CHAPTER - 1

A cool breeze swept through the desolate lot as

Prerna kanade and her co-worker, Richa, walked to the singular car in view. Leaving behind the slow-burning-hell of One Stop Shop, the sole discount store in their quaint town of California, a western U.S. state, stretches from the Mexican border. As the girls stopped in front of Richa's rusted old 2006 , Prerna

leaned her shoulder into her friend.

"Have a good night, Rich," Prerna said, hugging her gingerly.

Richa smushed her lips into a thin line while pulling back a strand of tightly braided hair escaping the otherwise neat bun sitting atop her head. Her beautiful mahogany skin glowed in the moonlight as she placed her hands on Prerna's shoulders.

"I know you'll shoot me down like you always do, but will you please just let me give you a ride? Yes, I'm aware that it's five blocks, which may not seem like much, but you never know what creeps are out there.

And I really don't mind."

Prerna laughed, her eyes averting Richa's. She shook her shoulders free of her friend's loose grip. Prerna hated cars. They always seemed too dangerous. Too fast. Too out of control. She'd entertained the idea of becoming a regularly licensed person at the age of sixteen; however, after an accident a day into her driver's

education course she realized it would be safer to

walk or take public transit. She appreciated the offers for rides, but she preferred being on her feet.

"I'm okay. Cross my heart. It's a couple of blocks. Plus, it gives me time to clear my brain of this." Prerna rolled her eyes to the place they didn't speak of once they left. "And you know, I can take care of myself."

Contorting her face into what she hoped came off as intimidating, she raised two fists into the air and wiggled them. Richa laughed and shook her head; which Prerna understood as her cue to get her friend on her way home. Prerna opened the driver-side car door and ushered Richa in.

"You're crazy."

"I like to think I'm tough," Prerna said, winking.

Once Richa sat and buckled herself, Prerna shut the door and stepped away from the car.

Rolling down the window, Richa checked with Prerna once more. "You're positive?"

"Like that little blue plus sign." Prerna winked and used a finger to make a checkmark.

Richa sighed, started the engine, and waved goodbye to Prerna. "I guess I'll see you tomorrow,"

Richa said. Before rolling up her window she

added, "Be safe."

The old city drove out of the lot, turned right, and disappeared at the end of the street.

To the left was Prerna's small, cozy duplex. For a moment, she remained motionless beneath a ray of white light beaming from an overhead lamp as insects buzzed in the glow, casting tiny dancing shadows on the cracked pavement around her feet. She yawned and stretched out her arms. Ready for bed, Prerna left the light behind as she vanished into the night.

Walking at a brisk pace, her heart thumped in unison with her steps. She removed her outer green button-down work shirt with "One Stop Shop" embroidered in yellow cursive lettering over the breast pocket. Her name displayed below, and her underlying position followed it.

Prerna's lips curved as she drew closer to her house.

While it didn't contain much, it had the bare

necessities to get her by and she looked forward to it at the end of each workday.

With every step, her swift and silent feet moved across the pavement. The only light accompanying

her came from the cloud-dusted, almost full moon

and occasional streetlamps. Prerna's arms hugged her chest and she dug her fingers into her pits as the night breeze blew through the streets. The summer wind cools on her skin and the faint smoky scent of a recent barbecue lingering in the air left her stomach in a rumbling, twisted mess. Perhaps the leftover steaks from Saturday were still good.

Passing by homes filled with slumbering families,

Prerna hummed a random tune. Walking by a dark alley, she'd almost gotten to the chorus when she heard a faint raspy voice call out, "Help me, Prerna."

Jumping sideways, she shrieked. Her eyes darted across her surroundings. She saw no one. Did she imagine the voice? Although she'd never hallucinated before, it wouldn't be the first time extreme

exhaustion left her feeling crazy. She took another step, hoping deep inside the voice was all in her anxiety-ridden-mind; until it returned.

"Please, help me."

Prerna froze. Chills prickled from the base of her neck to her toes. It was dark in the alley, but it appeared empty. What the hell? She glanced at the road. There wasn't a soul in sight. Shaking her shoulders free of the voice, she kept walking at a much quicker pace.

Home awaited her and wasn't far.

"Prerna," the voice echoed her name again. How did they know her name? Who were they? She certainly didn't recognize them.

Staggering as far from the alley as she could without slipping into the street, she shouted, "I don't have any

money!"

With already sweaty palms, she faced the street. In a bigger city, a homeless person asking for help from an alley isn't an uncommon occurrence. However, in

a small town such as this one she knew better than to

trust a stranger lurking in the shadows. In addition to her curiosity as to what they wanted; the main question circling Prerna's mind was how did they know

Her name?

Too afraid to help or confront the voice, she continued home. She crossed the empty intersection and rushed down the sidewalk. Only a couple blocks from her home, she passed another alley. That was when she heard the same voice again.

What on God's green Earth was going on?

"Prerna, please stop." The voice is desperate like an elderly person crying out for help.

Her heart twanged with the faintest hint of guilt but also tremendous dread.