Chapter 5
Much later that night John sat at his cubicle finishing up his review. He had been working for hours but he was finally finished. He reread, proofread, and went over the story a half a dozen times, making sure that everything was perfect. And now he felt his work was worth it.
John thought about how his article would look in print, and Victoria entered his mind.
'I wonder if Victoria took the pics of the doughnut shop...' He thought. 'I bet she's a great photographer.' John smiled as he began to gather up his things and save the file on his computer. 'I bet she photographs well...'
John shook his head dismissing the thought as he gathered the takeout boxes from the leftover food he had gotten that afternoon. He made his way, with his briefcase and leftovers, down the rows of mostly empty cubicles to the elevator.
He got to the ground floor and walked out the building. He went into his bag of food and pulled out a smaller paper bag looking into it. The smaller bag held only a single doughnut. He took it out and began munching on it.
John crumpled the bag and looked around for a trash can as he began to walk to the bus stop, but he didn't see one. Having a strong moral compass that pointed due north, john was against littering. He checked to see if the bus was coming, and when he saw that it wasn't he decided to go back to his office building; there he would be able to go around the side of the building and use the dumpsters.
John went up to the dumpsters and raised the lid throwing his garbage in. Before he moved on he saw movement on the side of the large metal containers. His heart stopped and his breath caught in his throat. He slowly stepped around the rubbish receptacles and saw a young couple huddled together under a heavy wool blanket. Their clothes were dark and soiled, and it was apparent that they were trying their best to keep safe and warm from the falling temperature that the night brought.
The couple looked up at him from their position on the ground. Their eyes were pleading;
"Please don't tell on us." The male spoke up. "We have no where else to go." The woman finished.
"I wouldn't dream of it." John said his heart wrenching.
The couple sighed and nestled together once more.
"Are you hungry?" John asked holding up his bag of food.
The couple looked at each other then back up at John. "Yes, sir." The man answered.
John handed them his bag of food. "There are some sandwiches in there. I think there are a few pastries still in there too." He explained, "Sorry I just finished the last doughnut." John finishes with a smile.
The young couple returned the smile weakly before the man reached from under the blanket and took the food. He dug into the bag and gave his mate a sandwich before taking one out for himself.
'They don't have anything to drink.' John realized.
John set his briefcase up on top of one of the dumpsters next to them, and went inside taking out a water bottle that he kept there for himself.
"He you go." John said handing the water over to the couple. "I'm sorry I only have one-"
John was cut off by what looked up to see: the young man readjusted the blanket they were under making sure his mate was covered from the cool fall air that blew in softly up and down the ally. But as he did this John saw that the woman was pregnant. About eight to nine months from the look of her belly.
A tear came to John's eye as he watched the young man take the bottle from him.
"Thank you so much." He said through a mouth full of sandwich.
The man opened the bottle and handed it over to his mate making sure she got her fill before he took a sip and handed it back to her.
John's heart fell to his knees. He reaches into his pocket and pulled out his wallet. He reached inside and grabbed the bills inside. With out looking at them or taking care to count the money he handed it over to the couple.
"Please take this." John said.
"No, sir." The man said putting his up. "We can't do that. You've been kind enough. We can't except anymore."
"I insist." John said giving them a gentle smile. "Please for me..."
The couple exchanged a glance before q defeated look covered their faces. The man took the money from John and pocketed it quickly surveying the alley as he did.
The woman took John's hand, "Thank you for your kindness sir. We lost our home a while ago and this morning we were put out of the place we were staying."
John thought back to that morning, how the police had escorted those people off the premises.
"Sir, what's your name?" The male spoke up.
"John. My name is John." He answered.
"Thank you, John." The woman said releasing his hand and continuing her meal.
John turned away to conceal his tears, wiping them away. "You're welcome."
John walked over and grabbed his suitcase before making his way back to the exit of the ally. He stopped and looked back at the couple.
The man put his hand on his lovers pregnant belly. "John, if it's a boy."
The woman cupped her hands over his. "I'd like that."
John cleared his throat and wiped his face again. He readjusted his briefcase before he reached the exit of the ally. As he tries to leave it was as if something else was there. As if he could sense someone's presence, other than his own.
The night seemed to stand still. Not even the autumn wind moved down the now seemingly barren stretch of concrete.
John took a deep breath and proceeded to round the building and out to the street. He was stopped midstep by a wall of blinding light. John closed his eyes and ducked away shielding himself from the intense display.
There was an engulfing sound and an odd twinkling, then the light died down. John peeked over his suitcase to see a beautiful woman taking form from the light. Pinpoints of light still danced around her like stars.
John looked at her: she wore a floor length crimson cloak. All her clothes were a blood red, a scarlet color. She seemed to be wearing a body stocking because her skin took on a blush color, underneath the corset and gloves that stretched up to her elbows.
The woman walked up to him and stared at him with aqua colored eyes.
John was taken back. Her gaze felt as if she was looking through him; into his very being.
The woman brushed her long chocolate colored hair over her shoulder and John noticed she wore a kind of headdress almost like a crown on her head. Stepping back she gave John a once over, looking him from head to toe.
"I saw what you did back there..." The woman spoke up.
Every muscle in John's body tensed but John wasn't sure wether it was from fear or anticipation. But he managed to nod.
"It was a good thing." She continued.
John noted a slight accent he couldn't quite place.
"Why?" She went on as she circled him like a shark.
"Why what?" John asked for clarification.
"Why did you help them?"
"Because they needed it." John answered a little taken back by her question. "Wouldn't you have done the same thing if you were in my shoes?"
The woman stopped in front of him giving him a examining look. "Not many people would have."
She looked him dead in the eyes again. Her eyes glazed over, a florescent crimson light flashed there bright enough to make him squint.
"I will do something good for you in return." The woman said.
She held her hands up in between them almost the way a doctor does when getting prepped for surgery. Bright fushia colored orbs of light surrounded her hands. She rose her arms above her head then stretched them out to her sides, stepping back. Finally, she spun around flinging the orbs at John's chest.
John watched, expecting pain or fire or some kind of discomfort. But the sensation was nice. A blissful feeling spread over his body and he felt warm and fuzzy all over.
The woman looked at him a final time before she pointed at the ground. A red smoke wafted up, intensifying, encircling her in a vortex. "It has been done." She said through the smoke.
"What? What has been done?" John asked. "What?!"
He was met with no answer. He steppes forward grasping for her hoping to get some answers. But all his hands clutched was air and empty space.
She was gone...
John passed his hands over his chest where the woman had seemingly struck him. But there was no sign of trauma, so he scooped up his suitcase and made his way to the bus stop. As he got there the bus was already pulling up.
'Hmm...' John thought.
He went in his pocket to pull out his money to pay the fare but nothing was there. He stood there a second fumbling in his pockets looking for money.
John pulled out his wallet knowing he had given all the money there to the couple.
"Mister is there a problem?" The driver asked after he passes two stops.
"Umm..." John looked up at the driver ready to resign to his fate.
"It's right there." The driver said pointing to the floor near him.
John looked down and saw a bus card. He picked it up and held his breath hoping that the card worked. John slid the card into the machine and to his surprise it did work. The card popped back out and he looked around the bus ready to apologise to whom ever it belonged to for using it but no one else was on the bus except him and the driver.
"Hmm..." John said. "Lucky."