[9] Terrified Encounter

Soon the moment came and Ryan left for his home.

Maze felt lonely and monotonous of course.

She tried to do some work but couldn't concentrate on anything. After all, Ryan was a very important part of her life, with his departure, it seemed like that part went vacant.

She got scolded by Fred a few times for being distracted in her work. She even spilled hot coffee on some customers, broke a flower vase, unintentionally damped a box of pastries. Life couldn't be more distressful than this.

At her workplace, Jesha was the only girl with whom she felt not being judged. She understood her better after Ryan. She knew the reason behind these silly acts of Maze. She tried to comfort her but all went in vain.

Maze was still cleaning the mess that she created in her workplace. She dropped a bucket of sugar on the floor by mistake and as a penalty, Fred cut half of her paycheck.

Jesha walked to her side and crouched down to help her in cleaning. She can't decide whether to feel pity for her or laugh at her clumsiness. She sighed and started to mop the ground, "So you are acting like a stupid Donkey cause Ryan is not here?"

Maze knotted her brows, "What?!"

She felt a little bit embarrassed being caught by Jesha like this.

She tried to negotiate, "N...n...ooo... What are you even talking about?"

Jesha arched her brows, "Stop hiding now Maze Hamlyn. I know everything about you. So it would be better if you just stop lying for a second"

"I just couldn't concentrate on anything...I do worry about him"  Maze exclaimed with a sigh throwing the mopping cloth away.

Jesha patted her shoulder and stared at her before screeching pretending like a babbling little girl, "Ok now stop all this nonsense. Let's go to my place, we would watch Shinchen cartoon with a large bowl of Popcorn"

Her eyes lit up at the alluring offer, but suddenly something crossed her mind almost killing her excitement.

She lowered her head letting out a chestful sigh and raised her head. Biting her lower lip she counted, "Uh.. it seems exciting. but you know.. right now, I'm not in the mood. Could we skip the plan for now, Please?"

Jesha sighed and scratching the back of her head she nodded to agree with her.

She knew Maze was upset now. Whenever Ryan went to visit his family, she acts like this. Somewhere deep in her mind, she too believes that Maze and Ryan are dating each other, but never dare to spout it.

As Maze almost destroyed half of the cafe, as punishment she had to clean the whole cafe that too alone. It was her luck that Jesha was there to help otherwise, she wasn't gonna make it through even after the whole night.

After carefully locking the cafe she took leave from Jesha and walked towards her home all alone. She hated the thought of being lonely.

She decided to walk the whole way instead of hiring a taxi as her home was about thirty minutes of walking from the cafe.

She was reminiscing the mess she created the whole day. It was really enough to kick her at once yet Fred didn't fire her and she was feeling grateful for that.

After walking for about two minutes she started to regret her decision of cruising the whole way back home.

She chose to take the shortcut which would take ten minutes to reach her home. Though it was a bit darker and almost abandoned alley yet it was the shortest possible way. Reciting God's name in her mind she set the foot on that dark alley.

After walking a minute she noticed a bunch of people among them one was kneeling on the ground. She couldn't see their face but the crouched man seemed wounded and about four to five people have surrounded him.

Out of curiosity, she moved a bit closer. Leaving enough distance between them, she chose a bush to hide and hear their talking.

After reaching enough close she could vaguely hear their conversation. Under the nebulous moonlight, she noticed something shiny in each of their hands. After staring at the shiny object for a while, her eyes wide opened realizing it was weapons and she was overhearing some mafia group's conversation.

One of them threw a heavy punch at the man knelt on the ground. The clear sound of skin crashing against bone could be heard.

He flatly fell on the ground. seeing this she was about to scream, but she covered her mouth and muffled her scream.

"God" she cursed her over-curious mind for leading her into the dark alley eavesdropping their conversation.

"Kill me or I will kill you" The man got up from the ground and growled at the end of his verse spitting a mouthful of blood almost shaking their soul out. Others forced him to kneel on the ground kicking at the back of his knee. He again sat on the ground on his knee letting out a painful groan.

"God!! is he nuts? Is he on drugs?! They are no jokes, they would really kill you!!" She cussed that man.

She couldn't see his face but his light grey customized suit over his firmly built body was screaming danger for her to unnoticed.

"You!!" one of them screamed in a faint rather should say terrified tone which seemed funny to Maze.

"Try me" The baritone voice sounded more in an authoritative tone.

She could hear the gulping sound from those men stood surrounding him. It states how powerful he was and she shouldn't poke her nose into this.

She carefully stepped out of her hiding, and while trying to turn she stepped on some dry branches creating enough noise from them to detect someone was there.

"Who's there?" One of them shouted.

She didn't stop there anymore and start running almost keeping her life on her mouth. Her presence created a commotion among those perpetrators.

"Catch her" One shouted aiming her. Maze could hear firm footsteps behind her.

While running she heard one or two gunshots that nearly blocked her hearing. But she didn't turn back not even for once, the thing she only could hear is "Catch her".

She increased her pace and soon she was on the main road, and as she stepped in the locality those footsteps stop following her anymore. She didn't look back again keep running until she reached her home...

★........................................★

He too heard a noise a bit away behind him. He looked back but couldn't see who it was and he didn't care either. The fact was because of that person he got the chance to retaliate against his enemies.

He flipped over and in a swift movement, he brought out two palm-size revolvers from his both leg's holsters and start shooting pointing each of their head.

With each bullet piercing through his enemy's head he felt the joy of being superior. His eyes lit up with sadistic glint. While shooting he got a glimpse of the running person, confirming the person who unintentionally helped him was a girl.

He shot the men that were chasing after her, and with that, he repaid her debt of saving his life. He doesn't like to be indebted, certainly not by some intruder.

Imogen was here to find someone and trying to know why that person was important for his stepmother. And as he almost found out the person, he was caught by his stepmother's spies.

And the moment he was already on the verge of his death someone popped in and dragged him out of death. He was shot in his right chest and lay down on the ground for a while to transmit energy to himself.

While staring at the dark sky he thought over the girl who just helped him and somewhere deep in his heart, he felt a bit grateful.

But he shoved his absurd thought and tried to get up from the ground. But he failed and decided to stay there a bit more as blood was oozing out with his every movement.

After easing for a while, he got up from the ground supporting his body with his arm, and set off for an unknown destination.

★........................................★

Soon Maze reached her home.

She was still trembling because of her terrible experience.

Her heart was drumming like a crazy inside the rib cage. She was sweating profusely.

She was gasping for air and feeling sad pondering over the poor man died because of her selfishness. Perhaps her little help could save that man.

Wiping the sweat through her palm, she sighed and entered the bathroom. She stripped her clothes and stood under the showerhead, soon the water started to flow drenching her body.

With the cold water, all her bad feelings and horrible experiences were gone. With a long cold and joyful bath, she let go of all her thoughts.

After the shower, she changed into sweatpants and white oversized t-shirts.

She baked a bowl of Pasta but didn't felt like eating. That man's helpless cry was haunting her.

After putting the pasta in the refrigerator she was heading towards upstairs but stopped by a faint knock sounded on her door.

She got fearful.

"Who could it be?!" She asked afraid-self. Walking on an eggshell she rapidly reached the door.

'Could it be Ryan? Or Jesha?' She asked herself as the door tapping could be heard again. Her body went numb in fear. "Could it be that those vile men followed her till here?" She shook her head since the possibility of their arrival was zero.

Collecting all the courage, she slowly opened the door.

She wasn't prepared at all for the scene that she saw when she opened the door.