Chapter 2
1034 Words
I held my breath praying she wouldn't see me.
She walked past me towards the trash can to dispose of a bag of waste.
I waited till she went back into the house before quietly creeping out.
I locked the rear exit securely and took to my heels, running towards the main road with my heavy backpack while trying to stay away from streetlights to avoid her seeing me through a window.
I quickly flagged down an Uber and quickly made my escape.
My heart ached for the exorbitant fare I will have to pay for the Uber.
But I can't afford going to the bus stop. Mom can easily race after me with her car if she notices I'm not in my room. I can't afford that right now, after all my meticulous plans.
I can only be reassured once I'm safely in San Francisco.
*****
SAN FRANCISCO, 1ST DECEMBER 2023.
I stood before the resort gate.
It was already morning.
I smiled and turned on my phone to call my friend who connected me to the resort.
"Are you there now?" She asked, unable to keep the excitement from her voice.
"Yeah. I finally sneaked out. I'm in front of the resort" I answered happily.
I heard her scream over the phone.
I quickly cut the call immediately I heard the sound of her running footsteps.
Almost immediately, mom's call came in.
I took a deep breath and picked it up.
"Where the hell are you? How dare you do that to me?" She yelled, nearly bursting my ear drums.
I quickly removed the phone from my ears. My ears were ringing and vibrating from the unwanted sound waves.
"I'm in San Francisco mom. I love you. Stay safe and happy. I will come back soon. You need to let go and let me live my life, you can't shield me forever. I love you mom, I will come back for you soon. I want to become rich and powerful and give you the luxurious life you deserve" I whispered.
"I don't want a luxurious life, I only want you. Which part of San Francisco are you in? I will join you" she whispered tearfully.
"I love you mom. Bye" I answered and quickly cut the call.
I'm not telling her my location.
No way in hell.
She will come here to create a ruckus and take me home.
I stared at the gigantic resort before me. There were high walls surrounding it for miles on end. It was painted white.
There was a tower with a shining star placed on top of it and a plaque at the gate which read 'the star'.
The gates opened and my friend rushed outside.
She was wearing a crop top and mini pants.
She rushed outside and hugged me.
I smiled, I was extremely happy to see her too.
"Glad you could make it. I didn't know your mom would allow you to come. I almost gave up hope!" She exclaimed, dragging me inside.
My heart skipped a beat at the sight before me.
Three armed security officers were guarding the gate, there were other fully armed guards with guns and daggers patrolling the gate looking frightening.
I clutched her hand tightly as I looked around.
"What's this place? A mafia club?" I whispered fearfully.
"No, this is the resting spot for some top billionaires and influential figures in America, they are all public figures, so they need maximum security around them. Ignore them. There's never any danger around, except extremely handsome men of course" she said, giggling.
I looked at the mighty edifice all around me. There were pools, fountains, gardens, parks, some unknown buildings and several residential quarters.
There was also a heart shaped tower right in the middle.
She led me to a buggy and began to drive to her division.
"There are malls, casinos, six star restaurants of various nationalities, then there are special retreat cabins containing lakes or pools in the woods, there are eight mansions, each with its own infinity pool, jacuzzi, massage parlor, garden and theater. Then the main hotel is in the middle. There are only twenty members in this resort. The mansions belong to the richest amongst them. However, most people prefer to stay in the main hotel or retreat cabins, or the beach cabins to avoid being lonely in a huge mansion, all by themselves. There's also a beach towards the south. Then there's the workers' apartment in the main hotel. There are clubs, performance arenas and whatnot. This is a world of its own. Their salary is really good. That's why I wanted you to replace me as I would be going home next week. It is mainly peaceful and uneventful. However, I heard the place is always hot on christmas. Lots of public figures sneak in with their lovers, too bad I will not be here then" she said smiling.
She stopped before a small building behind the heart shaped tower and we got down.
She led me to a room.
It was big with a huge foam, sofa, desk, wardrobe and cabinets.
"This will be your room. There's nothing much to do. You will rest for today and have a good sleep. You look like a mess. They will feed you three times daily with whatever available meals. By that, I mean food from five star rated chefs, you will eat what the patrons are eating. See me, I already look so fresh by eating food meant for the filthy rich for a month" she said, giggling as she fell on the bed, now my bed.
"So this is basically a paradise where you work, get paid with cool cash, eat and drink whatever you please and in addition get generous tips?" I asked happily.
"No, it's hell. There's normally no problem, but If you get entangled with one of the patrons or offend any of them, you might lose your life. There's one important rule which you must adhere to if you want to leave this place peacefully" she whispered, making me pull closer to her.
"What's that?" I whispered back, the serious look on her face making me frown.
- Writer
