The silence felt weighted by an overwhelming pressure from an unknown danger. Marietta carried that thought with her down the street. With quick glances over her shoulders, she crossed the road and ducked into some cover beside a shop’s doors. Protected by the shadows, she looked closer around. Nothing stirred and the fading echo of her high heels was all she could hear.
It started raining and the shop’s overhang offered her further protection. Pressing her back against a door, she watched the sudden shower’s drops speckling the road and pavement. Spray rose in the harsh cutting light from the streetlamps and a charming tinkling began as the water drip into the sewer.
Hugging herself, she could feel hard bones sticking up from under her thin clothes. Tonight, she had decided to wear under a long fake suede coat, a short blue dress that looked tight, but could quickly be pulled up or down, matching underwear, which also permitted easy access and sexy sparkly blue strappy heels. She also had a black clutch bag, which held a single key attached to a fluffy white rabbit chain, lots of loose notes and coins.
Marietta wanted a smoke badly and a strong drink and a nice long soak in the tub. Her room was only a few corners away, but she couldn’t shake the feeling of being followed. The last part of the night was always the dangerous one. Normally, she walked back with other girls, but no one was going in her direction tonight. Taking a cab, though a sensible idea was not one she could easily relish, even if she had made a lot of money tonight, she couldn’t throw it away like that.
She didn’t really want to make a dash for it. What if she was being followed and she lead the person to her room? Or else gave them the perfect chance before they got there? The thought of being harmed caused her to start shaking. Tears pricked her eyes and she rubbed at them, feeling the soreness from tiredness under her fingers. Pulling herself together, she studied the street once more. There was nothing, but her and the rain. At four in the morning, the world had seemly died with only a skeleton crew in control of the important things.
Marietta walked out and went through the small streets towards her room. Only when she had closed and locked the door behind her did she feel safe again. She stripped, abandoning her clothes on the floor and grabbed a smoke and drink. She filled the tub and watched the steam rising from the tap.
She heard the door creak open just as she stepped into the hot water.
The Story Files 