1 Do I know you?

I ran as fast as I could. Just running and running. It was probably the adrenaline because I don't feel the slightest bit tired. I had so many questions like Who was that man? Did the cops see me? Who were those men? What the hell just happened?!

As soon as I got inside my apartment, I shoved the door closed and locked every single bolt on the door then leaned against it. As soon as I stopped, I felt the exhaustion and just fell to the floor. Everything went black and I lost consciousness.

When I woke up the next morning, all I felt was pain. I felt like my whole body was ran over by a truck. It hurt that bad, and no wonder it felt so painful—I slept on the goddamn floor! I stood up and I could hear my bones cracking. I limped towards the kitchen and turned on my coffee maker. I turned to look at the clock and saw that it was already eleven o'clock in the afternoon. I brushed my teeth and made some toast.

My apartment isn't that big but it isn't small either. It has a single bedroom with a bathroom. A regular sized kitchen with a dining area, and finally a living room. I took a mug that says, "Behind every successful Woman, is a substantial amount of coffee."—and poured me a cup of coffee. I put the toast on a plate and placed it on the kitchen counter. I grabbed some PB and Jelly from the fridge and a spreading knife from the drawers. I sat down on the kitchen stool and had my breakfast. I sat there eating then I realized—what the hell happened last night?!

I was walking home when suddenly I heard gunshots coming from an alley. I can't be too sure but maybe I should call the cops.

"Get the hell up doc! This is all your fault, so let's not make this hard." I heard a man's voice, yelling. Doc? A Doctor?! Maybe I should help him but the man has a gun.

"I've done everything they've asked of me, what else could they possibly want from me!" the doctor answered back. I walked slowly towards them, being careful not to make any loud noises.

"Oh you know exactly what we mean doc, the Belladonna is not a very patient woman. We know what you did, so tell us where the notebook is and we won't kill you, or better yet give it to us and we'll consider giving you mercy." another man's voice spoke and he said a name. A woman's name. What could this doctor have done to make these people want him dead?

"What Rivenna wants is completely impossible! She's being used by them! They don't want a new future for humanity, what they want is--ack!" he was cut off by a loud scream, and I'm pretty sure I heard a crack.

I peered at what was happening. There was a man in a brown coat hunched on the ground while clutching his stomach and was coughing violently, probably the doctor. "Enough of this bullshit doc, look as much as we would like to keep this going, we ain't got all night. So tell you what, I'm going to count to ten then I'll shoot you, but not before you tell me the truth." said the tall and muscly man with a scar running from the top of his forehead towards his left cheek, while holding a gun towards the doctor's head.

I'm terrified at this moment. I can't move but I know I have to do something or else this doctor will die despite knowing I could save him so I mustered up all the courage in my body and did the most stupidest thing I can possibly think of. I picked up the nearest object along with my pepper spray in hand, I got out from my hiding spot and threw the glass bottle on the scarred man's head, who was holding the gun. The glass shattered on his head because of the impact, causing blood to drip from his open wound. The doctor took this chance to take the gun from the scarred man's hand and shot him on the leg which caused him to scream loudly from the pain. The other man with a broken nose was too confused from what was happening to react fast so the doctor also managed to shoot him on the shoulder and he too fell on the ground, groaning in pain while clutching his bleeding shoulder. The two men were groaning on the floor, shot.

Now I'm wondering if what I did was the right thing. The doctor stood there still clutching his stomach. "You will never get what you want, even if you killed me." the doctor said, then he aimed the gun at the two men and shot them both on the head. I screamed from the scene that just unfolded in front of me. The doctor finally took notice of my existence but now aimed the gun at me.

"Please don't shoot!" I said as an automatic response, raising my hands towards the air in the process. "I just wanted to help."

"Thank you…do I know you?"he was a bit skeptical at first but the pain on his stomach must've been too much because his knees gave in and now he was knelt on the ground clutching his stomach and coughing profusely. I ran towards him, gun or no gun.

"Oh my god, are you alright? I need to call an ambulance." I stood up and took out my phone but before I could dial sirens were ringing around me. "The police are here--wait, are they dead?" I gestured towards the men crumbled on the ground, motionless. "Oh my god, you killed them!"

"Quickly get out of here before they see you. It's me or them, and they gave me no other choice. Now leave!" he kept telling me to leave. "I punctured my lungs and there's definitely and I don't think I have enough time left so take this." he gave me a leather envelope bag, it had a bulge so they was probably something inside. "Take this with you, I don't have much time. Someone will come find you and you will give that to him, I know you don't know me but all will be explained. Once you meet, you'll know when to trust him." I didn't have much choice because I could hear the voices of the cops yelling. I frantically stood up and slowly backed away with the bag.

"What will happen to you?" I asked still hesitant to leave him alone. The cops were getting closer so I have to get away soon.

"Just leave! Quickly, before they see you. I'll be fine, and tell my daughter I'm sorry." then the cops were there so I had no choice but to run. As fast as I could, clutching the envelope bag tightly. Could this night get any crazier?

When I finished my very late breakfast, I got up and washed the dishes. Good thing I don't have work today, or else I'll probably walk in looking like a hungover drunk. I went to my room after and decided to take a hot bath. As I laid there on the tub I recalled all that happened before I lost consciousness--more like fell asleep. I got more and more curious about what was inside the leather envelope bag? Who's your daughter doc, and how can I possibly know her? None of it made sense at all. I stood up and rinsed my body on the shower. I stood there facing the shower head, reminiscing. What a nightmare—last night was a total nightmare! I stared at my bleeding hands and remembered it got caught on the barb wires on the fence I climbed on. I still can't believe all of that happened and how it happened! I'm a witness to a murder and what more, I freaking ran away!

I took the first aid kit from my desk drawer and dressed my hands. I could have sworn it was a dream but as I picked up the envelope bag that I placed on my bed, it made me realize that all that nightmare actually happened. I was probably staring at it for a very long time before my phone started ringing, I was so startled that I dropped the envelope bag and it made a loud thud on the floor which meant it contained something hard and solid. I stood up and picked up the phone. It's Lillian, my best friend.

I answered "Good morning Ley,"that was my nickname for her. "what brings you to call me this fine morning." I said with a posh fake British accent.

"What do you mean good morning? It's already noon you dummy! And where are you, we're meeting up remember? Don't tell me you forgot?!" Her voice blaring from the speaker,oh no! I totally forgot!

"Of course I didn't, on that note I was actually already getting ready. So I'll call you back, okay?" I hung up before she could respond and immediately went to my closet. I remembered that last night before all the craziness happened, I agreed to meet up with her today for a double date. This seems so irrelevant now.

I put on a gray checkered skirt, a black fitted top, some black ankle boots and a gray overcoat because it's freezing. I sat down on my vanity and put some light make up on i.e., mascara, pink lip gloss, face powder and fixed my eyebrows, I also tied my hair up into a loose bun. And now that I don't look like road kill, I picked up my black purse, keys and cellphone and stood up ready to leave. I saw the envelope bag still lying on floor "I'm not in the mood for some Nancy Drew right not, so I'll get back to you later." I picked up the envelope bag and stashed it somewhere inside my closet.

I took my phone out and redialed Lillian. She answered on the first ring "Hey Ley, where to again?" I heard the horns and bustling New York from the background. I got out of the apartment and locked my door. I stood outside waiting for a cab.

"Time Square, Cafe Bistro. Hurry your ass up alright?" then she hung up. I couldn't help but smile at her snide remark. As I stood there outside, I saw an unfamiliar car parked in front of the apartment.

"Probably a boyfriend." I said to myself. The car looked sleek and expensive so there's no chance he could be a new neighbor―not that my apartment sucks but it's not the nicest either―definitely a rich boyfriend. I hailed a cab then got in"Time Square please." The cab drove about but I realized something fishy about the car on the rear view mirror. It's been tailing my cab and it's the same one I saw outside my apartment. Then I realize―I'm being followed!

No, this can't be happening right? When that doctor said someone will come for the envelope bag could this be him? Maybe I'm just being paranoid, I mean, he might just be going to Times Square too right? Yeah, that's it.