3 FORGOTTEN ALLEY.

As Amanda walked down the steps of her work place's impressive building structure and onto the pavement filling with people leaving their various working places to go home as well , she let her mind wonder off to what her life had been like throughout the years.

Amanda had been in city Y for five months now. Even though she knew most of the streets that she often used, the rest of the city was still a little forein to her. Her mother, Miss Eternity Walsh, (she still carried her husband's name for the reason that the two had no existing divorce certificate even though it had been over twenty one years since he'd left home), had raised her two daughters in a rather remote village. Amanda and her older sister only left the village to attend University S, and shortly after graduation both girls, bright and beautiful, found jobs quiet easily. Dispite this, Amanda still found the transition from quiet village life to city life a little overwhelming.

She was studying Economics and business management at University S, her sister taking a similar but slightly advanced course at the same named institution. This was also where she met her existing boyfriend, Thomas Thorn. Remembering their first meeting brought colour to her cheeks as she walked, He was after all her first ever boyfriend. Amanda was new at being in a relationship though and she hadn't yet told him this, because she thought it would sound a little desperate. She wasn't naive or cheeky and she knew that there was nothing wrong with her being the first to say so, but something always made her hesitate, like she wasn't sure she liked him that much.

After they both graduated he found work in city Y and she decided it wouldn't be so bad to work in close proximity to him, this was also easy because among the job acceptance letters that she had received was the renowned JK cooperation. It wasn't in the same town in the beginning so for a whole six months she had worked form elsewhere under the same company and was later able to apply for a transfer to city Y. Their relationship was still young and hadn't gone beyond a kiss on the cheek and they hadn't seriously talked about a future together or anything like that, but they did enjoy one another's company so for now that was okay right?

Today may have been another let down as he had promised to walk her home, when both of them got off from work. It was another reason why she didn't bother to rush for the train but even then she was suprised at how fast time had gone by. Starting to think of it the time that they had lunch too was earlier today than always and the time she set out from home was supposed to make her very late and yet she had a couple of minutes to spare.

Timothy, who she also called Timmy had been working hard as an intern and needed to secure his future, his intelligence, dedication and drive were a few of the reasons she'd looked up to him. But she had to admit that deep down she hoped the two would have even just a little time together, that is after all why she transferred to begin with. Just like her father, he was an ambitious man with dreams, but not in an artistic way like her father had been. Like she was deep inside.

Amanda's thoughts had occupied her so much that she only pulled out because a cyclist went past her too close making her stumble back. He only stopped long enough to scold and eye her in a weird way that she brushed off. She mumbled a weak 'sorry' to the cyclist who had already gone out of earshot.

She hadn't realised that she had missed her turn earlier on. Amanda's limited knowledge of the city's surroundings didn't serve her too well. So she took the nearest left turn in a rush to realine her sense of direction, instead she found herself in a very unfamiliar area.

The Forgotten Alley, or commonly known as Zone Zero, was actually a maze of streets woven in disorder. It consisted of what looked like a large market area that included housing blocks, bars, brothels and all forms of drug dealing sites and in the open stripper displays. In an area such as this the police authoritys had very little power because of the gang that ran it.

The entrance to the place however was only an empty alley way until one walked a couple of yards or so then it opened up to show all it had to offer.

By the time Amanda realised just what she had walked into, she had already managed to attract the attention of a group of men and a woman who were all too drunk to think straight. They approached her inviting her to join them while blocking her way back from where she came. Her only options were either convince them she didn't want to join them and that she had other business here or try to overpower a group of ruffians hell bent on taunting and doing good knows what to her. The second option failed her seeing how she wasn't big or strong enough to fend them off and so she was left with the first. After that she would have to figure out another way out of here other than the way she had come through.

Amanda quickly with all the confidence and composure she could muster in front of the group informed them of her ' plans for the evening, ' before turning to walk into unknown territory with only the hope that she would find her way out soon enough.

.....

Amanda walked behind a cheerful couple of a short slightly plump man and a slender woman wearing very high platform heels. At first she had decided to follow them for the sake of drawing less attention to herself she thought that like herself they too where from one of the working district, if they were willing to got through the Alley then so could she. But now that she looked closely at their attire she began to rethink her initial assumptions. Both individuals in front of her were dressed rather informally, that rulled out the class that she had categorized them in, the woman in flirty fishnets and a flimsy skirt turned around to show a face masked with cheaply applied makeup. The man on the other hand had a trousers that hung too low and a shirt unbuttoned to show his hairy chest.

Just then they turned into a pub with music so loud it could make your eardrums burst.

Amanda stood for a moment then and fully took in her surroundings, women paraded in skimpy clothes and men stumbled drunk all over the place. Yelling and loud music filled the air and in a corner she could see two ladies making out. A woman walked up to her then, a strong smelling perfume coming off of her choked Amanda.

" You're a pretty one aren't you? I'll let you at it for half the price if you like and we could go all night too." She spoke in a seductive tone that would have been alluring if it weren't for the overall appearance.

Amanda quickly and politely declined the offer and immediately heard a burst of laughter from a group of women standing nearby.

" Oh Poly stop teasing the poor kid," one said still laughing.

" Yeah spare her your devious ways, she's innocent after all..."

"What? I saw her staring I'm just doing my job." The one named Poly said blocking Amanda's path before adding, "Ain't I love?"

Amanda quickly sidestepped her and as she rushed away she heard their laughter rise even more.

She had to get away and fast.