concern, "just a car charger and a dog?" he asks.

Alexis answers quickly," she's just sitting on the bench." By this time, Cristy had just entered the meeting room. "Who is?" She asks.

"This women with a tiny dog and a car charger, she looked so sketchy, and she was looking around to see if anyone was watching her." I said before turning to Alexis. "Did you tell the front desk?" I asked. She nodded, "yea, I even took a picture." I nodded briefly, "Good."

Realizing I left my towel in the said locker room, I followed Cristy and Alexis into the locker room and grab it. I watched the lady quietly while Cristy applied her leave-in conditioner. The lady slowly got up and walked towards us, phone in hand.

"Have you even been lied to and know you're being lied to?" She asked staring at me. I looked at her, "Why" I asked her confused. "Just answer the damn question!" she shouted. "No," I said.

Alexis walked to her locker, "Why, are you being lied to?" She asked the lady. "Well no..." The lady said. "So, you're lying to someone?" Alexis rephrased.

"Don't twist my words!!!" The lady aggressively yelled back. I looked at Alexis and Cristy when I noticed the lady pulling something out of her pocket slowly."

Quietly panicking, I whispered," when you get the chance, run." They nodded and I slowly walked towards her.

"You want to tell me why you would ask a question like that?" I asked with caution.

She stared at me as I came closer and quickly pulled a gun from behind her back "Come any closer and I'll shoot you!!" She sneered.

I put my hands up slowly, taking a couple of steps back. "I don't want to cause any problems..." I said slowly. I heard the girls leave through the door connected to the other locker room.

The lady smirked, "How sweet, you're risking your life for theirs."

I looked at her with a straight face "of course I would, they're my friends."

She chuckles darkly, "too bad you won't be around for them to thank you..." She stated before pulling the trigger of the gun right as I heard the locker room open.