Can't Expect the Unexpected

Julia Smith looked out her friend, Nancy's window and observed the outdoor. The street lights were almost fading while the area around it was covered in dark shadows. The flowers weren't blooming, the trees looked almost as dead, no human soul was walking out, not even a stray dog or cat, and the streets were messy. Because really, no one was suppose to be out-seen by noon. There was so much negativity filled in Brooklyn.

"It's five till six. As much as I want you to stay in, you better start heading way back home. The shops are going to close up pretty soon," Nancy Tibet murmured, looking out the window with Julia, herself.

"Look at this place, Nancy. It's like a ghost town. What are they so afraid of? Can't they just brighten up this place already?" Julia exclaimed, masticating on her last bite of pepperoni slice.

"Everyone's afraid of this gang lurking at night. They're like ghost. They are never seen nor touched by anyone other than the crew. You can't go out. No one can when the clock strikes six. Don't you watch the news, Julia? People are dying out there!"

"Who are these gangs? And where the hell are the police?" Julia asked, almost as if her anger was taking over her body.

"No one knows. They're a group of men, as far as I ever heard of. They have this gang leader in their group who is much powerful than any. I, honestly, have never seen a damned cop chasing around the criminals here. The only people who lurk out this place are the bad guys. The good guys like us stay inside. Now you better get going!" Nancy shooed Julia out the door and closed the door behind her. So much love her friend was giving her, thought Julia. She looked up at the orange sky and sighed. Everything was closing up now but it was almost Halloween, for heaven's sake.

She walked through the fall colorful leaves on the ground and they made a crisp sound every time she stepped on it. It was her favorite sound. She walked through every crunchy leaf on the ground then smiled. She didn't own a car but she much preferred walking two miles to her house. She looked back up at the orange sky and smiled. She loved the October breeze and best of all, she loved watching the spooky trees linger around the streets and gardens. Although, the place she lived in wasn't pretty and tedious, she loved it when October fell. Everything started to make sense because everything ugly and dangerous in Brooklyn made Halloween much spookier. Julia was walking down a lonely one-lane street when all of a sudden, she abruptly stopped as a sudden whining voice of an older person couple of feet away from her. She couldn't see anyone's face but she ran to catch up to the voice. And when she did, just a couple of feet from her was a man standing just outside a shop with the rest of the shops.

"Please, someone. Take this job. I'll pay you. I need this store running, please. Anyone!" An older man cried. Observing him, the older man looked to be in his seventies but looked quite innocent enough to have children and a wife. Seeing this man, begging, made Julia ashamed. She reluctantly made her way towards the man and smiled.

"Are you hiring?" She asked, with the best smile she could give. She badly needed a job to to get as much money as possible. The man observed her and shook his head.

"I need a man, not a women. You're much younger; I can't put you in risk, no ma'am."

"I'm well aware, sir. I need a job. No one is hiring anyone except you right now. I can take care, I promise. Please, give me a chance," Julia begged, looking the man straight into his eyes. He genuinely smiled at her but shook his head in disagreement.

"I need a man who can take of this store. I'm old, retiring. I have sons and a wife who don't live here with me but I need to send them money. I need someone to take my spot when I'm not here so I can see them before I die. There are bad people here who ought to hurt women and children seen. You're too young, don't you know girls aren't aloud out after six?"

"And whose going to hurt me?" Julia asked, rather with a smile.

"Him. He's going to kill you. He will hurt you. You're a girl. The territory at night belongs to him. I can't let anything happen to you, I mean look at you," The old man warned, grabbing hold of her both hands into his. Julia didn't buy the whole scare tactics.

"Sir, I won't disappoint you. You can go see your family. Send them money. Do whatever it is you want. Besides, whose going to work for you? Everyone's too coward enough to stay home and do nothing about this. I'm offering myself to you, I promise you I will not disappoint you," Julia stubbornly begged, trying to convince the old man.

"You're not going to listen, are you? You're young. You have not seen anything that is happening out here, have you? Don't you watch news, young lady?" the old man asked, pulling her to a side.

"I don't watch news, Sir. And no, I just want to work. Earn money so I can get the heck out of here, I know what's happening. But I'm not a coward," Julia spat, smiling at the very end. After so much arguing, the old man agreed. He finally agreed on giving her a job and Julia, on the other side, was astonished.

"You can start tomorrow, perhaps. But please, be careful. And thank you!"

"You are very welcome. I will be here for the training by twelve afternoon," Julia murmured then walked away.

She was relieved that she got a job. For the first time, she wanted to celebrate. She could get the money now and go off somewhere, discreetly to place where everything grew beautiful. I mean, who would know? She would run like a coward and live off somewhere else. The old man was a bug to her but she decided to keep her words to herself. The old man was nice, though. He saved her by giving her a job. Burt she had second thoughts now. Why did he agree to give her a job? It was too dangerous. Too risky for her to overtake. What if everything the old man said--actually happens? Heck, she couldn't let an old man's words scare her. She was brave enough to work for him. To have a first job and earn actual money.

Every shop was now closed. Every human soul was no where to be seen. Kids were inside playing instead of out. Dogs weren't out to run, bark or poop. The only thing out was ugly birds flying around. The Halloween decorations were put out but what's the fun? It was Halloween tomorrow. Shouldn't they be going out to shop at Kmart or Sam's club for candies? Maybe even dollar general trip for candies.

Julia then realized that she was walking alone in a neighborhood far from her house. She didn't even have her cellphone fully charged, battery barely blinking alive. Then she wondered. What did this man look like, everyone were afraid of? Where did he live? What did he do?

He as a killer. Someone who gave nightmares to others. Yes, that's it. Everyone's living nightmare. But couldn't he be nice just this once? Kids needed freedom. They needed candies. Lots of candies. But Julia hoped she met him, one day. To bring sense into him. How bad could he look like? How bad could he be?

Julia was walking quite ahead now because she was now somewhere else. In an obscure place. Where there were walls screaming profanity words, and dark unknown colors splattered on the walls as well. She was long passed the good old neighborhood when she was, all of a sudden, in a broken area. Glass bottles of beers were splattered all over the ground. This was the place she always passed to get to her house with the rest of the houses but she never seen the actual profanity words on the dark graffiti walls or the broken bottles, correctly. Maybe she was not in the right area? She observed the area around her then froze solid statue. Her thoughts has brought her to a place she was never to be found at. She didn't know where she was! She was too busy thinking about a killer. She looked around and suddenly her palms began to sweat. Where was she? Where had her thoughts brought her? She walked ahead couple of steps before she came to a sudden stop. She was frozen solid now. She felt presence behind her. Because the dark shadows of figures told her so. There was one man, no two. No, three. NO! there were about six shadows she saw on the ground in front of her. So she turned around, not thinking. She turned around and a gasp fell out of her mouth.

"We got company, call the boss," a black shadow in front of her said. And in front of her stood Six men in black with beer bottles in their hand. The boss? Oh no. No, no no, Julia thought. This was a disaster. No women were to be seen outside after six. Especially in this unknown area she was in.

Julia was pretty, no where in doubt. With her Armani pink dress hugging her in the right places, her flawless creamy skin, her piercing blue eyes, her perfect curves on her body, her perfect sculptured face, and her long brunette curly hair falling down her broad shoulders. She was beautiful in every men's eyes. But now she was in trouble because she knew how she captured every guy's eyes. And the guys in front of her looked hungry. But they couldn't do anything, no. Everything and anyone belonged to their boss. And now--she was about to meet her worst nightmare, she thought. The middle section guy hung up his small electronic device, placed it away and took a long sip off of his beer. She had to get out of here, yes she did. So she did the best she could do.

She ran.

Julia didn't know where she was running to. All she knew was to get out of here in one piece and alive. Her chest began to tighten up and her heartbeat raced. She felt as if she was in some sort of horror movie, either running away from the molesters or a killer who was no where to be seen. She thought this was actually a horror movie she was playing in, in reality. Because her killer would be her worst nightmare.

"He's on his way, sexy. Run all you want. You can't hide from us. You can't hide from him," Someone shouted from behind her. She couldn't make out anyone's face and so she knew that they couldn't as well. It was too dark. But bright enough to see where she was running. All she had to do was get home, be safe, lock the doors, and change out of her seen clothes and never wear them again. She was certain, they saw what she was wearing. But she hoped to death they didn't see her face. She just hoped.

The phone. She had her stupid, yet life saving, phone with her! She managed to pull her device out of her bra, while running, and longed to press the three little precious buttons. She ran as fast as her feet could drag her because the footsteps behind her were closing up. So she ran while holding on to her device with a tight grip. One stupid move could cause her everything! But she managed to do it. She told herself not to do it but she did, anyways. She pressed the buttons.

9-1-1.

She was running. Still running while talking on the phone with police officers. She begged for them to come. She begged and begged till her feet gave out and she fell on the floor with a thud. She finally, yet as fast as she could, looked behind her and saw the guys closing up on her. But Julia was smart. She was hiding her phone while dying inside. She did what she wasn't suppose to do. The guys circled around her.

"You can't escape now, bitch," Someone spat. She still couldn't make out the face in front of her. She just hoped the police were fast as them. She just hoped they made it just in time.

"Leave me alone!" Julia screamed, hiding her face in between her knees as some other guy pulled out a gun. And just when he did, some miracles began to occur. The noises behind them were familiar. They were loud and clear. The lights were colorful.

The sirens. Lots and lots of sirens.

The guys looked at Julia, rather amused, and cocked their gun away.

"You called the fucking cops? You better hope you're hiding by tomorrow. You're going to be in deep shit!" Someone else spat, before each and every one of them ran to disappear.

She was overwhelmed. Scared for her life. Amazed. But most of all--scared. Her knees started to shake as well as her whole body. She was trembling like a wet dog now. When the guys disappeared, the police officers surrounded her. They got her up, while the others went to chase the criminals.

"The bravest thing anyone has ever done." The cop's final words shocked her. She looked up to meet two pair of green eyes and she shook. The officers in front of her were mistakes. The phone call was a mistake. Going out at night was a mistake. Everything was a mistake.

She had just called the cops on them. Something no one had ever done in a longest time. Julia smith had call the cops. And now--it was certain. She was in trouble. A big trouble, she might add.