'It started with a dream….a reoccurring dream… I'm six again and I'm running fast from him, as fast as I can and as I look back I can't see him, but he's still following me, my feet are blistered and bleeding but I know I have to run as fast as I can, to get away from him, if I don't he'll do the same to me that he did to my family. I ran through the desert cutting my foot on the sharp edges of the rocks making it even harder for me to run. I keep running until I can't run anymore and I finally collapse. That's when I wake up always covered in sweat and out of breath, like I was actually running.'
Amani looked at the clock it was only five in the morning, the last thing she needed was to be restless before the start of her new job, her first job. Amani got out of bed and went to the kitchen to get a class of water. After drinking feeling feverish she splashed water on her face, and caught a glance of her reflection, for a second she looked like the same pale scared six year old that woke up in an Egyptian hospital, only to be told that she was the sole survivor of a horrible attack that had let her mother, father and two brothers dead. The only living relative that she had left was her mothers' grand-uncle who lived in the United States and just like her whole life turned upside down. That was eighteen years ago Amani reminded herself, it's been eighteen years, he hadn't found her yet and he probably never would. Since it was impossible for her to go back to sleep and get up again in time for her new job, she decided to enjoy the Miami morning. Thinking about the past always made her upset, but she always got the feeling that somehow she was forgetting something, something important. Amani sat there on her balcony, thinking about the past trying to go over every detail of that horrible day trying hard to think of what she could have forgotten, until the heat made it unbearable for her to stay outside. She decided to take a shower since she had become all hot and sticky from sitting out in the humid morning, After a quick breakfast, she decided to leave for work even though it was still early, better to be early and make a good impression on her first day rather than being late and looking like an arrogant idiot. Just as Amani was heading out and locking her apartment the door across the hall opened and her neighbor steeped out to pick up his morning newspaper.
'Hey, I didn't know that someone finally moved in,' he said as he picked up his paper, he looked up at me and smiled. I couldn't help but notice his gorgeous hazel eyes and I forgot to respond for a moment.
'Yea I just moved in a week ago, and I haven't been home much since,' Amani replied a little too late and blushed because he had noticed me staring at him
'Well it's going to be nice to finally have a neighbor again, I hope you like the place, I'm Ryan by the way,' he said smiling
'I'm Amani, Amani Al-Fyad,' she said still blushing, he was very good looking, with his brown hair and strong features.
'Well Amani, it's nice to meet you, I hope your liking Miami so far, if you need anything, let me know,' he said as he went inside
'I defiantly will, it was nice to meet you too Ryan, have a good day,' Amani said pressing the call button on the elevator and watched him closed the door.
Amani smiled to herself and thought 'maybe living in Miami wouldn't be so bad after all,' as she walked in to the parking garage a sense of fear overtook her, she felt like someone was watching her. Amani stopped and looked over her shoulder, but the parking garage was completely empty, panic overtook her and she ran all the way to her black Mercedes –Benz C300 got in quickly and looked the doors, reversed incredibly quickly and got out of the parking garage. All the way to work she kept on looking in the rearview mirror, trying to see if anyone was following her, but she shock off my paranoia when she pulled in to the parking lot at the MDPD's. She calmed herself down took one last look in the mirror to see if she looked all right, took a deep breath and exited her car.