CHAPTER 3
1005 Words
Mariana's heart raced as she heard two men speak and laugh from behind. They didn't sound friendly so she took to her heels.
"Come back, we just want to talk to you." One of the men said as they went in pursuit of Mariana.
"We don't bite unless you want us to." The other said and they laughed.
"Let me go!" Let me go, please!" Mariana's cry echoed in the deserted streets of Chicago.
"Get back here!" One of the men yelled at her.
Mariana didn't just panic and stop, she kept running even though her legs were giving out. Mariana felt nauseous as she ran, she almost threw up.
"Where did she go?" One of the men asked. They could not find her for a while, they wouldn't have but her phone jeopardized her.
"She's over there!" They knew her position because her phone rang.
It was Albert calling.
"Would this bastard ever stop getting me into trouble?!" Mariana cursed out before smashing the phone on the ground.
"Get her!"
"Let me go!" Mariana tried to get away but that was as far as she could go.
"Come here!" One of the men grabbed her. "You've stressed us so much!" He gnarled.
"She'll pay for all the stress," the other one smacked his lips in a very disgusting way and laughed.
"Just let me go!" Mariana struggled by the side of the road till she was tired. "Pick her up!" One of the men ordered.
Mariana's heart raced when she thought of the possibility of her being raped. She tried to break free Again, that was how relentless she was in her struggle but she was overwhelmed.
They were about to take her away when a cat stopped in front of them:
"Let her go!" A firm voice sounded from behind the bright light which shone from the headlight.
"Who are you to tell us what to do?" The men dropped Mariana recklessly on the ground and asked.
"Walk away from here else I'll shoot you!" The man said to the both of them, they just laughed.
"Cra!" The sound of a gun c*****g and the men fled out of sight.
"Come on, let's go." The man urged Mariana to come with him but she was too weak to get on her feet.
"I can't," she said.
It was no problem, he offered to carry her into the car.
"Why do you have a gun?" Mariana asked him after he placed her into his car and was about to zoom off.
"I don't," he answered with a wild laugh.
"Listen," he played the sound from his phone again. It was just an App that could mimic any sound accurately and loudly too.
"That was smart," Mariana said sluggishly. She was impressed.
"I'm Nathan," the man introduced himself to her.
"I'm Mariana," she said in reciprocation.
"It's nice to meet you," Nathan gestured his hands for a handshake but then she passed out.
Mariana woke up at the hospital, it was morning, and Natasha was the first person she could see.
"Why did you still insist on coming?" Natasha chided her for the foolish act she exhibited.
"I needed to get away really fast," Mariana first said, then she paused - "I was losing my mind," she said in a very sober voice.
Natasha felt pity for Mariana because of what she was going through, but it didn't mean she could act recklessly.
"Do not repeat this ever again!" Natasha warned her.
"Where is he?"
"Where is who now?" Natasha asked, still feeling upset.
"The man who brought me here," Mariana said.
"He went out to settle the bills for your admission," Natasha answered her.
"Hello sleeping beauty," Nathan said as he walked into the ward and found Mariana awake.
"How were you able to get Natasha here?" Mariana asked out of curiosity, she even forgot to respond to his cheerful greeting.
"I had your phone repaired then I used your finger to unlock it," Nathan explained.
Nathan continued:
"I went through your call log and recent text messages, that's how I got to know you came to meet her in Chicago."
"Thank you," Mariana said out of gratitude. "How can I repay you?"
"Just take care of your baby," Nathan answered her.
"You know?" Mariana asked, she sounded a bit annoyed
"I couldn't help but go through your conversation with Natasha over here," Nathan said with a grin on his face.
"I'm sorry," Nathan apologized.
"It's nothing," Mariana was ready to let it slide. After all, he was the one who rescued her.
"We'll see some other time," Nathan waved his goodbye to Mariana. He was talking about going to work, not that he was going away on a long trip.
*
Two years passed and Mariana Was fitting in perfectly in Chicago.
Mariana never spoke to or heard from Albert during these years. The only person who was there for her and her son, Raymond, was Nathan.
"Let's go." Nathan's car was parked in front of Mariana's house. He came so he could drop her off at Work.
"I told you yesterday that you didn't have to bother," Mariana said to him.
"Let's just go." That was his only response.
"I told you to let me find a lucrative job for you, but you refused."
Nathan wasn't happy that Mariana was working as a janitor, worst still, she was taking her son with her.
"I appreciate your desire to help but I can fend for myself," Mariana politely declined.
"You are more than this, Mariana."
"I'm just so happy with what I do," She answered him.
If she said so, Nathan couldn't argue any further.
"Bye," Mariana waved at him after he dropped her off at work.
It was as tiresome as ever, that day at work but Mariana managed to pull through as always.
"Finally," she eased a sigh of relief after completing the day's task.
It was time to go home.
"Mariana!" She heard a familiar voice call out to her.
- Writer
