Can't Expect the Unexpected

Julia raced to her bedroom, slipped out of her dress, threw it on the laundry basket, and slipped on a black tank top and basketball shorts, tying her hair back through a small, stretchy barrette. Then she quickly brushed her teeth, fixed up her bed and looked out the window. She knew she was in deep trouble.

"If I knew I was going the wrong way, this would have never happened! I loathe myself!" Julia blurted, to absolutely no one in the house. Then she started walking back and forth, rubbing onto her temples. There was nothing she could really do, and she knew that.

All she could really think about was the incident that just happened. What if they saw her face? What if they saw her face and remembered it? What if the police caught those gang members and they went to jail? Julia couldn't stop questioning herself because she knew the police had probably caught them. I mean, they had guns out and it was their own fault. She was distraughted because she knew majority of it was her own fault. She thought nothing bad could happen if she would step out at night but, dear lord, was she wrong.

Julia had learned her lesson but she couldn't vow to herself from going out. She had taken the job, thinking nothing bad could ever happen, and she couldn't back down now. The old man had a full trust on her now and she knew very well that she was stuck in both ways. But she was certain. That the criminals hadn't seen her face. They couldn't have. It was too dark. But Julia wanted to forbear herself from the dark now.

She was anxious now. She was scared, yes, but wanted to remind herself that she was unseen. But her heart wasn't confirming to it. All Julia wanted to do now was to rest and forget about everything but she couldn't because the very next minute, her cellphone was starting to ring on her bed. Julia jumped and swallowed a lump in her throat. What if they had found her? What if the main guy, the others had called, found out? Julia never felt this scared in her life before but she had to have courage in her. All it took was small little steps to her bed, before she plopped her phone to her delicate ears, not once seeing who was calling. And before she could even say anything, a high pitched voice from the other line went off into Julia's ear.

"Turn the news on, now!" Her only good friend, Nancy yelled. Julia had never watched news in her life before and didn't want to either, in the future. But she knew very well that the incident that had occurred tonight was in the news now. So she flicked her TV on, flipped on the only good, CNN channel on and sat down on her bed, with still Nancy on the line. And what was totally unexpected was expected on the TV.

The News said exactly what happened tonight. How there was a phone called made in years, expecting to be police, and how six men were caught red handed, trying to murder an innocent nineteen year old girl. The news declared that a nineteen year old girl had stepped out at night, looking for a late night job when she caught hands with an old man just down the street. Then the old man, Julia had just known, was on the television, looking straight at Julia.

"I told her not to go out, but she did. She wanted a job so badly and so I offered her a position at my store right here,"--the old man pointed to a store behind him, and Julia 's breathing stopped, "And she took it. I don't know what her name is or where she lives, but all I know is that she did a very brave thing tonight, as of fact."

Julia's heart was skipping a beat every time it pumped, and her body began to tremble. Why would anyone, in the name of god, tell the public she was working at his place now, Julia thought, clenching her fists.

The news were beginning to bring out the six men, with a black cloth over their face. So, they were just caught. Julia watched carefully as the police officers were pushing them into their car.

"These men state that--" Julia didn't let the newsman finish his sentence before she turned her TV off and threw her remote back on her bed.

"I don't want to know what these men has to say. I turned off the news," Julia said, rubbing onto her temples again.

"How did this happen? Who could be stupid enough to call the cops on these people? doesn't she know that this territory belongs to them?" Nancy spat, her voice increasing the volume.

"Nancy--"

"Well, whoever it was is screwed for life now. I'm well aware, the gang leader knows now. Who ever he is, must be angry as hell because half of his fellows are in jail now. How could she be so stupid! I pity her!" Nancy exclaimed, throwing harangues words at Julia. Julia was petrified now but she wanted to tell Nancy it was her before she began to say anything else.

"Nancy, listen to me?"

"She's probably in our town. What if she lives close to us? We could all be in trouble! Last year, some girl had broke into their territory and did or say something to one of the guys that had found her. I don't know what she had done or said but the very next day, she was a goner. Her body was published on the news and the TV. It was worth seeing, trust me." Nancy's words had pierced Julia to a point where she wanted to hide forever now. The girl who had broken into their territory was, perhaps dead in a sudden. So what made her safe? Absolutely nothing.

"Nancy, the girl is me!" The line on the other side went completely silent for a while before she heard her friend gasp.

"I'm sorry, what?"

"The girl was me. I wasn't believing all this and plus, it was almost Halloween. I wanted to go out and see all the decorations and lightings. So, walking ahead I found myself at a eerie and silent neighborhood. They didn't have anything out but I just wanted to walk. Then I ended up at this weird, ugly place and that's where it all happened. They were six, all together, Nancy. I panicked because they said I was in a wrong place. Then they called their boss, lord knows who it is, and then started to chase me. I had to run and when I panicked even more, I called the cops. They were going to shoot me, Nancy. I didn't know what to do," Julia explained, tightening her grip on her phone.

"So, you're that foolish girl?! Julia, if anyone finds out it was you who called then they will kick you out of here!"

"That's what I want them to do."

"No, they won't kick you out. They will hand you to these gang people. They will kill you! You're not suppose to call the cops, no one is. Those are the rules we live in, Juls. You should Apologize or hide somewhere and never come out."

"I'm not going to hide or apologize, Nancy. And anyways, I'm well aware they have not seen me fully. It was too dark. And I'm not running away from the job, the man offered me money and I'm not going to back away. Once I get the money, I'm walking away from this hell hole. And I will do it, watch! And people will know it's me sooner or later. They won't hate me, they will love me. I did a good thing getting those fools caught. Six down, a lot more to go, I guess. But six. That's big," Julia announced, shaking her head. She wasn't scared anymore because she knew she was as this strong.

"Julia?"

"Yes, Nancy?" Julia got up, walked downstairs and into her kitchen, and plopped an apple out of her fridge, she had kept for a while. She liked her apples cold. When she took a small bite, she smiled at how refreshing that felt.

"These men know how you look. And they know where you live. She stated that they had called their boss, yes. But they also stated that it wasn't as dark as it should be in order to see your face. And one of the men knows your name and knows where you live. The information was sent to their main guy before getting caught. I'm going to cry, Juls. I'm going to cry."

Julia had dropped her apple on the floor and was standing their frozen solid. Her body wasn't reacting to any movement and suddenly, taking a step was beginning to be, oh so risky to her. Her heart increased a beat and she forgot to breathe.

"Nancy?"

"Yes, Julia?" she heard her friend, Nancy cry on the other line and Julia, herself, felt more scared in her life than ever.

"I'm in deep trouble, aren't I?"

Julia wanted to believe this was all a dream or a prank, but reality was just a karma. For all she knew, a bomb or bullets could go off right now to where she was standing. Anything could happen in this little time. Anything.

Julia jumped and muffled a scream when suddenly, someone was banging on to her door with a force.

"Nancy?" Julia cried.

"Call the cops again, Julia. Call the cops."