"Why cling to your sanity? It offers you nothing. Surrender to me, and I will grant you everything." - Lochtonial Caress, Path of Exile
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"Come back around whenever you need."
"...Alright."
Alexandra goes to leave out the front door, but stops. She turns around and gives Chastity a hug, before finally leaving. Chastity smiles, before going to get dressed for work.
Exiting the apartment building, Alexandra breathes deeply, fresh air clearing her head. She then starts walking away, heading towards where she last stashed her car.
After a soothing quarter-hour walk, she eventually reaches a parking area, specifically the one behind the Elgin Ave west side homeless camp where she lives. Taking keys out of her pockets, she opens the door and sits in the leather seat. She starts the car and heads out of the parking lot, before driving off onto Power street. Reaching over to the glove box and opening it, she finds $4,000, an amount she painstakingly saved during her life. She starts driving to the Cancer Way LSC.
You know the specifications of this car?
"Of course. Customized Dodge Charger, 1971. Modified V8, 415 horsepower, around 110 mph maximum. Decent suspension for off-road, as well as tires. Enough armor to stop a couple rockets and explosives. Glass isn't bulletproof, though. Call it the Duke O'Death."
Damn. You trying to go to war?
"Secret" she says, taking a left.
As Alexandra is driving down the road, in the distance she sees an altercation. A man is holding a woman at gunpoint. Alexandra drives closer to hear what the woman speak.
"Just take it! It's thrift store anyways" she says as the man picks up the dropped purse and starts running. As he turns around, the woman screams "Help! That bastard just robbed me!"
Alexandra drives up and, once she gets ahead of the man, screeches to a halt. She jumps out of the vehicle and immediately open fires at the man. After the fourth shot hit his chest he fell, dropping alongside the purse.
Alexandra walks up to the corpse, picking up the dropped bag. She opens it and finds $2000. She thinks of pocketing it for herself, but something tells her not to, some sort of feeling screaming in the back of Alexandra's mind. She walks back over to her car and takes the keys out before closing the door. Alexandra then walks over to the woman who was robbed, handing her the purse. She grabs it out of Alexandra's hands and checks the inside of her purse, finding that everything is in order.
"Thank you!" she says, handing Alexandra two $100 bills and shaking her hands, before walking off. "You're a good person. And for once I'm not being sarcastic" the woman says before rounding the corner. Alexandra looks down at her hands and walks back to her car, starting it up. She doesn't understand why, but she felt like something within her changed, and not mentally. Not physically, either.
"Something's wrong."
You felt it as well?
"I don't know what it was, but it felt... good..."
Nick says nothing about what has changed in her soul. The slight light shining through the darkness of her very being.
We'll find out eventually.
Alexandra nods before driving off again.
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"I want nitro and Xenon Lights. How much?"
"Straight to business, huh? Gimme a second."
The man Alexandra was taking to stood still in thought, looking the car up and down, before answering;
"$3,400."
Alexandra takes the money out of her pocket and counts it out, handing the man the required amount of money.
"Alright. Leave it here and we'll call you when it's ready."
"Don't have a phone."
"Then come back in around three hours. Should be done by then."
Alexandra nods her head and walks away, but suddenly stops.
"Hey, whatever you do, don't open that trunk. Can't say what's in there, but you'll get a nice bonus for listening to my request, as well as my continued patronage. And I'll know if you went in there, so don't even try it."
The man looks at her with a smile.
"Everyone's got their secrets, lady. I know when to be curious, and this is not one of those times. Rest assured that nobody will touch the trunk."
Alexandra stares at him before turning back around.
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Sitting down on a bench overlooking the beach, Alexandra takes a swig from a bottle of whiskey, not caring about being in public.
"Not now" a woman says, stretching her legs on the fence protruding off the cliff
"Message from me - get off your fat ass!"
"I see this exercise stuff is about as relaxing for you as it is for my wife."
Alexandra overhears a voice talking to the woman, a familiar tone resonating from it. She looks over and sees Michael.
'...Why am I always running in to people?'
"No, I don't want to sleep with you, and no, I don't care that I'm thirty-nine and single. It doesn't worry me a bit" the woman says, continuing to stretch. Alexandra takes this time to walk up behind them.
"Oh... easy" Michael says, putting his hands up.
"I'm not stressed out at all. Now go fuck yourself."
"Are you okay?"
"Yes, I'm okay. Just fuck you, all of you. I'm on a run" the woman exclaims, growling and balling her ands into fists.
"Yeah, well, you seem a little upset."
"I could still run you into the fucking ground" she says, making punching motions towards Michael. He laughs.
"Okay. Hey, I played high school football, alright sweetheart? All-State QB."
"Whatever. Just don't have a coronary. Let's go!" the woman says before sprinting off.
"Huh? Whoa!" Michael exclaims before following her follows her, and Alexandra follows him, running up next to him.
"Okay, Man Boobs, race you to the beach" the woman says.
Michael finally notices Alexandra and almost trips.
"Jesus! Almost gave me a heart attack. How the fuck did you sneak up on me?"
"You're old."
"Suppose I am."
They continue running, eventually catching up to the woman, who is now made aware of Alexandra's presence.
"Who the fuck is this? Who cares! I don't know who I'm more embarrassed for. Neither of you are exactly dressed for cardio."
Alexandra, feeling more energetic than usual, responds as they all make a turn.
"Shouldn't you be embarrassed for yourself? You're a grown woman acting like a feral beast. Nobody's gonna want to be around you. I'm guessing you're already lonely."
"Shut up! I don't need anybody else but myself, twig!"
Alexandra's eye twitches.
"I feel like I'm being chased by a bunch of stalkers!"
"You'd like that, wouldn't you?"
"Fuck you!" she says, starting to run on the road.
"Run on the road, take the traffic head-on!"
"Yeah, I could have guessed you were one of those" Michael responds slightly out of breath.
"That space is yours, own it!"
They all continue running, eventually reaching a set of stairs.
"He still thinks he's a quarterback!"
They cross a bridge and runs down the stairs again.
"Okay, here we go. Last push. Come on. Flick the switch, MaryAnn. Let's go lactic."
"I thought I had issues, but you, you give me hope."
Alexandra takes the time they're bantering to zoom past them.
"Hey!"
"Slow."
She eventually reaches the parking lot at the end of the buildings, sweat gleaming off her body. Eventually Michael reaches her, panting and holding his heart, followed by MaryAnn.
"You can have that one, one me. I never got out of second gear. I already did a 10k today."
"Excuses only make you more ugly."
"Screw you. You're lucky I'm tapering for a tri!" she says, getting on a bike and cycling off.
Alexandra and Michael look at each other.
"...Call a taxi."
"Why don't you do it?" he asks, pulling out his phone.
"I'm homeless. Take a guess."