Evelyn Myers.


    I parked in a free space outside the lot and turned off the engine. I exhaled. Today had been a tough day. Very. Looking through my windshield, I stared at the apartment complex and wondered what I was gonna do.


    It didn''t come as a shock to me that reporting my boss''s son for money laundering was bad. "I guess I should be grateful they didn''t turn it around and pin it on my head." That was society for you—me being glad that losing my job was the worst thing they''d done.


    I got out of the car and shut it. Locking it and making sure it was firmly locked, I turned to cross the path.


    Saxon High was the safest neighborhood I could think of in the city. That was why I was always shocked when I spotted the black-hooded dude standing by the side of the street.


    Don''t look. Don''t look. Staying in a safe street didn''t mean I didn''t know danger when I saw it.


    "Pssst."


    I heard and ignored the call, keeping my face forward and my eyes on the gates to my apartment complex. At 9 p.m., it wasn''t that crowded out here. Even during the day, it was hard to hear cars in here. So it was easy to hear the footsteps coming behind me.


    I cursed and took off in a run. The curses and shouts behind me were ignored as I rushed for the gate.


    Unfortunately for me, I''m not that good of a runner. At 5 ft 6, I didn''t have that long of legs. At least not compared to the dude chasing me. Solid weight rammed into my back just as I got to the gate and knocked me face-first into it.


    I saw stars. Pained bloomed on my face and I swear I saw words in my vision. I was on the cold ground and I tried to move for the gate again. Crawl in. Where was the goddamned security?


    I knew the answer. He was there to protect the house and not stop muggings outside it. He was no saint, and considering this dude could be holding guns, I understood he wouldn''t poke his head into this matter.


    "Please..." I tried to speak when a boot, it had to be a boot, slammed into my face. My head whipped back and slammed into the gate again.


    "...don''t be begging after making me run sweetheart. Dude, the keys".


    "Got em, bro"


    " No. Not the keys. Not the car. Please. I need it". Another kick to my ribs sent pain through my body. I''d never been kicked like that before. I moaned and tried to breathe.


    " I need it to feed my...". A boot to my face shut me right up.


    " There. Now you quiet''.


    "Let''s go bro. We got it".


    "Aye. Aye". I choked on what was definitely blood as I tried to move. I needed that car. At least with it, I could go back to being an Uber driver. If I didn''t even have it, I was toast. Not being able to take care of your children in this cursed country meant losing them.


    It was probably the kicks cause gods knew what I was going to do with grown men bigger than me and probably with weapons.


    I stood anyway and tried walking to the car. I didn''t know if I was crying from pain or from losing my last means to try earning while searching for another job. Or was it for the possible danger this risked of me losing Kayla?


    Either way, I wasn''t seeing that happen, and so I got to them. The car was already on, and the driver, whichever it was driving back. "No...come...back". I stumbled into the lot and pushed my feet to chase them faster.


    I could hear my car revving back as I got out of the lot and turned to walk to them.


    "Get off the streets bitch".My car moved swerving to avoid me. I didn''t get to see clearly but I was certain the other male grabbed the wheel and swerved it right back.


    My eyes widened, poor decisions catching up to me. I tried to back off. My side tugged at me with fierce pain. Force took out my legs and I hit the car front and then rolled to the side. The car was still moving as the inertia threw me off and to the side of the lot where I was sure my head cracked against something.


    I could hear it in the distance. My car. Getting driven off. I gulped for air. Tried to stand. Why are my legs not working? No not my legs. I can''t...


    It was definitely delirium. I may have hit my head hard. I was seeing words. Speaking words. My hair felt damp. My legs hurt. I tried to top, to move. I couldn''t. Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!


    Kayla. Her name sent a spike of anger through me. I should have thought of her and not the car. I refused to believe my thoughts. I was thinking of her. Without the car. No money.


    I tried to stand again. My body didn''t even move. I felt stuck. Trapped. Heavy. Be a dream. Please be. a dream. It has to be. No way I lost the car, right?


    My thoughts were getting harder to form. Harder to form. Please, stand up. Kayla. At home.


    Those words were still there. They were shaking now, my mind was too muddled to understand them. Too far.


    The words got larger. Brighter. Hurting my eyes. My eyes were open. I reached for the words. Go away.


    They flashed more. Erratically. Like strobe lights. Am... I ...runk i...n t....he c...lu..b.


    I hoped I was. I hoped I was. Pl...e...as...e b.....e.....e. ..e.


    The lights were still erratic but I was losing sight of them. It was getting darker. D....a...rk.....e...r.


    The lights flashed even more. I felt like the darkness was dragging the lights away. No, they weren''t lights. Words. They were words. What words? My words. Kayla. Be Kayla. I wanted to see them again. I tried to reach for the words. To have them be Kayla. To agree to them and see Kayla.


    I felt a cold grip on my insides. It was the last thing I felt before I lost thought.


    _


    I gasped awake with a forceful gulp of air. My lungs burned and my heart beat fast. I glanced around frantically searching for something. My body was acting instinctively and my brain had not caught up.


    I blinked again, my eyes rolling around. I felt cold and yet I didn''t feel discomfort from the cold. My brain locked in like a gear, and memories flooded my mind.


    I looked at myself. Blood matted my body and hair. There was a sticky puddle on the ground, but it was not yet dry. I wasn''t unconscious for long.


    I turned and used my left hand to push myself up. Standing up fully I turned to the apartment building. I need a bath, then I''ll call the cops. Or I''ll get that bastard to do it.


    I staggered ahead. I didn''t exactly feel tired or weak, just ... hungry. I must have lost a lot of blood.


    I paused in the middle of the street noticing something crazy. There was a light blinking in the left corner of my vision. Weird. It was probably some after-effects of hitting the ground hard.


    Ignoring it I focused on placing my foot ahead of the other. Getting to the gate I pushed it open and stepped in. I kept walking to the entrance, and then inside, I paused. There he was, the bastard.


    Frightened brown eyes stared at me. I stared right back.


    "At least be useful and call the police". My voice was silky sweet and withholding the anger and pain in it.


    His head bobbed sharply and then he picked up the telephone to the side and dialed quickly. "I hope those cameras got everything?."


    I pointed to his monitors and he nodded before quickly looking away and talking into the phone. Why he hadn''t called them the moment he saw the altercation or the men I didn''t know.


    I left him and staggered to the elevator. Entering I poked the button for the 8th floor and leaned back as the elevator dinged and the doors closed. I stayed like that catching my breath and feeling the slight vibration of the elevator ascending.


    "My legs don''t hurt anymore". I could swear they hurt when I tried getting up before. " Do I she spent head trauma?. I can''t feel the pain in my side anymore".


    The ding of the elevator shook me out of my thoughts. Stepping out I walked on to my door. I knocked.


    It was very late and the nanny was supposed to have gone home earlier but ... she''ll understand once she sees me.


    I knocked again and then stopped. My head tilted. I could hear footfalls coming to the door. I blinked sharply and staggered back.


    The sound of iron against iron scraping made me wince and hiss. My eyes shut open. Did I just hiss?


    Bertha, the old lady who watched Kayla, stood at the door looking at me. Her eyes had the horrified gaze I expected.


    " What happened to you?". I flashed a smile as she was at my side and holding me. I wasn''t going to fall but I was thankful. My stomach was now biting.


    "Got robbed. Lost the car".


    "What!. Where?".


    "Outside". I winced as a sound echoed in my ears.


    "Are you okay?. There''s blood all over you. You need to go...".


    *Already called the cops. They should get an ambulance when they come. I have to see Kayla"


    Her head was bobbing. I could hear the rustle of her hair but I wasn''t looking her way.


    She helped me inside and to the couch but I shook my head. " Kayla".


    I needed to see my baby girl. Bertha could only help me through the rooms as I stumbled. I got to my child''s room and stopped. She was asleep, tucked in with her teddy held tight.


    What am I gonna do now? As I stared at her I wondered what and where to start finding jobs. I exhaled and just turned to find my room.


    "The cops are coming, so let them in if they arrive, Bertha. I''m sorry you overstayed your time too".


    "Nonsense". The lady waved it off. " You need to get your injuries looked over".


    "I''ll just get a bath first. There''s nothing serious". I got into my room and began getting the bloody clothes off. Piling them to the side in case the cops needed evidence I got into the bathroom.


    Getting the water to hot I stood under it and let it flow down my skull. Red trickled off me and flowed down the drain. I stood there for a good while until I heard Bertha knocking.


    "The cops are here". Her voice came.


    "I''m coming".


    I got out and dried up. In my room, I pulled on my nightgown, and, wrapping my head in the towel, I moved to the door. That was when I froze.


    " Didn''t I have a head injury?". I pulled the towel off and began patting my head. No pain. No burns. Nothing. But...the blood. Where...


    I looked down to my side and pressed. There was no pain from anywhere I got kicked. I kicked my legs where I was certain I had gotten hit by my stolen car.


    No pain.


    Shit.