10 UNEXPECTED VISITOR

We exchanged curious glances, wondering who could be at the door at this hour. I motioned for Anna to stay put as I walked towards the entrance. I mean, it's 11 pm and there is a big, closed board hanging outside. Besides, the security guard wouldn't let anyone in after the closing hours as per my instruction.

Peering through the peephole, I saw a familiar face that sent a jolt of surprise through me.

"Michael?" I exclaimed, swinging the door open to reveal my old friend standing there with a sheepish smile.

"Hey, buddy," Michael said, scratching the back of his head. "Long time no see, huh?"

I couldn't help but grin, feeling a surge of nostalgia as memories of our adventures together flooded my mind. Rachel, Michael and I had been inseparable during our younger years, always getting into some kind of mischief or embarking on thrilling escapades.

But with time things changed. Rachel went to Italy due to her mother's business and Michael just disappeared during our school days. As far as I remember, it was around when we were 15 or 16 years old. Well, that's all I remembered after spending five long years trying to piece this body's memories together.

"Come on in!" I said, stepping aside to let him into the apartment. "What brings you here after all these years?"

Michael walked in, glancing around the room with a mix of curiosity and familiarity. "I was passing through town and thought I'd look you up. Heard you were living in this area."

"Well, you heard right," I replied, shutting the door behind him. "There is a new restaurant opening in give or take two months, so, I had to make sure everything goes right."

As Michael walked into the apartment, I couldn't help but notice some unusual details about his appearance. His clothes seemed disheveled, and there were traces of blood on his boots and a few sprinkles on his collar. Concern washed over me as I tried to piece together what might have happened.

I mean, it's been more or less ten years since we saw each other. And suddenly he decided to pop up, covered in blood, who knows what he had been up to since then. Besides, very few people know that I am in town.

"Hey, Michael, are you alright?" I asked, my voice laced with worry.

"Yeah, yeah I am good. What could possibly be wrong with me," He responded with a dismissive wave of his hand, trying to brush off my concern. However, his attempts at nonchalance did little to ease my worries. "So, you are rich now, huh? Look at this place, man. So big... And you got marble floors and wow! Are those velvets?"

"Well, after Grandpa passed away, he left me some inheritance," I explained, not wanting to delve into the details of my past that led to my current financial situation. "But enough about me. What have you been up to all these years? You disappeared without a trace."

Michael's eyes shifted away for a moment, and a hint of sadness flashed across his face. "Yeah, life took some unexpected turns for me," he said, his voice tinged with regret. "I ended up getting involved with the wrong crowd, made some bad choices. It's been a rough road... Humm... You remember I called you two years ago? Why didn't you picked my call, man?"

He pulls out a gun and held it before my face.

This punk! Should I just break his hand and some bones?

"Michael, put the gun down," I said, trying to keep my voice steady. "You don't want to do this Michael. We were friends once. Whatever happened in the past, we can talk about it. There's no need for violence."

My eyes darted toward the kitchen door. Anna was peeking out of the gap. As soon as our eyes met, she understood what to do.

"Nah, man... You, Rachel all are the same. They put me in jail as soon as I got out of the detention center, man, I did nothing and they slapped a drug case on my head. My Pa had an heartattack... Ma needed money to pay the medical bills and I was rotting in the prison, man. I gave Ma, Rachel's, and your number. Thought a little help will save Pa's life. You two were my friends. Why didn't you pick up the call, man?" Michael's eyes glistened with unshed tears as he continued to rant.

"I am sorry. I can't even imagine how you are feeling right now. But I was in a coma for almost four years. When I woke up, I had no memory of my past. Everything was destroyed in that gas explosion. I spent the last five years, trying to piece things together," I replied.

"Bullshit! Rachel, and you are lying to me!" he exclaimed. "If that is the case, why didn't you look for me after that? Why didn't you look for my family? I am your friend, man. I did nothing to deserve all this shit life put me through."

"It's true, Michael. I am sorry. I would have helped you if I knew. I don't remember any of this. I had amnesia," I said, trying to convince him of my innocence. "It wasn't easy for me either. I had to start all over again."

Suddenly, the siren of a police car cut through the air. Michael's eyes widened and he turned around to see if anyone else had entered the apartment.

"I am sorry Michael. I really am, but please, put the gun down. You are not thinking straight right now. Just calm down and I will help you get out of this situation," I slowly took a step forward.

"They are coming here! They are going to take me back to the jail and I will be stuck there for years to come. I don't want that, man," Michael quickly dashed to the door and locked it.

"Don't do it. You are just making things worse," I said as took a few steps toward him, with my hands up.

"I am not going back to jail," he said, his voice rising with a note of anger. "You don't understand how it feels, man. I lost everything that I ever cared about. I don't want to go back to a life with no meaning and no future."

"Police, open up!" A loud knock came from outside.

"Listen, you don't have to go back to the jail. There are other ways you can help yourself." I said, trying to sound as soothing as possible.

"No! No! No! You are not taking me back to jail," he shouted, raising the gun. He is walking in a circle. Right now, the kitchen door is behind his back.

Just then, I heard the loud thud of Anna hitting the kitchen door open with all her weight and tackled Michael from behind, sending him down to the ground. I charged forward and ripped the gun out of his hand.

"You bitch! You hit me," He quickly recovered and took out a knife, "I am gonna carve your pretty face."

"Hey, open up, police!" Another knock came from the door.

"Anna, get away from him!" I yelled, pointing the gun at Michael. "Put the knife down and lie on the ground."

"Or what? You are not gonna shoot me. You are a coward like always." Michael smirked.

"Anna open the main door," I said, trying to keep my voice as steady as possible.

"Yes, boss," Anna quickly ran towards the main door.

"Damn it, man. You should have listened to me," I said, shaking my head.

The police rushed in and cuffed Michael. I handed over the gun to them.

"You are free to go, sir. We will take it from here. We received an anonymous tip about a robbery around this area. This man was apprehended before for committing a few robberies in the neighborhood a couple of months ago, but someone bailed him out. Since then he had been on the watch list for some time," The police officer turned to Anna, "Thanks to you, ma'am, we were able to catch him. Please don't hesitate to call us if you spot him in your vicinity again."

I nodded and thanked the officer. They left after taking our statements.

"It's not over, Brian... I will kill you first then it will be Rachel's turn... You hear me? I will be back," Michael continued to yell from inside the police car as it drove off.

---

"You alright, Anna?" I asked, my voice filled with concern as I rushed over to her.

Anna nodded, though her face was pale and her hands were shaking. "I'm... I'm okay," she stammered, her voice trembling. "Wow! That was... intense. Did you see how I tackled him like this?"

I can see her hands trembling.

"Yeah, and that was pretty impressive and dangerous," I hugged her.

"Oh! My legs..." She staggered, "Ohhh!"

I helped her sit down on the nearest couch. "Take it easy, Anna. You did an incredible job back there. You saved both of us," I said, grateful for her quick thinking and bravery.

Anna took a few deep breaths, trying to steady herself. "I didn't expect things to escalate like that. I just... reacted," she murmured, her voice still shaky. "Did you see that? Your old friend had a gun! I mean a real gun..."

The sudden noise at the door made Anna jump up.

"Hey, I saw the cops leaving..." Gwen stood at the doorway, her eyes wide with concern as she took in the scene. "What happened here?" she asked, rushing over to Anna's side. "You two alright?"

"Well, she saved my ass," I patted Anna's back.

"Yeah. I just tackled a big man with a gun and he pulled a knife at me and my legs feel like jelly," Anna replied with an awkward smile as she sat back on the chair.

I quickly filled Gwen in on the situation, explaining how Michael had shown up unexpectedly, his state of distress, and the escalating confrontation that had occurred. Anna chimed in, recounting her brave intervention that had helped subdue Michael.

Gwen listened attentively, her expression a mix of shock and relief. "I can't believe all of this happened," she said, her voice trembling slightly. "Thank goodness you're both okay. You did a good job, Anna."

"Yeah," She shooked her head, "Couldn't help... My body reacted on its own."

Gwen nodded understandingly. "It's understandable. When we're faced with dangerous situations, our instincts can kick in, and our bodies take over. You acted bravely, Anna."

I handed Anna a glass of water, trying to help her calm down. "Take a few sips. It'll help you relax," I suggested.

Anna took the glass and drank slowly, her hands still trembling. "Thanks," she said, her voice grateful.

After a few moments, Anna seemed to regain some composure. She took a deep breath and looked at Gwen and me. "So, what now?" she asked. "Do you think Michael will actually come back, like he threatened?"

Gwen glanced at me, her brow furrowed. "It's hard to say. We can't underestimate the desperation someone like Michael might feel. But now that the police are aware of him and he's been arrested, it should provide some level of protection."

I nodded in agreement. "Yes, the police will keep an eye on him. We should also take precautions and inform them if we see anything suspicious. It's better to be safe than sorry."

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