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Rebecca let out a fatigued sigh as she flopped down onto her sand colored suede sofa and propped her feet up on the coffee table situated in front of her.

“God, I am exhausted,” she huffed, reaching for the remote to the TV but then giving up when she couldn’t reach it without moving. Still feeling tired after her short nap in the car, she snuggled down further onto the couch and rested her head against the back of it, propping her arm up on the side for extra support. Seconds later she was asleep again, snoring peacefully as her body tired to recuperate from the trials of pregnancy.

When she awoke hours later it was completely dark in her apartment, leading her to believe it was after eight pm.

“So much for a short nap; now I’ll be up all night,” she moaned as she stretched her arms over her head and attempted to wake up her senses. She pushed herself off the back of the couch and struggled to stand, finally gaining her balance before walking over to the table next to the couch and fumbling for the switch that would turn on the lamp.

With a click of the switch the room illuminated, easing the creepy feeling Rebecca had gotten in her stomach from being in her apartment in the dark. Ever since she was a child, darkness had been scary to her, and now, as an adult, she rarely was ever caught without at least a small lamp on somewhere in the apartment.

“I know baby, I know,” she said softly as she rubbed her stomach, a hungry growl escaping from it. “Let’s see what we can find to eat.” She waddled over to the refrigerator, opening it and peering inside. Finding nothing that seemed appealing, she wrinkled her nose at the contents and then quickly shut the door again.

As she turned from the fridge her eyes landed on the piece of paper falling from the counter. “Hmmm, Chinese food,” she said quietly as the paper landed on the ground. It was a menu from the Chinese takeout place down the street and right then, something spicy, saucy, and ethnic was calling her name. Loudly.

Surrendering to yet another pregnancy induced craving, Rebecca slipped her swollen feet into a pair of flip flops, grabbed her purse and a light sweater and headed out the door in search of takeout.

“Good thing I grabbed the sweater,” she commented to herself as she stepped outside and a small shiver racked her body. The sun had set twenty minutes ago and the chill of the evening was now taking over where warmth and sunlight had been a few hours earlier. It was refreshing though; it was not very often that the sky in Los Angeles was so clear and the air so fresh.

Maybe I’ll take the long way, Rebecca thought and she inhaled deeply and wrapped her sweater around her enlarged form tighter. What a beautiful night. She walked slowly down the block, enjoying the music and conversations floating out of the windows and doors of the restaurants, bars and apartments she passed. The buildings seemed to be full of life, but the streets however, were very quiet and empty for this time of the evening.

As she approached the Chinese restaurant she passed by two young adults and a younger child. Rebecca estimated that the two older boys were around sixteen or seventeen and the younger boy was around ten or eleven. They had been talking quite loudly, almost as if they were arguing, when she was approaching but as she passed them, their conversation stopped suddenly and they watched her walk past, eyeing her carefully.

She made eye contact with the taller of the two older boys, but then quickly looked away. Shaking away the eerie feeling that caused a shiver to run down her spine she quickened her pace and entered the Chinese restaurant eagerly, knowing the friendly sounds and delicious smell of food mixed with a large crowd of people would make her feel a little more secure.

She placed her order and then sat down on the bench in the entry way to wait. Her mind drifted back to the boys outside as she sat, wondering why some teenagers would be arguing with a little kid. What is a ten year old going to do to big boys like that to make them mad…put dirt in their food? He’s a harmless little kid.

A few minutes later her order was ready and, after paying her bill and asking for a couple extra soy sauce packets, she exited the restaurant.

“Hmmm, they’re gone,” Rebecca said out loud as looked towards the corner the boys had been standing on and saw no one. Hopefully they went in the opposite direction I’m going, she thought as she started towards her apartment. She crossed the street and continued on the walk back to her apartment, but as she came up to the next corner she heard yelling from down the alley.

“Where is it you little thief?” The voice was deep and she wondered if it was the same young man she saw earlier on the street.

“I told you already, I gave it to Big P when he made the drop!” This voice was higher, like it belonged to a child who hadn’t gone through puberty yet.

“Bullsh it! I talked to P an hour ago and he said he didn’t get the money or the goods back!” This was another deep voice, but not the same as the first man who spoke. She felt almost positive now that this was the trio she had walked passed earlier.

As she got closer she heard a click, causing her to stop suddenly. It sounded like a gun being cocked.

“What are you gonna do, shoot me? You’ll never get your stuff back that way.”

“No, we’re just going to kick the ever loving shit out of you.” All she heard next was the sounds of grunts and cries of pain as someone was being assaulted.

She clung to the wall, the bag of Chinese food slipping slowly out of her grasp as she tried to stay quiet and not be seen, hoping they would just leave and she could get home, home to her quiet, safe apartment.

“You’ve got til tomorrow to come up with the money or the dope…if I don’t have one if my hands tomorrow you’re momma’s gonna be burying another son, you hear me?”

Mother of God, they are going to come out of the alley and see me standing here and then what? Rebecca looked frantically from side to side, trying to find a doorway or any place she could hide in until the boys left.

“Do you hear me?” one of the boys asked, sounding even more irritated because the younger boy hadn’t answered him yet. She heard the click again and imagined the scene around the corner—a young boy huddled up on the ground, bleeding and injured and two older boys standing over him, one of them pointing a gun right at him.

“Fu ck you!” was all she heard from the younger boy before the ear-shattering sound of the gun going off reverberated through the cool night air.

Roslyn screamed, dropping the bag of Chinese food at her feet.

“What was that?” one of the older boys asked as they heard the commotion outside the alley. In the next instant, the taller boy with the gun was standing before her, the large metal barrel pointed at her, and she was wrapped up in the other boy’s dark arms, struggling to get away from his strong hold.

“I didn’t see anything I swear!” she cried. “Please, let me go!”

The boy with the gun stepped closer to her, resting the barrel against her protruding stomach. “I don’t believe you,” he snarled, cocking the gun and pushing it harder into her belly, causing Rebecca to cry out in pain.

“Please, please don’t do this,” she whispered, unable to speak any louder than that. “I won’t say anything, you have to believe me.”

The boy stared at her for a long time, as if trying to figure out what to do. “I guess I believe her, do you believe her?” he said to the other boy, never taking his eyes off of Rebecca’s.

“She wouldn’t lie to us, man, she wouldn’t dare lie to us,” the other boy responded, squeezing her tighter as he said the word dare.

The boy with the gun stepped back from Rebecca and nodded at the other one, still looking Rebecca in the eyes. The dark arms that had been holding her captive released and Rebecca was free.

“Thank you,” she whispered as she turned and starting running towards her apartment.

“You’re very welcome,” was the last thing she heard before another gunshot rang through the air and everything went black.