Never Alone

Chapter 12

     As soon as she turned her back on Trevor, she knew she was making a huge mistake, but there was no way she could go crawling back to him and beg for his help, not after everything she said. A tugging at her heart told her to swallow her pride and go back, but she did her best to ignore the nagging doubt as the miles methodically passed under the tires of her Toyota Prius. "Thank you for never leaving me, Father," she prayed aloud. "Now that Tracy is gone, I don't know what to do. She kept me sane. She was the only person I could really depend on." Her eyes burned. "I know I fail You constantly, but thank You for being a Friend that sticks closer than a brother. Please guide me and show me how to keep my promise to Tracy. I'm scared...keep me safe in Your hand."

Pulling up to a large, brick apartment building that had obviously seen happier times, she took a deep breath and looked around. It did not look like anyone followed her, so she consulted her phone as to the exact unit number. 219. As she climbed out of the compact car, she stretched her back and grabbed her purse, making sure the flash drive was still securely stashed in the zippered pouch. Nearing the three-story building, she noticed the crumbling brick around the windows and near the glass, double doors. A pair of young men, one African American and the other white sat on the steps and watched her approach with a frightening amount of interest.

When she reached the decaying, concrete stairs leading to the entrance, the white man stood to his feet and blocked her path. "Hey, Beautiful," his face was close enough she could almost guess what he ate for breakfast as his breath hit her in the face. "I've been waiting all my life for you to show up." He cupped her face in his hand and traced her lips with his thumb.

Instantly, she shrank from his touch, swallowing the fear clawing at her insides. She should not have read Trevor the riot act this morning. If she had just let him help her, she would not be in this predicament; he would never allow anyone to treat her this way. Silently, she prayed for safety.

"Please," she was thankful her voice sounded more confident than she felt. "I am just here to visit a friend."

"I think you should pay me a little visit first," his eyes roamed over her. With rapidly beating heart, she tried to back away, but he grabbed her by the arm and pulled her roughly against him.

"Hey," the dark-skinned man stood and looked up and down the block nervously. "Let her go. You know what'll happen if you get caught for this kinda thing again...she's ain't worth it, man."

Still eyeing her hungrily, he loosened his grip on her arm, and she gladly shook his hand away. Shooting a grateful look at her hero, she hurried into the building as quickly as her trembling legs could take her.

The smell of mildew and stale cigarettes assaulted her nostrils as the glass doors closed behind her. She stood in place for a moment to catch her breath and calm her buzzing nerves. One look at the once grand but now moth-eaten and dilapidated structure left her with a sense of gloom. Had Tracy ever been to this place? The dark red carpet with gold scrollwork would have been the height of fashion decades ago, but now it lay stained and threadbare. The faded wallpaper hung loose and bubbled at the corners and near the ceiling due to neglected water leaks. If there was a conference for the depressed, this building would be the prime location.

Finally, her heart was quieted, and what she wanted more than anything was to speak with Mr. Blake as quickly as possible, so she could leave or at least have some idea what her next step would be. Making her way down the dim corridor, she heard the chattering and scurrying of rodents and was grateful they remained hidden from her sight. When she found the staircase at the end of the hall, she took the steps two at a time, dodging empty bottles and other bits of trash as best as she could.