Chapter 5

He didn't look like a serial killer but serial killers come in all shapes, sizes and races. He didn't look like he would hurt a soul, but people change with time. I shook my head. No matter how tempting the offer was. I couldn't risk it. This baby is all I have left, and I couldn't risk losing her. I pushed my chair back, "Mr Dakoda, I'm sorry about what happened to your mother and you but that doesn't mean it will happen to my baby and me. We'll survive. We've survived this long; we can continue." He quickly placed his hands over mine. Shivers ran through me at the touch, "Before you leave. Take my contact information, in case you change your mind. My offer will still be opened." He pulled a business card out of his wallet and placed it in my hands. "I live at 150 Main Street North, Apartment number 1029." he released my hands and offered a small toothless smile. "Take care of yourself and your baby." I looked in his beautiful enchanting eyes and smiled, "Thanks." I stood from the chair, took up my bag then walked to the door of the restaurant without looking back. Maybe one day I'd regret not taking his offer, but for today I will stick with my decision. I held tight on my bag and walked down the busy street of New York. I'll survive, I didn't come all this way not to. I looked up in the direction of the sun. It was a little after midday, and I haven't gotten fifty dollars. I couldn't go back to where I was earlier, not after what just happened. I didn't want him to pass and see me. He'd give me the looks that everyone else gave, and I didn't want to see that in his beautiful eyes. ............ I took the box out of the trash then rip the corners open. I lifted it in the light and smile. It was big enough for me to sleep on. I tucked the cardboard under my arms and walked from the back of the supermarket. Next thing for me to do is to find somewhere to stay tonight since tomorrow I'll be on a bus to Washington DC. Washington had a high rate of homeless persons, and so it was easy not to be seen since they were so many of us. There was a children park close by. It was clean and quiet. At nights it was a bit dark, but it was better than the dark alleys or park bench. With a firm grip on the cardboard and my bag, I started walking in the direction of the park. I smiled when I saw the swings and the slides. It was peaceful and quiet, and no one brought their child to the park at night, so no one would disturb me when I sleep. I walked over to the bench and rested my bag on it, then lay my cardboard beside it. I took out my over-used blanket and placed it on the cardboard. I took out the almost empty bottle of mosquito repellent and sprayed it over my body. I had to make sure I used it every night or else mosquitos would torment me all night and leave awful red spots all over me. I placed the repellent beside the cardboard, then slowly bent down to lay down on my makeshift bed. I used the blanket to cover my body, then closed my eyes. Tomorrow was going to be a long day, and I need all the rest I can get. "Goodnight baby girl." I rested my hands on my stomach and smiled. I felt a small kick in response. I smiled; she wasn't a mistake or something I regret. I would have regretted not feeling this love consuming me. "I love you too." Just before I could hit deep sleep, I heard shouting so I jumped up quickly, rubbed my eyes and looked around me. Four men were standing beside the swing having a heated argument, and I could hear what they were saying. "We messed up, big time." said the one who was wearing a hoody. The one furthest away from him went up and punched him. His hair looked gold from where I was sitting. "We messed up? No, you were the one who didn't collect the goods. Don Giovanni is going to kill you." "He's going to kill all of us." a short dark hair one said. The silent one shook his head, "Not if we kill you first." he lifted the gun he was holding and shot the hoodied man in the head. I couldn't hold back the small scream as the man fell back to his death. The remaining three turned and looked in my direction when they heard the scream, and they spot me. Every bone in my body was telling me to run, but I couldn't not when the man was holding a gun in his hands. Not when he looked like a man who didn't miss shots. I trembled with fear as the men walked towards me. I bent my head, looking at the ground in fear. "You were not meant to see that." one of them said. "Lift your head." I ignored his command and kept my head down. I was afraid to lift my head to see the faces of the men who just killed their partner. "I said to lift your head before I lifted it for you," the same man shouted. I jumped at the loudness of his voice and lifted my head. All three men were hovering over me. I couldn't see their faces because there wasn't any light shinning. That was one of the reasons I chose this spot. It made me hard to spot. But I guess it wasn't that hard because they spotted me as they turned around. The man with the gun was directly in front of me, looking down. "What are you doing out here all alone?" he asked. It seemed as if he was the one doing all the talking. He was, after all, the only one with a gun in his hands.