She couldn't remember how long she had be running. All she knew was that her shins were beginning to hurt with every painful step. Her lungs began to labor as she takes in the cold air. A car passes her and she tenses -
that can't be the same town car - she thinks. Suddenly it pulls over to the side of the road, and out steps the man in black. He straigtens his coat and turns his steely, cold glare upon her. Her heart quickens and she feels her inner voice scream "
RUN!" She takes off down the thin and winding dirt path. The man is hot on her heel scraming something at her but she can't stop to think what it was. The skies have darkened since she scaled down her apartment making it harder to discern certain objects. She looks around and begins to get more frantic. Every sound, from a leaf brushing the wooden bark, to a dogs call in the night makes her jump. She forces her eyes to see out into the dark. The sound of running feet behind her makes her blindly turn down the bath. The branches and bushes suddenly seem to be against her. They grab at her clothes and slow her down. The man in black calls out to her again - but she finally breaks free of the trees. Quickly checking to make sure he isn't there she runs down the street and turns the corner.
She begins to slow her pace and comb her hair with her fingers. "Just calm down, ok Anna? He didn't see you! It was so dark...riiight. I need to find a place that's not to crowded or too isolate." She looks down the street and sees THE SUPREME BEAN. It used to be one of the most suburb coffee hot spots in its time - you weren't somebody until you preformed there. Anna timidly walks to the door and takes one quick look before entering. The rain had stopped falling giving the area a nice clean scent. The street was shrouded in the dark save for THE SUPREME BEAN and another across the street. It looked as if she was alone. She walked into the coffee joint and noticed the nostalgic decor. The dark forest green had faded to a muted dingy green. The smoke that lingered in the air, even after the patrons had left, added to the old legacy. On the wall, faded black and white pictures of old legends smiled back to the customers. Ana only recognized a few faces. Her mother used to listen to this music. She remembers her mother dressed up in a lovely rich red Valentino dress. The fabric looked so soft, like the inner most part of a rose. The edges of the dress twinkled in the light, and made it look like little faeries dancing. Ana begins to smile to herself as she watches her mother twirl over to her father. "Darling to night will be so magical! I can't wait to see the other women's faces!" She doesn't remember what her father replies she only knows that it makes her mother laugh again.
"Can I help ya wit sometin?" She looks to were the sound comes from and notices a burly man at the register.
"Yes, do you have any orange juice?"
"Ya do know this is a coffee joint?"
Ana begins to blush in embarrassment. Every restaurant she had been to had seemed to have o.j., why would this place be any different?
"Oh, um yes. In that case may I have a small black coffee?"
The man nods his head and walks towards the back to get her order.
"Don't mind Jack. He gets a little grumpy when he thinks you'll waste his time being indecisive. Say, you don't look familiar. My name is Ace. What's yours?"
Could she trust him? Her grandmother had said that when you began the run you could not trust anyone - everyone would be your enemy. Ace didn't look like any bad guy. He had pretty hair, the light bounced off of it nicely. It was a nice dark brown with subtle hints of a lighter brown. The curls played along his forehead giving him a boyish look even though he was probably her age. When she looked into her eyes something eased inside her.
