Vintage Heart

It was midday in Louisiana when I decided to go back to the hotel the very moment I realized the clouds are turning gray warning to start heavy rain.

"Ugh! What a terrible effect of climate change. How could it rain during the summer ?" I uttered

Day 2 of being back to States from Asia and I decided to land here at Louisiana to visit my only relative that I know.

Too bad that I can't see them anymore since they're not in the same house they lived before.

I keep on running in the alley when I realized that I was just running on circles

"I think I passed this loft already" I checked my phone to get directions but cursed this phone, it was dead at the moment

The shops nearby are closed and I can rarely see some people roaming around

As I continued walking in the middle of the alley, someone wearing a mustard hood and a baseball cap came out from a pavement a few meters away from where I stand. We're about to pass on each other when I decided to try my luck to ask the guy

He's walking so fast with his hands on his hoodie's front pocket. The cap he's wearing makes the half of his face covered as he is walking straight on the road

"Uhmm, H-hey excuse me?"

I stopped him before he can pass, he didn't even bother looking at me while I was already standing firm in front of him.

"Uh... do you mind if I ask so--"

He finally glanced his dark eyes on me with an annoyed face. He stepped aside and continued walking

"Do you know the exit way in here?"

I asked him before he continued to step away

I felt relief when he stopped and stared back at me.

"Just walk straight right there" He pinpoints the direction where he came from and continued walking away

"Uhm, t-thankyou" I shouted and swiftly get to the way he pointed.

"Gosh Lauren, I told you this idea was just a waste of time," I told my self as I was walking to a narrower alleyways

"Look at this beautiful girl we've got here"

I automatically froze when I heard a mans deep voice from somewhere

I looked around and it shivers me a lot when I saw two thugs walking closer to me. The bald one has this big body who seemed to be a daily customer of gyms and boxing rings while the other one has an opposite body built from his buddy that was looking straightly on me wearing those malicious grins on his face

I scattered my sight hoping that I might call for someone's help but this alley seems to be an empty one

"Its okay baby, do not be afraid," said the huge bodied man as they were both slowly getting closer to me

"Stop!" I bravely shouted and pinpointed them. They both just laugh at me looking with each other

"I said stop right there!" I pointed them firmly and they really both stop a few meters away from me. I slowly stepped back when they both grinned at me like a dog with lusty eyes

"Or else?" sarcastically told the thin-bodied boy who seems to only have bones and skin in his whole life

I continued searching for any way that I can run away from them and luckily I saw narrow space between those two building a few steps from my right side

"or else I'll shout" I bite my lower lip and answered back but they both again laughed, louder this time

They continued stepping much closer which makes me shout

"Aahhhh!" I run through the narrow space that I saw as fast as I could and I can feel them both running after me

My foot unluckily bumped on those scattered bricks that make me fall on the ground

"Hey" the voice was plain coming from the back

I twist my head back to see who was it. To my surprise, it was the same guy who pointed the way a while ago

The thugs were already in front of me and about to touch me when a voice from my back catches all our attention

"Look who's back, hey there little Max!"

I looked at the guy who was just plainly staring at the two thugs.

He must have been intentionally putting me in this situation. Seems like they know each other!

"Let her go" he straightly commanded

The two thugs looked with each other and laughed just what they did lately

I think people nowadays have been so highly dosed

I grab the chance to slowly stand back but I almost fall again when a strong thunder blast and the rain poured down which interrupted the tension

The guy at my back swiftly grabbed my wrist tightly and pulled me away

He pulled one of the barrels that were right on his side that makes the others fall and trapped the way of the thugs from us

"You leave me no choice, Maxwell! I had given you a chance to get lost already!" I heard the big man shout behind the barrels

We were continually running away under the heavy rain

I can see that they were still chasing after us when I looked back

"Faster! Don't dare look back!" He was still tightly holding my wrist but the pain was nothing compared to the nervous I feel right now

We stopped running when we're at the end of the narrow alley. All that we are facing now is the tall gate at the end of the walls and on our back was the two goons saw us a few meters from us so he pulled me at his back

"Climb on that gate now!" He strongly exclaimed as he faced the approaching two

I was already soaked on the rain and my stamped foot was so numb due to the cold rain but I still manage to climb the gate

I was already at the top when the two goons were already getting closer to us

"Hey climb up!" I shouted to him

"Go now! I'll be right next to you!" He shouted back and face the thugs

They start fighting when I manage to get down on the other side of the iron gate

The other one was already holding a knife that makes me nervous

"Think Lauren! Think!" I saw a sharp rock on the side of the gate so I quickly picked it up and climbed the gate again

The huge bodied man was about to stab his knife to the guy when I forcibly throw the sharp rock directly to his bald head

The next thing that happened was he lied on the floor holding his bloodied head.

The guy looked straight to me like he's asking why am I still in here

The thin one got froze because of what he saw to his colleague

The guy quickly punch him on his face that makes the poor thin guy also fall on the ground

"Come on now! " I shouted on the top of my lungs as the bald one were trying to stand up again

He quickly jumps on the gate and climb in it easily

Before the bald one can stand up, the guy already jumped in front of me

"Come back! " the big man shouted as he was holding his head where the rock has landed

"Don't be stupid Michael!" the guy who's with me answered back and grin then he looked at me like we both have been escaped on a survival game.

“oh, men!” I froze when I saw blood on that bald man's head

I feel so sorry for what I've done to him.

The guy who was with me, looked at him also when he noticed me putting my palms on my mouth because of shock. He looked back at me like he’s trying to convince me that it serves right to the bald man.

"let’s keep moving,” he said the moment when he saw the two boys already stand upright on the other side of the gate railings

"Hey look, I'm sorry!” I shouted to the bald man who was already looking firmly straight to me

"come on let's go!” the guy has already seemed irritated so he grabbed me again on the wrist.

We keep running as fast as we can until we reached the outer side of the narrow alleys.

I can already see people walking around the streets with there umbrellas and I hear the horns of busy cars on the road. I think we're safe now though we're both soak in the rain.

We were both panting under a shed in front of a jewelry shop. I put my palms on my knee trying to catch my breath. My heart beats fast that why I tried to calm it down as I put my right hand on it.

I was surprised when the guy pulled me close behind him. I automatically understand what he was trying to do when the raindrops that were freely landing my face was gone.

"You already know which way to go home from here?” he asked when he was already calmed. I just nodded while still trying to catch up

"you okay?”

I cleared my throat before I answer “yeah, I'm- I'm okay. My house is just nearby”

I manage to stand straight and smile at him.

He looked around like he was looking for someone before he wore out his baseball cap and put it on me

"Good, now go home safely” I manage to fix the baseball cap on my head before I asked him

"how about you?”

He was still busy looking around but I know he heard me. He puts on his hood and glanced at me.

"I’ll be okay. Now go before those two will reach us here”

I was about to ask him a question again when he turned back on the streets we're both facing and fixed down his hood covering almost half of his face.

I looked around because I feel like he's trying not to show his face to someone.

"I must leave first if you won't still go now” now he’s whispering soundly.

I just furrowed my brows to him. The rain stops that moment and then he leaves me standing in front of the shop and the busy streets of the city. I looked at him while he’s walking away still hiding his face under his hood

"weird guy” I muttered before I also step back and decided to go back in my lodge.

As I turned around, I suddenly bumped into someone “oh sorry” I looked up wishing that the person I bumped in wasn't one of those goons who chased us

luckily it was just a man with some plastics of groceries in his hand.

"Are you okay fella?"

I just simply nodded and I can now fell my trembling lips so I immediately stepped aside and continued walking away.

This day was already too much for me. I was so exhausted to deal with some things for now.