It was dark, cold, damp, and smelled like mold.
I looked around at the walls on either side of me. The only light came from my phone flashlight. My boots clicked against the concrete floor, combining with the sound of my humming. The only sounds in this silent hall. One of my co-workers had said that this is where I would be able to find her, Jessica Ryans. The biggest mob boss in this country. I found her name repulsive. It suited her then, with the work she does. Though, for a girl with a bitchy name, I don't know why the sewers would be her place. She sounded like someone that likes nice things. Not mold and mice. I shrugged slightly to myself, I wasn't one to judge. I'm just here on business, not to criticize her preferences.
I reached the end of the hall to face a clean steel door. The only other thing clean in this sewer was maybe the floor beneath my feet, and that's saying something. I knocked twice, paused, knocked three times, paused again, and finished with a rapid five knocks with slight paused from two and one and then the remaining three. The passwords and other shit moss bosses come up with are just stupid. I mean, the police will instantly assume there's a password and try to figure out what it is when it's just a simple fucking knock! I think that's a better way to go about it, but who was I to know? I stepped back and watched as the door slowly opened. Two eyes stared at me from the cracked opening. Annoyed, I flashed the light from my phone in front of them.
They flinched back, blinking rapidly. I laughed quietly to myself. Never gets old. The guy glared at me before reluctantly opening the door wider. I pushed past him without a glance. My black eyebrow rose when I took in the interior. It was like a fucking palace. I knew Jessica couldn't possibly be one for anything less than royalty. It's not bad. The guy closes the door behind me while I look around. He grunts and motions me to follow him. I roll my dark brown eyes but comply. The halls were even more confusing here than the sewers. It reminded me of the lairs, or labs, of the one villain from this one show I watched when bored. My thoughts were closed off when I come face to face - or, really, face to metal - with a royal blue colored door.
This girl sure does like royalty related things. The guy was about to knock but I shoved him away with one hand. He sputtered and lost balance. He looked up at me with a glare from where he sat on the floor. I looked to him impatiencely, slowly raising my foot while sticking my hand out. As I flicked him off, I maintained eye contact and kicked down the door. I don't have time for these fucker's passcodes and shit. His eyes widen at my brute strength, paling as I smirked. I looked away, never dropping my hand. Walking into the the office like room, I scanned over everything, committing it to memory before I looked to the center. My dark brown eyes clashes with furious green eyes. My nose scrunched up. Ugh, green. I could just puke. My brow twitches as I spot her obviously dyed ombré pink hair. The color repluses me. I wanna just shave it off. My humming cuts off instantly with my bad mood.
"Yo," I call out casually, finally dropping my arm and lifting the other in a slight wave. I tilt my head innocently, "You the bitch named Jessica Ryans?"
I can see the rage in her eyes, until a flicker of recognition passes through them. She frowns suddenly and slumps back in the chair. "Ah, so it's you. Jake warned me of your...potty mouth," she says in disdain. Me too sister, me too. Jake is the fucking worst, self-centered little motherfucker. I hate him too.
I nod to her, confirming her statement. She sighs and rolls her eyes. She waves off her guards, sitting straight when the door is closed after being put on its hinges again. She motions to the seat in front of her. I sit down unladylike, not paying attention to the clear disgust on her face. She sighs and pushes the papers on her desk towards me. I take them while reading them over. Same old, same old. Stupid contract about not betraying her and shit like that. I still don't see the reasons behind this. But, I've signed so many not to care anymore. I kept to my word, always. I signed without a care and tossed them lightly to her. She glared and I looked on boredly.
"Can we hurry up? I'm hungry and I've heard that there's this really great burger place downtown that closes in like, an hour," I say while leaning forward. She snarls but nods.
The whole deal I was sent there for, took over an entire hour. The burger place fucking closed. I made sure to point that out too while leaving. Of course, I gave her my signature goodbye.
Two middle fingers high in the air, along with a, "See ya bitch!" With guys I say motherfucker.
More than annoyed that I couldn't try out the new burger place, I glared at the air in front of me while taking the long way back to my hotel. It was winter so the air was cold and with each breath, a puff of white could be seen. I was swearing under my breath, not really paying a attention when a kid ran into me. I was already annoyed and my mood was beyond bad — because one simply does not keep me away from food and the crunching sound of snow beneath my boots didn't help — but I never could figure out why I instantly calmed down when I saw a child. I sighed and helped the boy out of the snow. I patted it off his big blue jacket lightly. He looked up surprised. Kinda like he expected a yelling or a hit. Then I noticed his black eye and the bruises along his jaw.
"Hey kid," I said softly not wanting to startle him, "Why you so beat up?" Okay, so maybe I could have been nicer about it but sugarcoating and speaking subtly was never something I was good at. Been told perhaps a thousand times that my bluntness will get me killed. I hoped it didn't, I wanted to go out with a bang! And, because it'd be funny proving them all wrong on how I'll be killed.
That's another thing, it's always about being killed. Never about, just, ya know, dying.
The boy looks away and stays silent. I stare at him waiting. I had nothing better to do and was quite bored so I could hang around. Noticing that I wasn't leaving and was not about to change the subject, he sighs softly before stuttering out an answer. "I-it was j-just some b-bullies. N-nothing n-new. I'm u-used to i-it," he said. My eyes narrow.
"That isn't something to be used to," I say making him flinch slightly, "Where are your parents? Have you told them?" His expression falls. With a dead voice he answered, "What do they care? All they do is beat me half to death." I glare down at the snow between us. I look over the kid in front of me. Now only noticing the shorts and sandals he wore, along with the bandage wrapped around his legs. I nodded to myself and grabbed the kid by the hand. I turned to walked. He let out a yelp in surprise.
"W-where are you t-taking me?" He asks fearfully. I glare more heatedly at the falling snow in front of me.
"To some people that will take care of you. Actually take care of you. They'll give you a home and some food and a job too," I replied. Now, taking a kid of only about ten years old to a mob boss probably isn't the best thing. But it's certainly better than some orphanage. I would know from personal expierence.
It took only half an hour to make it back to Jessica's place. I had walked past the angry guards pulling the boy along with me. I kicked down the office door again without care and walked in as Jessica looked up glaring. Then she saw the boy. Her expression curious, still angry, but curious. She looks to me for an explanation and I sigh tiredly. God, why do I have such a soft spot for kids? How many times have I done this? Over thirty times now? Taking children out of bad places and handing them over to the mob bosses I trusted enough to give them a child.
I push him in front of me lightly. "Abusive parents," it was all I needed to say. Her expression darkened before she nodded to me. She looks over the boy with a critical eye. She nods slightly. Before she can talk, I speak up again. "Bullied too. It's why his face is all black and blue. And you know what else he fucking told me? That he's fucking used to it. Can you believe that shit?" I scoff while glaring to the side.
"I understand. I'll take him in. You don't need to worry," she says. I nod to her gratefully. I turn back to the child that is staring at us with wide eyes. I smile a little and pat his head. "See? Told you I'd take you some people that will take care of you. Sorry for barging in, I'll be on my way now," I say to Jessica before turning and leaving. I don't glance back as I exit the place. I continue walking even as the sky darkens.
I keep going even after I've passed my hotel. I walk without knowing, humming under my breath. My thoughts too caught up in the memories; in the past. My feet going on autopilot while I stare blankly ahead. Not really looking at anything or seeing anything. Guess it's my fault then. I always did want to go out in a bang. I just didn't think that 'bang' could be from a eighteen-wheeler. How'd I even get on the highway? Ah, it doesn't matter now. I'm dead, or dying at least. And I fully expect to go to hell. With everything I've done? I'm definitely going to Hell. Hm, maybe Satan will even let me help him rule the underworld. That'd be fun. I wonder what it'd be like, in hell I mean. Will I be tortured? Rotting in a cell? Burning in a fire? Be made into soup? Damn, now I'm hungry. Can I even be hungry? I mean, I'm dead, or well, dying. Really wished I could have tried that burger place though before I die.
I pay no attention to the panicking men above me. I can't hear them. My vision blurry and my ears were ringing. My body is numb, but I can faintly feel the broken bones beneath my skin. I can feel the rib bone stabbed in my right lung. I don't even try to hold on to life. What's the point? If I'm submitted to the hospital and the cops get involved, I'll just be arrested after they figure out who I am. I laugh weakly as blood flows out of my mouth.
I never thought that I, Anna Hethingway, would die from a car at just the age of thirty-three. I never thought that I, a person feared and respected by the darkside of the world, would die like this. I honestly thought, that one of the thousands of gangs and mob bosses I've encountered would send an assassin to finish me. Ah, now I'll be a laughing stock. Hit by a eighteen-wheeler? How pathetic.
The sounds of sleep was so tempting. I closed my heavy eyelids and let darkness wash over me while smiling. Looks like this is the end of Anna Hethingway. I had a good run while it lasted.
{ A/N }
Ah, the prologue is done. Yay! Hope you enjoyed! I certainly enjoy writing this character. I can't wait to get started on her as Sakura. This will mess with canon so much even I'm not sure what to expect! I am more invested with this story than I am with my other one so, updates will most likely be more frequent for this story than my other one. TILL NEXT TIME!