Chapter 2: A New Me

The walk to the nearest grocery store was thankfully not as long as I anticipated, since there was a Walgreens a few blocks down. Not exactly ideal for grocery shopping, but at least they carried some kind of food at all, plus I was able to get some hair dye, plus essentials for the bathroom and kitchen that the store carried, saved me an extra trip. There was a small linen store not too far from there where I was able to get a cheap comforter set, a couple of pillows and a set of towels. Thank god I brought my backpack, otherwise I'd have a hell of a time carrying all this stuff. Not wanting to add to my load, I decided to make my way home.

It was already dark by the time I reached the familiar apartment building. I've heard Hell's Kitchen can be pretty dangerous at night, but I guess the same can be said for New York in general. Either way, I had no intention of staying out longer than I needed to. I've managed to escape one Hell, no way do I want to push my luck in a city that literally has the word "Hell" in its name.

As I crossed the street to the building's entrance, I couldn't help but have the nagging feeling that I was being watched. The hairs on the back of my neck stood straight up, my breath stuck in my throat as I checked my surroundings. Aside from a few people walking by, there was no sign of anyone that looked suspicious as far as I knew. Then suddenly I heard a noise above my head. I quickly turned and looked up towards the roof of my apartment building. It was hard to tell for sure, but I could've sworn I saw a dark figure move from the roof. I blinked for a second, and it was gone.

Pull yourself together, girl. You're just being paranoid. It's all in your head. Your brain is just hanging on to those old ghosts you've left behind. It's not him, he couldn't possibly know you were here. You're free from him. You're safe.

My pep talk (that I didn't realize I had said out loud) snapped me out of my paranoia...a little anyway, and I made my way inside the building.

As I walked down the hall, I slowed to a stop, thinking about my literal run-in with my new neighbor. I feel like such a jackass for how I acted earlier. I can't imagine what he thinks of me.

I was tempted to knock on his door to apologize for my weird and rude behavior. But I didn't. Perhaps it's for the best. If my behavior put him off, then that means he'll stay away. It would be a terrible idea for me to get close to this guy, or anyone for that matter. It doesn't feel safe enough for me to get that comfortable and I have no right dragging anybody else into my problems. If my experience has taught me anything, it's that I only have myself, I can only trust myself. I'm better off alone.

With that mindset in place, I made my way into my apartment and locked the door. I set my stuff down, grabbed the boxed dye and started the process of changing my hair.

As the dye was processing, I put away my groceries and heated up my frozen dinner. I practically inhaled my dinner in no time, I didn't realize how hungry I was; so I grabbed my new linens and headed for the bedroom.

By the time I had made my bed and hung the towels up in the bathroom, it was time to hop in the shower and rinse the dye. It was the first shower I'd had in days; it was such a refreshing feeling, and the water was so soothing on the aches and bruise of my body, I didn't shut it off until the hot water ran cold.

As I towel dried my hair that was first light blonde, now a vibrant shade of red, I looked over where my new hand towels were hanging.

They weren't hanging evenly.

My first instinct was to quickly adjust the towels so they were hanging at perfectly even length. As I laid a hand on one of the towels, my mind went back to an earlier time...

I was sitting on our patio overlooking the beach in the early morning when I heard footsteps approaching behind me. I turned to look up at the familiar cold blue eyes staring into mine as his tall intimidating frame towered over me, casting a looming shadow.

"Come with me." He calmly requested as he held out his hand that easily dwarfed mine, leaving me no other option but to take it.

He guided me through the house, the silence deafening.

"Isn't it a little early for this?" I asked in a nervous giggle, assuming he was leading me to the bedroom.

Instead of the bedroom, however, our journey stopped in our bathroom. He let go of my hand as he stepped further into the bathroom, his back stiff straight facing me with his hands crossed, looking militant like a drill Sergeant.

"Is everything as it should be in here?" He asked expectantly, giving me a quick second to realize my mistake."I don't know why I forgot." I replied, my heart racing in panic as I rushed to adjust the hand towels on the rack so they can hang evenly as they're supposed to.

He was still tense as he looked at me through the reflection in the mirror. "That's alright, Princess," he responded with a tight smile, "That's why we have to remind ourselves every day."

"Thank you." I replied softly as I stood obediently with my eyes towards the floor, waiting for further instructions from him. He spared me a glance and nodded, implying I was dismissed. I exited the bathroom, thankful that my mistake didn't him too angry this time.

I snapped out of my memory and took a breath.

He's not here. It's okay. You're safe.

With that moment of clarity, I reached for the towels and shuffled them around until they were completely unkempt. They were messy, lopsided, and twisted up, and it felt so satisfying! I let out a giggle as I looked at my work. It wasn't until that moment that it really began to sink in.

I was free.

I could feel the weight lifting off my shoulders from this revelation. I felt like I could really breathe again. I checked myself in the mirror again to observe my new look. I actually loved the red. I thought I would miss my long blonde hair, and I suppose part of me will, but my new hair has immediately become my new favorite look. Cutting it had already relieved part of the heavy burden weighing down on me, changing color relieved it even more. The expression "New hair, new me" couldn't be any more true.

After double and triple checking the locks on my door, I fell asleep in my new bed feeling better than I've felt in a long time. Outside in the city may be still hard for me, but in my own little world of solitude, in my new home, I was safe.

I fell into a deep, blissful sleep; unaware of a familiar dark shadow on the roof of the building next door, facing my window as he kept a curious and protective watch over me.

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