The girl who saves werewolves

8. The missing shoe

I know, you are not going to believe me when you hear what I'm about to tell you. If I were in your shoes, I wouldn't either. But... here we go.

Funny thing is, despite calling myself a citizen of the world, that was my first time in New York. I stayed in a one-star hostel. I was not going to waste any money on sleeping when there was so much to see and do. I had always wanted to see Wicked. I skipped lunch and ate a hot dog for dinner to afford the ticket. And listening to Elphaba belting out Defying Gravity, I knew my growling stomach was so worth it. It was around 10.30 when I stepped out of the Gershwin Theatre feeling high. I walked past the Time Square Church towards the 50th street subway station. I couldn't help but hum the melodies that had just blown my mind. I kept humming in the subway because no one could hear over the subway noises.  Most of the people there were barely awake anyway traveling home after a long day at work. I noticed no one was looking at me, so I let the lyrics of The Wizard and I slip through my slightly parted lips. But I stopped myself from singing more than a few lines. You are not supposed to sing in public. Not even when no one can hear you or is looking at you. I smiled and shook my head. I leaned my head back and rested it against the window. As I did that I noticed not everyone was not looking at me. Near the doors on my right-hand side, stood a woman looking at me. I think she noticed that I noticed her looking at me. It didn't embarrass her, though. So I kept looking. And the more I looked, the more I noticed there was something off about her. I didn't quite know what and why, but she wasn't - normal. For the lack of a better word. I mean she was a beautiful woman, but... I don't know. It was like the rest of us were in a black and white movie while she was in full 3D. Despite this strange aura, I did notice her hair was messy. Only parts of it had remained in a ponytail. I noticed the white t-shirt she was wearing, had a strange looking neckline as someone had stretched it. But what startled me most, was the fact that she was missing her left shoe. I turned my eyes away. She must be homeless. It was rude to stare. But she was wearing an expensive-looking bracelet. Weird for a homeless woman to have something like that. The train started to slow down before the station. I found myself taking a glance at her. She no longer looked at me. Instead, I noticed her pulling something from her back pocket. A small piece of fabric. No one else paid any attention to her but I saw how she wiped the pole and then the wall right next to the door with small circular motions. Before the doors opened, she put the fabric back into her pocket. She stepped out and with frisk steps she started to walk towards the stairs. Never once did she look like the missing shoe was an issue.

I'm not a good person. That poor woman looked - I don't know what she looked like, but I do know she was missing a shoe.  I should've asked her if she needed help. Maybe that's why she was looking at me, trying to signal me that she needed help. I am the total opposite of Mother Teresa, I moaned in my mind. Selfish idiot. That was what made me jump from my seat and defy the beeping sound of the closing doors. I managed to get out. I could no longer see the one shoed woman, so I started to run. First towards the stairs and then up. I reached the street level and took a look at both directions. I couldn't see her. I decided to walk to the bigger intersection hoping the woman had walked to Fulton Street. I didn't see her, but I did see the piece of fabric she had on the train. It was black satin and she had dropped in on the street. I thought about picking it up but found the idea quite gross. After all, she had wiped the pole and now it was lying on the dirty street.

My eyes were still on the ground when I felt someone bump into and made me nearly fall on my face. That someone never stopped or reacted to my angry "Hey!". It was a man, tall man. Based on the way his body had zero fat in it and lots of muscle, he was a one of those crossfit coaches or a military guy.  The guy kept walking. With every step he oozed determination.

I flipped him a finger. What a rude idiot.

I put my hand down. I noticed his hand. And a shoe he was carrying in it.