The Witness

Prologue

It was the end of August, a warm end-of-the-summer night being washed away by the rain. It wasn't too cold, but the rain still soaked the streets and made them look lonely. It was dark outside, especially for a summer night. Dark clouds rolled over Chicago, giving it a sinister look, as the rain poured down in the streets a silence fell upon the night. It seemed peaceful, at least to anybody who was looking on from the outside of the story that would unfold that night.

In the rain a young woman stood, though most people stayed in. Who would go out in weather like this? And at this ungodly hour? People told her to go home, multiple times that night. Yet the girl didn't go home. Why not? Because she didn't have a home. Avary Randall's home were these streets and sometimes she cursed them. Like tonight, where only two seconds of standing outside were enough to get you soaked. She was just kicked out of the train station by security and was now left on her own to wonder around the night in search of a dry place, she was lucky it wasn't cold outside.

But, Avary didn't know half of what this night would bring yet. As she roamed the familiar streets she passed many of times before. She was only eighteen, but she has lived alone on these very streets for two years now. At the age of fourteen her parents left her, so she ended up living in the foster system. After multiple failed attempts to run away, she finally managed to disappear from the foster home after just turning sixteen. Now, living on the streets wasn't easy, but she didn't mind. Absentmindedly she shuffled on. She always loved the city at night, It was never quiet, though at first it would seem like it.

A bang sounded from the alley she passed, making Avary look op in surprise. Only to realise she should have better not done so. A gasp rolled from her lips as she saw two figures, of whom one had a gun and the other fell to the ground. It seemed to take an eternity for the body to hit the filthy, wet floor of the alley. The sound deafening. As if in slow motion, the man with the gun turned around ready to run away, but he froze, his eyes founding Ava. She could now clearly see him, even though it was dark, a street lamp was placed right outside the alley, lighting up where Ava was standing. His eyebrows were bushy, his head bald and his eyes a piercing blue. As in reflex he aimed his gun and shot. Making Ava snap out of it. Adrenaline rushed through her veins as she turned around to run away. Hearing a second bullet hit the wall.

Cursing underneath her breath she started to sprint. Hearing his booming footsteps on the wet street behind her. Turning corners and running through shortcuts she tried to escape. Now she had the advantage of knowing this city like the back of her hand. Knowing the nearest police station that was still open at this ungodly hour was only two blocks away. The only problem was that she had to run through a very long street to get there, knowing she would be exposed to the danger of this stranger's gun. The station came into view. Making the girl let out a relieved breath. While crisscrossing the street to make herself a hard target to hit she finally reached that door. Slamming her fists against it to get some attention. "Please, help me! Let me in, please!"