A Winter in California

Part 2

Serena stared at the television with half cast lids; it was nearing midnight and she was utterly drained emotionally and physically but didn't want to fall asleep. It was strange but she loved to sleep but was an addictive night owl finding any excuse to stay up for another moment...just another second as not to wake up to reality.

This included a less than glamorous job as a Coffee House server. Serena groaned remembering how every morning at 6 am she would walk into the Brown Bean, plaster a fake smile at every college male that tried to make a pass at her, and avoid their wandering paws.

"Wandering my ass," she muttered out load.

Looking at her wrist watch, Serena let out an exaggerated yawn and finally caved in. Walking to the kitchen she opened one of the cupboards and gathered a blanket and small pillow.

When she first found the small apartment, it was a total mess of old newspapers used to hide floor cracks, torn and blemished walls, and no room space save for the kitchen and living room. But over the last year, Serena had made it a priority to make it a little piece of home...well maybe not home but just livable.

Saving and pinching every penny, she had managed to thrift shop used paint, and decorations. Call it vanity of the home, but she needed to do it. Sure she saved for food and her payments, but Serena knew her heart couldn't handle living in a place that reminded her of an outhouse.

...at least it was clean.

Coming over to the beaten but clean couch Serena laid out her makeshift bed and sat down. Leaning over to the table beside the couch, she turned off the only lamp in the room and placed her head on the pillow waiting for sleep to claim her.

Serena loved sleep. But somehow she knew that tonight the past events of the day would come back to haunt her dreams...

The room was quiet. Serena sat on the couch reading a book she found at the local library. It was an angst/ adventure of a boy searching for his sister that was lost in England after WWII...poor little Torrance, Serena thought engrossed with the boy's struggle.

The room was not quiet. Serena turned her head towards the door questioningly. There was a knock, she thought. How strange since she never received company before, save for the building manager who collected payment every first of the month.

But it was November twelfth and he had already come by. Gently folding the page at the tip, Serena closed her book and walked towards the door. "Who is it?"

Another knock. But no answer.

"Yes?" Serena asked?

Another knock. But no answer.

Sighing, Serena contemplated her choices. It was 3 pm in the afternoon. Too early for a robbery...and who the hell would rob her? Especially living here? Gah, she thought.

Slowly unlocking the door, Serena cracked it open little by little until she was greeted with a face she never though she would see again.

With wide and shocked eyes, she whispered, "Daddy?"

Serena shot up awake, sweat covering her forehead. Clutching the blanket with her hands angrily, she muttered out, "Why..."

Looking once again at her wrist watch; it was 2 am and she had only been asleep for roughly two hours. Groaning, Serena tried once again to fall back asleep but dismissed it after a couple of minutes of tossing and turning.

Walking across the room to the kitchen, Serena opened her refrigerator and grabbed a raspberry yogurt cup. Coming back to the couch she sat there for a while silently eating the sweet yet fat free treat hoping to calm her nerves.

But then there was a scrape.

In the darkness of the room there was no way to tell if there was another person in the room, but Serena knew there was. It was how the room's energy changed from calm to sinister...she felt it as the hair on her skin began to rise.

Serena knew her apartment down and even in the dark could manage to navigate safely. Slowly rising up from the couch, she crouched low to the ground and began to slowly walk towards the open window which would lead to the fire escape.

There was another strange scrape. Someone was in the room, she was now totally certain.

It was now or never, she thought. Taking a leap of faith, Serena ran towards the open window and jumped out into the fire escape. She heard shuffling behind her as the person also ran her way.

As she began to descend down the stairs, Serena was tackled from behind. Letting out a scream as her head hit the edge of the metal stair, her last thought was of her father's departing words:

"There is no choice in the matter. You may have run away from him, but he promised to ruin me if you are not found,"