(At An Empty Park)
Zoey had successfully escaped the police and ran into an empty park. She slowed her run down to a steady walk. She continued until she came across an old park bench that sat under the soft light of a park lamp.
She approached the bench and tried to sit Katherine on the bench. But when she took her arms off of Katherine, she continued to clutch onto Zoey's clothes and was trying her best to hold herself up in as to not let her body fall.
Zoey chuckled silently to herself and said, " Uh, Katherine you can let go now." Katherine opened her eyes and allowed her legs to fall and her feet to rest on the freezing pavement.
She slowly pulled her head off Zoey's chest and looked around at her serene surroundings.
Zoey gently petted her head and softly comforted her, " There, there it's okay. Everything's okay now. Here why don't you sit down?" She slowly moved Katherine to the bench and sat her down.
Even though she was safe Katherine couldn't seem to find her breath. She finally let go of Zoey's clothes, her hands trembling and numb. Although she was sitting she could tell her legs had become limp and like jelly.
She held her head down and stared at her legs. Zoey noticed Katherine acting strangely, so got closer and asked, " Are you okay?"
Katherine couldn't speak it was as if her voice was nonexistent. Was she, OKAY!? Of course, she wasn't okay! How could anybody be okay after what she went through!?
She was almost raped, she probably killed a guy, she witnessed a scene from a horror movie, she was chased and almost shot by police, she jumped out a window and fell who knows how many feet and Zoey asked if she was okay?
Hell no she wasn't okay! But what she feeling was not fear nor was it anger and it sure as hell wasn't happiness. There was only one word to describe what she was feeling.
Tears and snot dripped onto Katherine's numb legs and she began to sob silently. She brought her face closer to her lap.
Relief. That is what she was feeling. It was so intense her body just gave out. She was relieved that she wasn't violated. She was relieved that she was alive and most of all, she was relieved that Zoey actually gave enough of a damn to risk her life to save a stranger.
"Katherine?" Zoey asked worriedly. Katherine slowly raised her head to meet Zoey's gaze. "WOAH!" Zoey exclaimed to herself.
Katherine's makeup was an absolute disaster. Her mascara, eyeshadow, lipstick, and all the other makeup products on her face which were moistened by her tears and snot.
Her make up was just different colors wiped on her face. If one could see her they would think her face was exceptionally dirty. The dark-colored products that she had on just mixed together, so now she resembled a coal miner mixed with a farmer.
"Sky, please tell me I have something in my storage to clean this girl up," Zoey asked Sky.
[Yes, you happened to store makeup removing wipes at one point. But won't Miss Katherine be suspicious that you suddenly have makeup wipes on you]
" Maybe but she's really drunk and has been through a great amount of shock. She's also emotionally and physically exhausted. She probably won't even remember it when she wakes up tomorrow." Zoey explained.
The makeup wipes quickly appeared in Zoey's hand and she gave then to Katherine.
" Here your face is a mess," Zoey said. Katherine accepted them gratefully her eyes still misty and exactly as Zoey said she didn't even think anything about it.
As Katherine wiped her face Sky talked to Zoey once again.
[Miss Zoey there are two things I must mention too you.
First, the police have put out a warrant for your arrest so it'd be best to take off your disguise.
Second, your phone was damaged at the hostess club. I will be able to repair it but it will still be on its last legs so you might want to invest in a new phone.]
Zoey's eyes widened for a quick moment and she took out her phone. It was in bad condition with a very cracked screen. She replied to Sky, " *Sigh* Alright, I'll leave my phone to you. Thanks for the heads up Sky." Zoey's phone disappeared from her hand into her storage.
She then acted accordingly to Sky's advice and dismantled her disguise. She took off her wig, mask, and contacts and stored those as well. She combed through her hair with her fingers and let it fall gracefully down her back.
"Uhm, " Katherine let out a small noise. Zoey turned around to see Katherine, starting at her with big doe eyes, looking even more flushed than before.
She had cleaned off all the makeup and let her hair down which looked fluffy and messy. Zoey had to hold back her laughter after an image of a little duckling appeared in her mind.
She took a deep breath and cleared her throat, " *Ahem* Ducky-, uh I mean Katherine. Are you feeling better now?"
Zoey wanted to bite her tongue for her mistake and hoped that Katherine wouldn't notice it.
Katherine nodded in response and wiped a tear from her still misty eyes.
Zoey stared at her for a while. Then she walked over and plopped down right beside her.
She turned her head towards Katherine and stared intensely at her. Katherine noticed this and turned her head away with her face burning up.
Zoey stared at her silently again and said in a cold and serious tone, " Katherine, " Katherine, flinched and the heat from her face seemed to dissipate from the coldness in her voice.
"Why on earth were you working at that club?" Zoey asked.
Katherine felt tears come to her eyes once again and she whimpered, " My Dad was one of the best chefs in the city, in my opinion. He-*sniff* he taught me everything he knew and he even had plans to open his own restaurant. *hic* But one day, my dad got really sick and he went into a comatose state.
Soon after, his hospital bills started piling up and we had to sell our house and almost everything we owned, just to keep my dad alive. But we're down to the last of our savings so I started taking any jobs that I could get my hands on.
I know what you're thinking. It's dumb and I'm dumb for actually having hope that my father will wake up and for thinking that I could trust my boss so much.
But, " she finally looked Zoey in the eyes with overflowing tears. "Without hope, my mom and I would have given up on life a long time ago. *sniffle* So it's not that dumb, is it?"
Katherine felt more tears fall onto down her cheeks onto her lap. Suddenly Zoey's arm wrapped around her shoulders and pulled her close.
"Hey, I never said you were dumb. I never said that hope was dumb either. But after what you just went through it's not uncommon for you to have doubts about your life and the decisions you've made. That just means you're human.
Anyways, one might say that I'm dumb for helping you. Since we're basically strangers but hey, I got to beat the shit out of a bunch of scum and jump out of a window. So who's laughing now and since we both know each other's names and now I know your whole life story. We can at least be considered acquaintances, right?
Also, if you think about it, as long you're standing next to me you won't look that dumb. You'll be the girl willing to sacrifice everything for her family and I'll be the dumb and crazy bitch who was willing to risk her life for a stranger.
Does that make you feel any better?" Zoey comforted Katherine.
Katherine was overcome with emotion and pounced onto Zoey, giving her a tight squeeze. "Z-Zoey, I-I, I just.....-*HURK*"
As Katherine tried to express her emotions she suddenly felt something come up from her stomach and fill her cheeks.
She pushed Zoey away and hustled to the other side of the bench where she bent over the metal armrest and "*BLERGH URGH ACK COUGH COUGH BLEURGH*" vomited all over the pavement.
After a few minutes, she was done and she put her back against the bench with her eyes half-closed.
Zoey sighed on the inside and took off her jacket. She wrapped it around the barely conscious Katherine and lifted her up in her arms once again.
"Sky give me Katherine's address, please." Zoey requested.
[Yes Miss Zoey]
Katherine sleepily looked up at the pink-eyed adonis and mumbled, " Zoey, you're truly... an angel." Before drifting off to sleep.
(About Eight Minutes Later)
Zoey arrived at the door of a rundown house. She knocked on the door and almost immediately the door swung open and a disheveled woman arrived in the doorway.
Tears came to her eyes when she saw Katherine in Zoey's arms. She was Perry Pine, (obviously) Katherine's mother. Zoey gave Perry a smile and a bit of a lie saying, Katherine was forced to drink while waitressing but Zoey quickly stepped in and offered to take her home.
Perry was a bit suspicious but she decided that Zoey was trustworthy and that she was just happy to have her baby home.
Perry then allowed Zoey inside to put Katherine into her bed.
Zoey then shook Perry's hand and wished her and Katherine good night.
Once she was out of the house Zoey talked to Sky.
"Sky I need you to do a few more things for me. One, find out who the so-called boss is that sent Katherine to that gangster.
Two, you know that money I was 'given' by the fatty. Send a quarter of the money I got to keep into Katherine's bank account.
Three, send me intel on everything the police have on that hostess club fiasco." Zoey requested.
[Understood]
Zoey smiled and headed back home.
(About Fourteen Minutes Later)
Zoey arrived at her house and once she was inside she immediately started taking off her shoes and headed to her bedroom.
She was exhausted and began to take off her clothes to get ready for bed.
"*URGH*, " Zoey's piercing headache from before had returned stronger and more painful. "I-I need to sit, " Zoey mumbled to herself and she shuffled to her bed.
She plopped onto her bed and used her hands to massage her temples. "*ARGH*, " Zoey's headache became even more painful and the ringing in her ears began.
Zoey clenched her jaw to try and help best through her persistent agony.
"Huh?" Zoey felt something on her leg. She looked down at her legs. She saw a little drop of red on her pale thigh. "Blood?" Zoey gasped and she wiped her upper lip with her index finger.
She saw that her finger was coated with blood. Zoey's eyes widened and she tried to stand up so she could walk to the bathroom but when she tried to stand up her legs buckled beneath her.
She was able to fall back onto the bed before she fell to the floor. Zoey's breath became erratic as she couldn't pin down what was wrong with her.
Zoey looked up at the light bulb on the ceiling when another ailment befell her. Her vision became blurry and weak.
Soon the rest of her body followed her legs and basically became useless. This meant that Zoey was incapable of holding her body up so she toppled over onto her side, pinning her left arm under her body her head falling onto her pillow.
At this time her heartbeat had joined the ringing as another persistent sound in her ears. " Wh-what's happening to me?" Zoey wondered to herself.
Zoey felt her eyelids grow heavy, " Oh, who cares? It's so loud. I'm so tired. I'll just rest my eyes for a while. Just...for....a..a little bit." Zoey's thoughts trailed off as her eyelids forced themselves closed.
Zoey laid in a limp posture and a stream of blood trickled from her nose and was absorbed by her pillow. As Zoey seemed to be in an otherwise blissful sleep.