When Your Heart Stops Beating
Chapter Two
Keri wandered down the streets of New York to her tiny apartment. The air was chilly and damp, and the ground was wet. The night's rain had thankfully dwindled to drizzle, Keri did not feel like getting soaked tonight. There was a lonely feeling all around as streets were near empty, she only saw a few people here and there venturing to their respective homes. Keri assumed they were coming home from a very late night's work, or play.
Keri hated walking home by herself at night and that part of Manhattan was not the place for a young woman to be walking alone that late at night. There were creeps lurking everywhere, behind dumpsters, in dark alleys, sometimes even right out in the open. It did not make Keri feel comfortable in the least little sense. She was used to having Derrick with her. He was the kind of guy who would take her home late at night, and usually walk her right to her door. But Derrick was nowhere to be found. Keri was worried. It was not like him to avoid wishing her a splendid evening after work. She had scanned the parking lot as she was leaving the club for his car - it was still there. Not running. Keri hoped he was just in the back cleaning up, and that nothing ill had happened. She sighed, and trudged on.
Just as she was rounding the corner onto the next street, something caught Keri's eye. The drunken man who had slipped her his number in the club was leaning against the brick building. She gave a curt smile as she tried to pass. The man stepped out from the wall, blocking her path. He gave her a twisted grin and reached out to touch her face.
"So beautiful," he said, sounding very sober. Well, as sober as anyone could have hoped. The man stared. It was making Keri uncomfortable.
"What do you want?", Keri asked, rather bluntly.
"You," he said, tracing his fingers lightly down her soft, cold face. He had almost made his way down her chest to play with the button on her bright blue shirt when Keri knocked his had away. It took everything she could to not punch him in the face. That was the good thing about growing up with an older brother. Her brother, Jackson, had taught her to defend herself at a young age, which usually ended up getting her into heaps of trouble in school, when the boys would be trying to play. How she missed Jackson right now.
Keri attempted to push past the man, but no such luck. He turned around and grabbed her arm with such force, it actually hurt. "Where do you think you're going," he sneered. "We haven't had our fun yet."
Keri was repulsed. She hated this kind of attention, she figured this is what one got when working at a club all of the time. Still, she didn't enjoy it. "No 'fun' will be had. If you will excuse me, I'm leaving. Good night." With that, she turned to leave. Not before the man tried to stop her, yet again. Keri was afraid it would come to this. With one swift movement, she turned slightly and elbowed him hard just between his stomach and pelvic bone. He landed hard on the ground, eyes tightly shut, clutching his stomach.
Keri took this as an opportunity to get away while she could, and fast. She turned in the opposite direction and ran as fast as she could. Keri's legs started to hurt. She had not run this fast since she was on the high school track team. Plus, four years of being a chain smoker didn't help much either. It was a habit she was sure to give up now. Once she got far enough away, she stopped to breathe. Keri's lungs were really starting to hurt. Leaning against another brick building, she saw someone coming toward her. Immediately, panic started to set in. At first, she thought it was drunk man again, and wondered how the hell he got up so quickly and found her.
"Miss, are you okay?" asked the man in a gentle, caring voice. He came up to her and placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. Keri could feel him staring at her. It was a strange feeling, and she did not want to make eye contact.
"I'm fine, thanks." She said, and smiled in his direction, still not looking at him. "Excuse me." Keri said as she walked past him down the sidewalk. She now had to take another route home, as the drunken man may still have been blocking her way.
Keri set off for home. Little did she realize, she was being watched carefully by a pair of piercing blue eyes.
Keri hated walking home by herself at night and that part of Manhattan was not the place for a young woman to be walking alone that late at night. There were creeps lurking everywhere, behind dumpsters, in dark alleys, sometimes even right out in the open. It did not make Keri feel comfortable in the least little sense. She was used to having Derrick with her. He was the kind of guy who would take her home late at night, and usually walk her right to her door. But Derrick was nowhere to be found. Keri was worried. It was not like him to avoid wishing her a splendid evening after work. She had scanned the parking lot as she was leaving the club for his car - it was still there. Not running. Keri hoped he was just in the back cleaning up, and that nothing ill had happened. She sighed, and trudged on.
Just as she was rounding the corner onto the next street, something caught Keri's eye. The drunken man who had slipped her his number in the club was leaning against the brick building. She gave a curt smile as she tried to pass. The man stepped out from the wall, blocking her path. He gave her a twisted grin and reached out to touch her face.
"So beautiful," he said, sounding very sober. Well, as sober as anyone could have hoped. The man stared. It was making Keri uncomfortable.
"What do you want?", Keri asked, rather bluntly.
"You," he said, tracing his fingers lightly down her soft, cold face. He had almost made his way down her chest to play with the button on her bright blue shirt when Keri knocked his had away. It took everything she could to not punch him in the face. That was the good thing about growing up with an older brother. Her brother, Jackson, had taught her to defend herself at a young age, which usually ended up getting her into heaps of trouble in school, when the boys would be trying to play. How she missed Jackson right now.
Keri attempted to push past the man, but no such luck. He turned around and grabbed her arm with such force, it actually hurt. "Where do you think you're going," he sneered. "We haven't had our fun yet."
Keri was repulsed. She hated this kind of attention, she figured this is what one got when working at a club all of the time. Still, she didn't enjoy it. "No 'fun' will be had. If you will excuse me, I'm leaving. Good night." With that, she turned to leave. Not before the man tried to stop her, yet again. Keri was afraid it would come to this. With one swift movement, she turned slightly and elbowed him hard just between his stomach and pelvic bone. He landed hard on the ground, eyes tightly shut, clutching his stomach.
Keri took this as an opportunity to get away while she could, and fast. She turned in the opposite direction and ran as fast as she could. Keri's legs started to hurt. She had not run this fast since she was on the high school track team. Plus, four years of being a chain smoker didn't help much either. It was a habit she was sure to give up now. Once she got far enough away, she stopped to breathe. Keri's lungs were really starting to hurt. Leaning against another brick building, she saw someone coming toward her. Immediately, panic started to set in. At first, she thought it was drunk man again, and wondered how the hell he got up so quickly and found her.
"Miss, are you okay?" asked the man in a gentle, caring voice. He came up to her and placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. Keri could feel him staring at her. It was a strange feeling, and she did not want to make eye contact.
"I'm fine, thanks." She said, and smiled in his direction, still not looking at him. "Excuse me." Keri said as she walked past him down the sidewalk. She now had to take another route home, as the drunken man may still have been blocking her way.
Keri set off for home. Little did she realize, she was being watched carefully by a pair of piercing blue eyes.