chapter 9
666 Words
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"Get. Back. In." He said.
I took in another deep breath. I wanted to speak up. I wanted to speak up and say that I did not want to go inside. I did not want to stay in the same place where a guy was killed only about an hour ago, and it did not matter even if the place was purified with holy water and a havan held to drive away evil spirits, I just did not want to be in there.
But I wasn't brave.
I did not have the courage that I once thought I did to speak up against this big Italian murderer. I was scared that he would do to me exactly what he did to the other guy.
"Are you going to move or do I have to do something about it?"
I looked at him with my eyes wide. Okay, Alanna Gill, save your head! Go back in!
A little bit of mental trauma is way better than physical trauma.
"Good night, Mr. Greco." I said and quickly turned on my heels. I hadn't taken one step when I heard a chuckle behind me. My eyebrows knitted together as I turned back around.
Mr. Greco had an amused look on his face.
"Good night to you too, Ms. Gill." He tilted his head and then gestured to my door with his eyes.
I gave him a quick nod and speed-walked into my place, making sure I had placed all the locks because I did not want another break-in or a visit from my friendly murderous neighbor.
I gulped as I looked around the place again. I could feel my tears prickling at the side of my eyes. I don't want to be here. I told him I would not tell anyone about what happened then why can't he just let me crash somewhere else?
I took a deep breath and let it out. It was alright. I was alive. That was all that mattered.
If that dead man was here to actually kill me, then I would be dead meat by now, so I should be kinda grateful to Mr. Greco, right?
But then again, why would anyone want to kill me?
A little scuffle at a restaurant was not good enough to rile us Indians up. I am pretty sure Vikrant took it in the spirit of it. That's what we do. Right? The infinite newspaper clippings of crimes against women flashed across my mind.
I chuckled nervously.
I could be wrong.
I tossed my stuff on the couch and plopped down on the adjacent one, bringing my knees close to my face and wrapping my arms around them as I placed my chin on top of them.
Let's just forget this happened, right?
Let's just forget this happened.
Yeah sure, like it's totally easy and normal to forget that something like this happened, right? Right.
But I was not supposed to tell anyone about it, if I wanted my and my niece's head in place, anyway.
So let's just at least try to forget this happened and just move on with life.
Let's try to forget this happened for the sake Kriti, at least.
Let's forget.
Let's move on.
I took deep breaths in and out as I chanted these words.
Yeah, just pretend that this was just a bad bad dream and move on with life.
I did not do anything wrong.
I was just at the wrong place at the wrong time.
No.
I called the wrong person for help.
If I had just called 911, none of this would have happened. The assailant would have been apprehended and taken to the precinct and I would just have to go there to file a case.
And I would know what his real agenda was.
Oh my god, this is all my fault, isn't it?
One lapse of judgment on my part just cost a man his life.
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- Writer
