Chapter 5

• Willow walked awhile, keeping her thoughts straight. Her sequined sandals crunched on stones as she went on. After a time, she noticed she was now at a spot she's sure she circled past. Shit. She noticed also how quiet the streets had become. Willow didn't want to admit it, but it seemed to all purposes, that she was lost.
• She tried to keep her thoughts positive as she walked on the crooked path. It was hard, since she couldn't see much less know where she was going. The streetlights blared as bright as a flickering flame. It was a bad idea. She had known it was a bad idea, venturing alone. A rat narrowly missed her feet as it dashed from one corner of the street to another. Under the bleak street lights, she watched, a little transfixed as what she formerly made out to be shadows, slowly, firmly took on the shape of a man. Actually men, there were two of them.
• Her throat clamped. She should scream, she willed herself to do so, but she couldn't, because in the next moment, the shadowy men were upon her.
• "I see we meet again." Willow couldn't believe her eyes but there, in front of her, was Rainbow Man. He was wearing a long black coat now.
• "I didn't want it to be this way but you were stubborn."
• Willow looked at the other man and was hit with another spell of shock. It was the man that blocked her path when she had tried to get back her purse.
• "Let me introduce myself, I didn't get to do that earlier." The man walked closer to her. "I am Finn!" What? Willow blinked in shock, taking some steps backwards. "And you've met Steve." He says gesturing to the other man who grinned, fingering something Willow made out to be a pocket knife. She swallowed and kept on retreating. Why is it so quiet? Doesn't anybody live on these streets?
• The two men were now stealthily coming towards her.
• "The situation could have been different." The man who introduced himself as Finn said, spreading his arms. "But you left, we followed and now, here we are."
• "You're right. Here we are." Another man said, stepping out of the shadows. He was dressed in black jean trousers and a jacket. He wore a blue baseball cap. She couldn't make out his face. Willow took him to be one of them but he came to stand in front of her. His back to her. "Walk away." He growled to the other men. Willow gasped.
• Finn and his man laughed. "Yeah? I don't think so." Finn said. He nodded at Steve who approached the man menacingly. But the newcomer didn't flinch. When Steve threw a punch, the man in the baseball cap gripped and twisted his arm. Steve dropped to the ground, howling. The man hit him again and Steve landed flat on the ground, bones breaking.
• Finn took in the scene and turned, retreating. Steve followed, crumpled in pain, a trail forming from his bleeding nose.
• The silence was broken by Willow's whispered words; "Thank you."
• The man turned to her and she gasped. Staring at her were brown translucent eyes on a face fit to be an angel's. She felt her heartbeat speed up. She licked her lips and wanted to thank him again when he
• held up a finger, signalling her to hold on. Willow watched as he took out his phone from his pocket and dialed a number. She watched also as he started to type furiously. Just as he raised his head to look at her, lights flashed around them. Willow turned to see it was the headlights of a cab approaching. For a moment, Willow feared it be her assailants coming back reinforced, but it wasn't. It stopped right before them, the driver came out to open the door for her. Willow was a little confused and dazed from the experience but the man who'd helped her, paid the fare and turned to walk away. Uh?
• "Aren't you getting in the cab?" Willow shouted after him. She was sure he had been the one to call the cab.
• He turned to face her, shook his head and continued walking.
• Willow shouted, "Thank you!'' Her heart was still thumping. She assured herself it was from the near death experience. Not from the man who saved her life and was now walking away. She continues to look at him until the the cab driver announces that he was ready to leave. She got in and rested her head on the cool pane of glass in the window. She told the driver her address and sighed deeply. She shut her eyes but even then, she could still see the brown eyes of her saviour.
• - - -
• A week later, Willow was swamped up with orders at the restaurant she worked as a waitress. She was walking to the kitchen, a tray of dishes in her hands when her shoe gave in. She groaned.
• "What happened?" Briana, one of the other waitresses in the restaurant, asked with surprise, as Willow limped past her into the kitchen.
• "This happened." Willow says gingerly raising up a disjointed black suede heel for Briana to see.
• "Oh no!" Briana gasped. "How did that happen?
• "I guess it just snapped." Willow says and they share a good laugh.
• "Your shift isn't over yet. What are you going to do?" The concern from Briana warmed Willow and she replied, "I came prepared. Don't worry."
• "I would have given you mine to wear, since I'm not working table service today, but you know I have giant feet when compared to yours," Briana said and they laughed again.
• "If I were in your shoes I'd drown." Willow says.
• "Oh Willow! You and your corny jokes!" Briana chuckles then watched askance as Willow took out a small vial of glue from her handbag. Transfixed, she looked as Willow proceeded to apply the glue deftly on the broken shoe.
• "Is that going to hold?" She asked with concern.
• "Through the time left for my shift? I suppose, yes." Willow says.
• "But how did you know to put a glue in your purse? Did you think this was going to happen?"
• "Not really, but It was a bit shaky when I wore it this morning, so I thought to bring the glue."
• "Funny. Why didn't you just wear something else?" Briana asked again.
• "They're my only pair." Willow says and
• Briana nods. "What else have you got in there," She asks nodding at Willow's bag.
• "More than you can imagine.'' Willow smiles. The handbag did contain more than Briana could imagine. Someone had once called it Dora the explorer's bag, but Willow preferred to call it Pandora.
• Willow finished fixing the heel, and started to blow softly on it until a voice interrupts her.
• "Willow! What are you doing!?"
• Willow almost dropped the shoe at the unexpected sharp tone of Miss Pearl, the restaurant's manager. She wore the heel quickly, trying her best to not put too much weight on it as she leaned on a nearby counter.
• All the other waiters and waitresses as well as other workers including the chefs, came into the kitchen. Willow wondered what was going on just as Miss Pearl began to address them.
• "I called all of you in here to pass a very important announcement. With very short notice, I just received a call that the CEO would be here within the hour."