The ten-year-old walked down the snow covered road with
nothing but a jacket and overly large t-shirt on to cover her small frame.
The wind beat at her body with a savage force, yet with eyes closed shut
tightly, the little girl trudged forward on a steady gait. The coldness of
the night air was bitter and relentless. It was a dark evening with gray-
silver clouds forming a veil of endless gloom in the sky. Even the moon and
her stars had retreated from their places high above.
Suddenly, her figure was caught in the light of an approaching truck, yet she made no movement to attract attention. Luckily, the man driving saw her and quickly pulled over. When he lifted the girl into the front seat and covered her with a few dozen layers of warm blankets, he realized she was seemingly unaffected by the harsh weather's treatment. A part from rosy red cheeks, she showed no sign that normally accompanied a person when they had been roaming the countryside in the middle of a storm.
"You alright kid? Where are your parents?" He asked her and received no reply. She just sat there in the truck's leather seat, silent and distant. "Kid?" The man tried again. No words stirred from her lips though and eventually he gave up trying to converse with her. He figured there was something more to her.something more to Silence.
"Yo, Sylen! Mind getting down here?" Alfredo yelled, his booming voice echoing through the garage. Promptly, the oil-stained face of a young woman peered out the upstairs office.
"Yes boss?" Her patient voice traveled down to him. In one fluid movement, she leaped off the stairs and landed in front of him. Dressed in the navy blue uniform of the Alfredo Car Repair, her black dyed hair was pulled back in a casual ponytail. Her body was solid and had grown strong through the years; blue eyes glimmered with a lively charisma that showed no reflection of her past pains.
"I need to go meet a friend of mine downtown, you think you can handle things until closing tonight?" He asked. Sylen had been working for him since the beginning of last year and the middle-aged man had grown to trust the dear girl. She was always on time and very rarely complained. He had asked her about her family once but she was very vague about it, saying she came over from England when she was thirteen, but nothing else. Aside from this small gap, Alfredo felt Sylen was a wholesome young woman.
"Of course, Sir. Do we have any arrivals coming in?" She asked and Alfredo checked over the list which told of the day's arrivals and check-outs. His dark brown eyes traveled down the lengthy sheet before he finally shook his head.
"We have only one check-out and that's at 6:30." Alfredo said and handed the clipboard over to her.
She grinned, "The black Mustang? Darn, I was beginning to grow attached to that beauty." Alfredo chuckled and patted her on the back.
"Maybe someday you'll buy your own, kiddo." He said and grabbed his jacket to leave.
"I better get going. Tomorrow morning. Be here, 9 o' clock sharp or you're fired. Got it?" He said with his most commanding voice.
Sylen grinned, knowing her older friend was all talk. With a nod, she ushered him out of the garage, "See ya later, boss."
Where is this guy? Sylen thought with mild annoyance. Her eyes drifted back to the clock hanging on the wall. It was going on seven and yet the owner of the Mustang had yet to come.
"That's it. This person ain't here in five minutes, I'm outta here." She said aloud in exasperation. She nimbly zippering up her red backpack, which had definitely seen better days and was combing her tangled hair when there was a short buzz as the alarm announced someone entering the front door.
Hiding the aggravation of having to wait under a polite mask, Sylen walked over to the front desk to greet the customer. Her eyes traveled to the window as the yellow cab took off. "Hello there, sir." She said as a young man in his late twenties approached her.
He nodded and flashed a charming grin, "Good even'n madam, I'm 'ere to pick up da Mustang." Sylen didn't give him more then a glance, she was ready to leave and had been waiting for half an hour for the guy.
Systematically pulling out the bill for the repairs on the Mustang along with a release form, Sylen handed it to him and grabbed the keys to the car. "I'll go get it for you right away." She reappeared moments later, outside the front entrance with the engine roaring.
"Ah, thank ya, she looks great." The man said as Sylen got out. He handed her the form with a check and slid inside the car.
She glanced down at the form, checking to see all the information had been included, "Not a problem Mr. LeBeau."
Looking up, she realized he was still there. "Is there anything wrong?" Sylen asked and he shook his head.
"Just curious ifa pretty girl like yourself might care for'a dinna and drink 'n da city." He said sweetly. Sylen stifled a laugh, the idea of such was beyond folly in her world.
The words, no way, were dancing on the tip of her tongue but instinctively her manners towards strangers took over. So with a pause, she smiled and addressed him a nervous shake of the head.
"I don't think so." She babbled and turned quickly to move back into the office.
"Are ya sure? I mean I feel just awful for keep'n ya here by your lonesome 'cause I was late." He said and added, "at least letta me give ya a ride home."
Sylen glanced over her shoulder "It's ok really, I have a ride." She lied. Normally, she rode the bus using her pass but since she had by now missed it, she would have to chance things by walking. Another option would have been to take a cab but she didn't have the money. It wasn't the most brightest idea to walk, especially when living in the midst of New York's grungiest neighborhood, however the alternatives were few.
When she came back out to lock up, he was still there. A part of her felt a tinge of worry but it was soon drowned by her normal level- headed nature.
"I thought I'd wait till ya ride got here. Just in case, ya need a backup ride." He said cooly as if it was all the justification he needed.
Sylen exhaled hard and evaluated the situation. A strange guy offers a ride, so does the girl either A] accept ride graciously and be done with it or B] risk life walking home into the darkness where the chances of being found dead in alley the next morning are at an all time high. Gee.decisions, decisions, Sylen thought to herself. Suddenly gunfire went off in the distance. Was God trying to say something here?
She made her decision then and there. "On second thought, I'll take your offer on the lift..." She paused and he leaned over to open the passenger door for her.
They were traveling down 2nd Avenue in a comfortable quiet when Sylen noticed he was dressed up in a sophisticated suit. He wore all black with only his crimson tie to add any color to the attire.
"Did you go to some party tonight?" Sylen asked curiously.
"I was going to.which way now?" He asked and she pointed the car swerved and continued down another street, "I was go'n ta go to a.business part'ay of some sort but decided against it." Sylen sensed a hint of dishonesty in what he said but figured it wasn't her position to say anything.
The car came to a halt in front of her apartment complex. Getting out, she smiled, "Thanks for the ride."
"De name's Remy." He said and added, "An' it was no a problem."
Sylen nodded saying, "Good night then, Remy." At that she disappeared into the apartments and the stranger slowly drove off whispering, "I'll be seen'n you again soon, darlin."
Author's Note: Too tired.must sleep. Edit later.Zzzzzz
Suddenly, her figure was caught in the light of an approaching truck, yet she made no movement to attract attention. Luckily, the man driving saw her and quickly pulled over. When he lifted the girl into the front seat and covered her with a few dozen layers of warm blankets, he realized she was seemingly unaffected by the harsh weather's treatment. A part from rosy red cheeks, she showed no sign that normally accompanied a person when they had been roaming the countryside in the middle of a storm.
"You alright kid? Where are your parents?" He asked her and received no reply. She just sat there in the truck's leather seat, silent and distant. "Kid?" The man tried again. No words stirred from her lips though and eventually he gave up trying to converse with her. He figured there was something more to her.something more to Silence.
"Yo, Sylen! Mind getting down here?" Alfredo yelled, his booming voice echoing through the garage. Promptly, the oil-stained face of a young woman peered out the upstairs office.
"Yes boss?" Her patient voice traveled down to him. In one fluid movement, she leaped off the stairs and landed in front of him. Dressed in the navy blue uniform of the Alfredo Car Repair, her black dyed hair was pulled back in a casual ponytail. Her body was solid and had grown strong through the years; blue eyes glimmered with a lively charisma that showed no reflection of her past pains.
"I need to go meet a friend of mine downtown, you think you can handle things until closing tonight?" He asked. Sylen had been working for him since the beginning of last year and the middle-aged man had grown to trust the dear girl. She was always on time and very rarely complained. He had asked her about her family once but she was very vague about it, saying she came over from England when she was thirteen, but nothing else. Aside from this small gap, Alfredo felt Sylen was a wholesome young woman.
"Of course, Sir. Do we have any arrivals coming in?" She asked and Alfredo checked over the list which told of the day's arrivals and check-outs. His dark brown eyes traveled down the lengthy sheet before he finally shook his head.
"We have only one check-out and that's at 6:30." Alfredo said and handed the clipboard over to her.
She grinned, "The black Mustang? Darn, I was beginning to grow attached to that beauty." Alfredo chuckled and patted her on the back.
"Maybe someday you'll buy your own, kiddo." He said and grabbed his jacket to leave.
"I better get going. Tomorrow morning. Be here, 9 o' clock sharp or you're fired. Got it?" He said with his most commanding voice.
Sylen grinned, knowing her older friend was all talk. With a nod, she ushered him out of the garage, "See ya later, boss."
Where is this guy? Sylen thought with mild annoyance. Her eyes drifted back to the clock hanging on the wall. It was going on seven and yet the owner of the Mustang had yet to come.
"That's it. This person ain't here in five minutes, I'm outta here." She said aloud in exasperation. She nimbly zippering up her red backpack, which had definitely seen better days and was combing her tangled hair when there was a short buzz as the alarm announced someone entering the front door.
Hiding the aggravation of having to wait under a polite mask, Sylen walked over to the front desk to greet the customer. Her eyes traveled to the window as the yellow cab took off. "Hello there, sir." She said as a young man in his late twenties approached her.
He nodded and flashed a charming grin, "Good even'n madam, I'm 'ere to pick up da Mustang." Sylen didn't give him more then a glance, she was ready to leave and had been waiting for half an hour for the guy.
Systematically pulling out the bill for the repairs on the Mustang along with a release form, Sylen handed it to him and grabbed the keys to the car. "I'll go get it for you right away." She reappeared moments later, outside the front entrance with the engine roaring.
"Ah, thank ya, she looks great." The man said as Sylen got out. He handed her the form with a check and slid inside the car.
She glanced down at the form, checking to see all the information had been included, "Not a problem Mr. LeBeau."
Looking up, she realized he was still there. "Is there anything wrong?" Sylen asked and he shook his head.
"Just curious ifa pretty girl like yourself might care for'a dinna and drink 'n da city." He said sweetly. Sylen stifled a laugh, the idea of such was beyond folly in her world.
The words, no way, were dancing on the tip of her tongue but instinctively her manners towards strangers took over. So with a pause, she smiled and addressed him a nervous shake of the head.
"I don't think so." She babbled and turned quickly to move back into the office.
"Are ya sure? I mean I feel just awful for keep'n ya here by your lonesome 'cause I was late." He said and added, "at least letta me give ya a ride home."
Sylen glanced over her shoulder "It's ok really, I have a ride." She lied. Normally, she rode the bus using her pass but since she had by now missed it, she would have to chance things by walking. Another option would have been to take a cab but she didn't have the money. It wasn't the most brightest idea to walk, especially when living in the midst of New York's grungiest neighborhood, however the alternatives were few.
When she came back out to lock up, he was still there. A part of her felt a tinge of worry but it was soon drowned by her normal level- headed nature.
"I thought I'd wait till ya ride got here. Just in case, ya need a backup ride." He said cooly as if it was all the justification he needed.
Sylen exhaled hard and evaluated the situation. A strange guy offers a ride, so does the girl either A] accept ride graciously and be done with it or B] risk life walking home into the darkness where the chances of being found dead in alley the next morning are at an all time high. Gee.decisions, decisions, Sylen thought to herself. Suddenly gunfire went off in the distance. Was God trying to say something here?
She made her decision then and there. "On second thought, I'll take your offer on the lift..." She paused and he leaned over to open the passenger door for her.
They were traveling down 2nd Avenue in a comfortable quiet when Sylen noticed he was dressed up in a sophisticated suit. He wore all black with only his crimson tie to add any color to the attire.
"Did you go to some party tonight?" Sylen asked curiously.
"I was going to.which way now?" He asked and she pointed the car swerved and continued down another street, "I was go'n ta go to a.business part'ay of some sort but decided against it." Sylen sensed a hint of dishonesty in what he said but figured it wasn't her position to say anything.
The car came to a halt in front of her apartment complex. Getting out, she smiled, "Thanks for the ride."
"De name's Remy." He said and added, "An' it was no a problem."
Sylen nodded saying, "Good night then, Remy." At that she disappeared into the apartments and the stranger slowly drove off whispering, "I'll be seen'n you again soon, darlin."
Author's Note: Too tired.must sleep. Edit later.Zzzzzz