Crimson Lights

Anna and Samar

Hearing that such a person worked in a brothel was quite surprising for Anna (not that she knows anything about the woman) and yet, her mind was intrigued as well.

Anna stood there, rooted to her spot. Her mind started racing, wondering if what she had just heard was true.

"Why are you standing there still? Is it that shocking to you?" the woman asked.

Anna tried to gather her thoughts, still wanting to sound sane but not entirely trusting that she could.

"Well not really, it's just confusing to me," she admitted. "All this is."

"Well, for all we know, you could be one too, seeing as you have no recollection of your past."

"I see. You have a point there."

When Anna stayed silent, the woman huffed an impatient breath.

"Come on, what does that change about your knowledge of me? You barely even know me yet you've already made assumptions? Did I suddenly grow fangs or something?"

"What I know about you then and now didn't change; I don't even know your name..."

"It's Samar," she cut in halfway.

"Oh..." Anna rolled the words on her tongue, testing the foreign feel of the words and liking the taste of it. It was as mysterious and seducing as was her scent.

"Anna..." Samar called, pulling her out from her imagination.

Anna was mortified with the direction of her thoughts. What was wrong with her?

"I just don't understand, you see. I mean I've seen others like you out and about before, but they never looked like you. They all seemed ... empty? They took one look at me and then went about their usual business. No one took interest in me before, not the way you are right now."

Samar was quiet for a while; contemplating the question she was being asked. Anna studied the profile of Samar, wondering if there was more than meet the eye when it concerns the woman who stood in front of her. Surely there was something off here. Of course, Anna knew she was suspicious as well.

Having no recollection of her memory yet conveniently having an ID that provided the necessity for her was as dumbfounding as having no recollection of her memory and spending her time wandering the streets. She knew others wouldn't find her trustworthy as well.

"Sometimes certain things in life have no answer. It's the same as your predicament. It's not as if you want to wander around yet you have no other choice besides that, right?" Smiling a little, Samar added, "Of course, you could go to the police, but with no memory, you don't dare to, as you aren't sure if you're a fugitive."

"So which is it for you? You can't leave that place or you're a fugitive?"

"I couldn't say, it's not as simple as that yet at the same time, it's not as complicated as it seems. It's more as if I choose not to because the other options are worse than this."

Before Anna can bombard her with more questions, Samar cut her off.

"It's getting quite late; how about you decide as to what you'd like to do first before you ask me more questions. Even though I'm familiar with these parts of the world, I wouldn't want to be out here alone for long as well."

Anna looked at her and nodded her head. "I'll follow you. As you said, the other options are worse."

*****

"What's the place like?" Anna asked as they made their way through the night.

"Well..." Samar contemplated once again. "It's alright. The place isn't bad to live in, to be honest. It's just the people and well, the profession we do that makes it such."

"What's wrong with the people there?"

"Hmm ... there are a few that would be nice to you – probably," she added as an afterthought. "There are a few troublemakers, which isn't quite surprising given their age and profession but I'm guessing that some things never change despite your age."

"What about you – are you a troublemaker too?" Anna asked.

Samar laughed out loud suddenly – stopping in her tracks as she threw her head back; her deep, throaty laughter breaking the silence of the night, sending warmth washing over the both of them.

"Oh, I couldn't be one, even if I wanted to. Everyone there hates me. For some, it's just disdained but it's there. Before you ask me why you should just keep an open mind until you get there. Don't make any unnecessary assumption."

They walked for a little longer, passing through alleys and using routes that Anna had never come across before. Anna was bubbling with too many questions to ask Samar that she only realised quite late that she had forgotten to keep track of the routes that they were taking. She had no idea now on how to return to where she came from if she had any reasons to escape or run away from Samar.

Not that she thinks she would be doing so. But still ...

Samar stopped suddenly without warning, causing Anna to bump into her solidly.

"We're here."

Anna looked at the building in front of her. While she had imagined a hideous looking brothel with black and shabby walls and dilapidated exterior, or even an eerily normal-looking bungalow, a couple of side-stacked shophouses were not what she expected to be a brothel house.

"Let's go in."