Roz ran up the three flights to the small apartment she shared with her father. Opening the door, she peeked into the living room. Seeing that her father wasn't home, she peered over at the clock. Nothing unusual then, he should still be at work.
I'll just leave him a note, and I'll have him speak with Uncle Joe later.. she thought to herself.
Humming an unfamiliar tune, she walked down the short hallway into her little room. She shuffled under her bed for a backpack to put some clothes in. Finding it, she threw it on her bed and dove back under to find another bag. Cleaning and gardening were dirty businesses, figuring so, she realized she'd several extra changes of clothes.
After packing her work bag, she slipped into the bathroom to get her hair brush, tooth brush and toothpaste. Looking into the mirror to fix her braid, she noticed a strange black shadow behind her. Turning around, she saw nothing, but upon returning to the mirror she saw it again.
It's just my imagination.. And the lighting.. she thought, quite reasonably. She crouched on the floor to open the cupboard under the sink and got out a new tube of tooth paste for her father. Standing up, she saw that the shadow had become clearer.
The shadow was slowly morphing into a small girl's face. Roz gasped and started breathing heavily. Moving closer to the mirror, she held up her hand and put it by the girl's face. Her sorrowful eyes blinked and her mouth moved. Roz's jaw dropped and she fell backwards.
She needed to get out. Now. There was something strange going on.. She had to warn her father and Uncle Joe.
Stumbling out of the bathroom, she closed the door behind her and bolted into her room. Opening her top drawer, she pulled out a thick pair of orange socks that was full of her savings and threw them in her bag. Flinging open another one, she pulled out two handfuls of shirts and threw them into the backpack messily. Opening her closet door, she pulled out the half a dozen pairs of pants and threw some of them in her backpack and the rest in her work bag. Picking up her sneakers, she chucked them in her work bag too.
Roz looked around her room for her jewelry box, seeing it under her bureau, she fell to her knees and opened it. Taking out the locket her mother gave her, she put it on and slipped it under her shirt collar. Seeing her mother's cross and took out the sandskrit-blessing necklace her mother got her when they were in India. Putting them on and tucking them back into her shirt, she felt calmer and safer.
Roz gathered her bags and left her room, hustling quickly past the bathroom. Walking into their kitchen/dining room, she scrawled a note to her father on a notepad.
Dear Father,
I've gone to North Hill with several friends of mine for a job. I'll give both you and Uncle Joe a call, letting you know I'm safe. I should be back in a few days, when I know more I'll call you guys again.
Be careful, please.
Love,
Roz.
Feeling much better, she taped the note to the refridgerator and left the apartment, locking it securely behind her.
She tucked the key into her pants pocket and started down the three flights. On the way down the second flight, a man was coming up. She didn't recognize him, but didn't take much notice. The residents here were constantly moving in and out. Save for the landlord, she and her father were the only consistent renters. As she passed the man on the landing, she glanced up at his face.. And noticed that it was not a face at all, but a mask. A pang of nervousness hit her square in the chest, and she lost her breath. Hoping that he wouldn't hurt her. She continued her way down the stairs, feigning calmness.. Until she realized he was following her.
Fumbling over the safety blessing that her mother taught her when she gave Roz the necklace in her mind, Roz quickened her pace. So did the man in the mask. Clenching her jaw, she saw that the door was only a few stairs and several paces from her. Calmly walking down the last of the stairs, she opened the door, slammed it behind her, and ran.
She heard the man following her, and pumped her legs even faster. Tears streaming down her face.. As her.. phone rang?
Not now, not now!! she thought, silently cursing her phone. Whipping it out, she saw Alicia's name and number.
Oh thank the gods she thought, answering.
"Alica! Please, I'm being chased by a man in a mask.." Roz said, out of breath. Looking around she didn't see him any more. "But I think I lost him.. I'm over by John's Bar... I'm going to wait here until I know it's safe... Please, can you come get me.. I'm so scared." she said, breathlessly into the phone.
Noticing that her connection had dropped, she hoped that Alicia had gotten her location and entered the bar, warily, the bartender looked at her quizzically.
"Can I help you, little miss?"
"I'm just waiting for a ride, sir."
"You know.. You're not really allowed in here.."
"Please, sir, I'll only be a while. You won't even know I'm here.."
The bartender looked her over. Roz was red in the face from running, her braid had come undone and her long hair was tangled from her mad sprint and she could barely breath. Taking pity on her, the bartender nodded and motioned for her to join him.
Taking a seat very close to him, next to an elderyly man, she thanked the bartender profusely before putting her head in her hands, hoping Alicia would come soon.
"'Scuze me, miss.. Are you a'right?" The old man said, with a hint of a southern drawl.
"Oh, yes, sir, thank you. I'm fine." Roz replied, picking her head up and giving him a small smile, trying not to gawk at his glass eye or the scars on his face.
"Where're ya headin', if you don't mind mah askin', Sugar?"
"I'm going to a job, sir." Roz replied, not wanting to give too much information to a stranger.
"Well darlin', I hope it ain't anywhere too dangerous.. Seems to me that you've already had a rough night.." he said. Looking around at the other patrons of the bar, he moved his stool a bit closer and spoke lower. "Now, listen here honey. I ain't tryin to scare you, no I ain't, but this is something I gotta tell ya. A'right?"
"Er.. Alright.." she said, lowering her voice to match his tone.
"This is going to be a very dangerous job, sweetie. You best be careful. And those friends you're going with.. They're good people, ya hear? Stay close to them, and make sure you say that blessing to each one of them, so that they've got the same protection as you, darlin'. We ain't wantin' no trouble up at North Hill.. The place is bad enough as it is.. It don't need no more residents.."
Roz's eyes widened with each sentence, she excused herself and ran into the women's rest room. Panting, she wondered if she really heard what she just had..
But... How could he know... That.. This.. I.. I can't believe it... she thought, pacing the restroom. Biting her lip, she pushed the swining door a bit open, to get a better look at the man.. He was still there, along with her bags.
Well. I can't just stay in here.. Plus, my phone's out there. Alicia could be calling any minute... Taking in a deep breath, she pushed the door open, and thought to herself
Gotta face the music..
Resuming her seat by the old man. She saw that he had returned to nursing his gin and tonic, leaving her alone to stare at her hands that were in her lap.
[OOC: Sorry about the length guys! Ammer, is this alright? I kinda took a little freedom with the ghost in her bathroom.. I've got an idea about how to work it as a small side plot that relates to Roz's past, if that's alright.
Excellent posting everyone
!]