Scream.

“You know, I don’t know why you take the night shift if all you get is creepy guys and are too afraid to walk home in the dark without waking me up to talk you through it.” Lynnette’s voice sounded through my speaker. It was obvious she was annoyed, and in a way I could see why. It was one o’clock in the morning when I called her house phone to wake her up, sobbing into my cellphone about how scared I was.

I still ignored her ranting though.

I wasn’t afraid anymore. I never was once, her smooth voice flowed through my ears. For some odd reason, she could calm me down with a snap of her fingers, or I guess, more literally, a soft ‘hello?’

“Where are you now?” She sighed, tired of talking about how stupid I was.

“Near that damn alley.” I muttered, pausing. I didn’t want to go past, just because I might happen to chance a glance down the alley, and see something I really didn’t want to.

Just thinking about it made my heart beat rapidly. My head spun and I tilted backwards before catching myself as Lynette’s voice came back. “Oh, Jenny.” She moaned out. “Why do you always have to go that way?” She asked tiredly.

I looked to my feet, calmer than I was moments before already. “It’s the lesser of two evils.” I mumbled, dragging my shoe clad toe across the crack in the pavement. “If I go the other way there’s an even bigger alley. I get a bad vibe off of that one from a mile away.” I paused, not knowing if I wanted to bring up the second point of my statement. I did anyway, “Plus, this ways shorter. The shorter the walk, the less creepy guys I pass on the way home.” I made extravagant hand motions I knew she couldn’t see.

I heard her giggle and I let out a huge breath I didn’t know I’d been holding. “You’re talking with your hands aren’t you Jen.” I smiled back and I’m sure she could feel it even through the phone.

“You know it, Lyn.”

“You’re going to have to get home some way or another,” She muttered after a long pause. I dreaded the words that I knew were coming next.

“Please don’t make me, Lyn.” I pleaded, though I knew she would. She’d make me pass that stupid alley. I could feel it. “Please, Lyn.” I begged even though I knew she’d never give in. “Please.” I whispered.

“You’ve gotta.” She sounded as if she didn’t want me to either. “Just go fast.”

“My knees will give out like last time.” I whispered, automatically thinking back to the last night I’d had to work this shift. I’d run across the alley and couldn’t keep myself from looking down into the dark alleyway. I’d seen the tattooed man standing in the middle and the sick feeling just seeing him gave me made my knees lock. Sending my face forward onto the dirty ground. I’d frantically gotten to my feet only for my knees to give way beneath me.

I remembered the pounding in my chest that not even Lynette could make go away. I remember screaming at the top of my lungs, until I couldn’t breathe anymore. I remember the feeling of my head floating, I couldn’t think. All I could see was that man.

All I could think about was the look he was giving me, even though Lynette later insisted that he hadn’t given me a look at all. She said he was only walking towards me to make sure I was okay; wondering why I was running so fast. Deep down, I knew that she didn’t know him, that she couldn’t have a clue. Deep down, I knew he was a bad guy, I could just feel it.

I remember laying there and watching him approach me with a cellphone lighting up his ear.

I remember blacking out.

“That’s right.” She obviously remembered the fiasco that turned into. “Can’t you just go by and not look? She sounded fed up with all of my issues. She always seemed so tired of my fears, and she had a right to be.

They weren’t really her problems, they were mine. Yet I seem to keep dragging her into them.

“I’m sorry.” I mumbled. “You can go back to sleep.”

This seemed to be the way every conversation ended between us.

“Get home, Jen. Get some rest.” She sounded grateful now, making me smile before taking that first fearful step passed the alley. I looked the other direction, avoiding all alley’s in general. I couldn’t risk that. I’d already hung up with Lynette, I couldn’t call her again.

I would not wake her up again.

As I made it successfully past the alley, I snuck a glance down it.

No one.

No one was there.

I laughed as I walked home, a spring in my step.