Chapter One: Unexpected Visitor

THUD-THUD.

My jogging shoes hit the concrete as I run, making a dull thudding noise every time my feet touch the ground. My pants are sticking to me from the sweat that has built up on my skin from running so far and so hard. My thin tank top is also clinging to my body, probably showing the outline of my bra as I run, but I am very eager to get away because I need to save myself, even if I look ridiculous doing it. Sweat runs down my face from where my hairline is and I curse the humid night air. I run past an alley way, and I pray that it's empty. The last thing I need is for something else to happen to me before I make it out of this area of town safely. It's not the good part of town, and I hate that I'm in it. As I pass a dark alley, thankfully no one jumps out at me, or tries to mug me. Finally, I see salvation waiting for me in the form of a bus stop. I make it into the small shelter, and try my best to hide myself away from curious prying eyes. I am glad it's late at night because no one else is out here and I won't have to answer unnecessary questions. If I say too much, I could reveal things I don't want anyone to know, and that would be bad. I catch sight of the map that I am looking for that is displayed on the bus stop wall, and realize that I have gotten lucky once again, for there is a bus coming in no less than three minutes. I wish I had a hooded jacket on so I could hide my face, but I suddenly get an idea and release my hair from the hair tie it had been trapped in. I fluff my hair around, and cover as much of the sides of my face with it as I can.

I try to remain as calm as I can despite the adrenaline coursing through every vein in my body. I can't believe I was that stupid. I knew I shouldn't have defied the boss, but I always do shit like this. I can't help it, but I know that I really need to get my act together, or I'm going to end up dead. I shouldn't have botched the job like that... the client got mad and then sent his thugs after me. I should have just said what my boss told me to say, then we would have gotten that deal like we were supposed to. My boss is going to be pissed. Fuck... why did I think that being on the other side of the law was such a good idea. I swear, the way my stupid mind thinks sometimes is just awful. I know it's cause I'm still fairly young, but man, do I need to grow up. The thrill of being a drug dealer is amazing and I don't even have to use the stuff, but god, is it stressful, especially when shit goes wrong. The money though... the money is awesome. There's no other job where you can earn thousands of dollars faster than you can blink without much effort. I hear the sound of air brakes as the bus pulls up to where I am, and I try to stop myself from shaking as the doors open and I get on, finding a seat in the middle, by a window. I slump down in the seat so I'm barely visible to the outside world, and breathe a sigh of relief as the bus pulls away. Another close call.

The tall buildings with their shiny windows pass by my eyeline as the bus drives into the ritzier part of town. I wish I lived here instead of where I actually live. There's three distinct neighborhoods in the town where I live, the really bad part, which is where I was, the good part I wish I lived in, and the so-so part, where my apartment is. There's still crime in my area, but it's not as out in the open as it is in the bad part. A car parked on the street in the good part of town catches my eye, and I wish that I hadn't seen it because it's bringing up memories, which is not what I need right now. My adrenaline has calmed now that I know I'm no longer being chased, but that's when my thoughts start going a million miles an hour. The car reminded me of my boyfriend, who's now gone, but who is the main reason I'm in this mess in the first place.

As the bus pulls up to the bus stop close to my apartment complex, I quickly get off and enter my apartment building. Oh did I mention too, the building has been under construction for over a year. Yeah... Why do I live in the so-so part of town when I just said I make a lot of money earlier? Well... that's the thing, my boss keeps most of it, and I only get to keep a few thousand dollars of it, which is usually $2,000. In this town, rent is on the high end, and even in the so-so part of town, my rent is $1,100 a month. That's why, I can't live in the good part. I'm lucky enough that my building has minimal security however, there's an intercom for visitors that locks the elevators and doors to the stairwells, so you have to know who you want to see and call their apartment before it will let you up. You need a key to get into the lobby of the building, but that doesn't stop lock-pickers from coming in. There was one time where a girl got assaulted in the lobby late at night, so yeah... the so-so part of town.

I punch in my code to the intercom and the elevator doors click letting me know they've been unlocked, and I push the up button. I really want a nice shower after being soaked from sweat and I can't wait to get out of my nasty clothes which need a good washing. As I walk down the hallway, I shiver a little from the building's central air hitting my damp skin. I'm relieved when I stop in front of my door and am able to open it, so that I can finally relax. However, when I open the door, I am rendered speechless because it's like I have seen a ghost. The person leaning against my breakfast bar is the last person I had imagined I would ever see again. He is Rafael Ossini, my boyfriend, whom I thought I had lost two years ago.

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Author's Note: I decided to start out with the Emperor of Evil LTW, and the Criminal Career (Evil) path. The Evil trait has always been one of my favorites, so that helped influence that decision. LOL. I'm currently playing in Bridgeport.