Short Story #59: The One Time I Didn't Head Home Immediately

My mother had reminded me one too many times to head straight home once my night shift working in a 24-hour grocery store ended. She was terrified that the streets would be quiet and empty - a perfect 'hunting ground' for rapists and serial killers to roam around in search of new victims. I heeded her words of course until one night. 

Like any other night, the moon cast over our heads was shining as brightly as ever in the night sky. It was also helpful that the streets were littered with streetlights which were all working and illuminated the entire area. My colleague Shauna had just suffered a harsh break-up with her boyfriend and she painfully waited till the end of shift to tell me the whole story. I may not give any good solutions to cope with problems but I am a very good listener and I know the right times to rub an upset person's back in comfort. 

It was a nasty break-up alright. I almost felt sorry for Shauna. Almost. Because I had already known that Thomas was a two-timing bastard. Yes, Shauna and I had caught him shoving his tongue into another girl's throat in a busy supermarket few weeks back. At first, Shauna was in complete denial, insisting that it was actually a twin brother Thomas had never told her about and I was like, girl, let's be real. I had already told her to break up with him but she refused to listen to me. So, I had known something like this was going to happen. But, really, breaking up with your girlfriend while draping your hand around another girl, and a different one from the supermarket one? This guy is a player. One could only wonder what these girls see in this cheater and unfaithful asshole. 

As Shauna bawled and laid her head on my shoulder, while I ignored all the drool and snot staining my cerulean dress, I gazed around the empty streets. It was pretty quiet, minus the intense sobbing and the owls hooting. At times, I could feel as though the owl was urgently warning me to come home. I ignored it and patted Shauna's soft, chesnut brown hair gently. 

It was strange. The night felt strange unlike any other night. It was quiet - a little too quiet. And before I knew it, a cloth was shoved into my mouth. My screams were muffled and I tried to pry the extremely muscular arms choking my throat off me but my efforts were in vain. In a few minutes, my vision blurred and my whole world faded into black.