Saving Grace

Aren't you all lucky to get another story before the year ends? I've been working on this one for months and it is about time I share it. It was a lot of fun to write and I hope you enjoy the action-packed journey!

XOXO SkylerLuv

******

"Excuse me." An older gentleman tries to push past me.

"Oh, I'm sorry." I move my cart out of the way and try to ignore his grumbling.

"You shouldn't stand in the middle of the aisle. The world doesn't revolve around you." He manages to mumble loud enough for me to hear.

I make myself smaller for others that want to pass by and go back to looking at the cereal options. There are so many, I have a few favorites but maybe I should branch out and try something new. My mind instantly runs through all of the different outcomes. What if I don't like it? What if it has too much sugar? What if it tastes like carboard? Maybe it is best to stick to what I know I do like. I'm sure one day I'll be adventurous enough to close my eyes and just point at whatever box is in front of me. Not today though.

I toss the blue box in my cart and move on to the next aisle.

My gaze travels back down to the list at hand. I follow the same route as always. Start with cereal, move on to fruits, then veggies, then the different meat options. I get the exact same things that I get every Sunday night, careful not to get a different brand name. I pretend to debate on one option or another, as I've seen others do but I know what I'm ultimately purchasing. It's much more straightforward knowing what I'm here to get but I like to pretend to be like others sometimes. To stress about trivial things for once, not life and death.

The young cashier looks rather bored working tonight. Her dark eyeliner is intimidating but I smile and try to be friendly. I place the items on the conveyor belt in the exact same order as I always do and have to correct her when she tries to put the bananas in first before the milk. She only rolls her eyes twice before she brings up my total, I consider that a success.

I look at the green numbers on the small monitor in front of me and stop halfway from reaching for my purse.

"I'm sorry, the total should be $25.85." I keep my voice quiet but confident. It's always the same total. The same that it was last Sunday and the one before that and all the other 100s before that.

Her emotionless face continues to stare as if I didn't say anything.

"Why are there an additional 35 cents added to my total?" I dig into my small handbag to fish for coins that I did not expect to pay. In all honesty, I know I'm going to pay the full amount, but the change in total has caused a small deviation from my Sunday routine and it is causing an uncomfortable shift in temperament.

"Didn't you hear? We're charging for bags now." Her patience is running low and the person behind me has already finished unloading their things. I'm wasting everyone's time.

"Oh, okay. Sorry." I look back at the person behind me to apologize but he's already glaring at me.

It's the same old man from the cereal aisle.

******

My fingers glide through each key, thoughtfully, as I type out an email to my boss.

I delete and reword everything at least twice before clicking send. I hate to bother him so close to the end of the day but maybe he will take a few moments to respond. My request is small, if I could just get next Thursday and Friday off. I've worked here for over a year now and have never asked for a day off. I usually manage to get anything that I need done over the weekend. Just the thought of not being here on a workday opens a flood of doubt in my head but I promised myself I would do it this year.

It is the 10th anniversary of my mother's disappearance next Friday.

I touch the locket on my neck and sigh. Maybe it isn't a good idea to go back to the last place I ever saw her but I believe that being there will finally give me the closure I have been longing for. I never went back after that night. All I can think about is her retreating figure as she walked into the woods and never returned. Year after year I waited. In the past, she would go months without any type of contact but eventually, I did get some indication that she was doing well. I think the longest I had ever gone without hearing from her was nine months. So, after the ninth month and then the tenth and then the first year and the one after that I lost hope. Something happened.

She got caught.

But fretting about it now will not change the past.

All I can do is wait for a response from my boss.

"Hi, Grace!" Alice's chirpy voice shakes me out of my thoughts.

She's wearing a button-up white shirt with black slacks. Nothing special, yet she makes it work. Something like that would look plain on someone like me but she looks elegant and gorgeous. She has short dark hair and beautifully thick dark eyebrows. Her brown eyes are brighter today, more so than usual and it is hard not to match her giddiness. My hand comes up to pat my curly hair down, it usually looks like a bird's nest by the end of the day but I know Alice doesn't mind. She naturally looks good and I could never compete even if I wanted to.

"Hi, Alice!" I turn toward her.

"Any fun plans for this afternoon?" She leans over my desk and slides me a Hershey kiss.

I unwrap the foil and pop it in my mouth. Even though she already has a sweet personality, Alice always has candy ready to brighten up anyone's day. Not that she needs it. Everyone loves talking to her and being around her. I was lucky to start around the same time she did so we naturally became close. I've never been this close to a coworker before but I'm glad I am. She's the best.

"I don't think so. I have some work I have to take home since I didn't have time to finish it today." My eyes snap back to my screen when I get a ping notification.

It's my boss.

"What did I tell you about taking work home with you?" She crosses her arms.

"I know, I know." I open the email and smile brightly.

"What is it?" She moves around to stand behind me.

Most of the office has left for the day. As a receptionist, there isn't much work to do after everyone is gone but I've been helping my boss create some charts for his presentations. I truly don't mind it. Even if it is not in my job description, I like helping him out. Especially when he treats me just as well as he does his legal team.

"You're taking all of next week off?" Alice has her nose deep in my email and I have to gently push her away to respond.

"Actually, I only requested next Thursday and Friday off but I guess he is giving me the whole week." My response is short and sweet. He couldn't possibly imagine just how much that small act of kindness has pushed him up on my list of favorite people. The list is short but heavily regarded.

"It's about time you took days off from work. What are you going to do?" She goes back to the other side of the desk across from me and rests her head in her hands.

"I don't know yet. I didn't plan that far ahead." I turn off my laptop and gather all the paperwork I need to take home.

"If you want to grab a drink any of those days, I will be free!" She leaves one more chocolate kiss on my desk and leaves.

******

By the end of the week, I have most of my plans ready for the following week.

My hotel room is booked, the flight ticket is paid for, and my clothes are almost packed.

I will work my way up to visit the last place where I saw my mother by next Friday. But before then, I can go back to the little town where we lived for three years. Visit some of our favorite places, gather some flowers from her favorite park, and even pay some old friends a visit. If they still live there. I haven't kept in touch with anyone and wouldn't know how to track them if they moved. Which I'm sure most of them did. But I can cross the bridge when I get to it.

We never stayed anywhere long enough to plant roots but I do remember growing up in this little town in New England. We moved there when I was six and we got to stay until I turned nine. It was the longest we ever stayed anywhere, aside from where I am now, and I know it is safe to go back without being recognized by those on the lookout. My mother didn't have friends or bothered to date anyone. I had school friends, none too close, but still one or two that I remember with fondness. Unlike most people my age, I've had a strict no social media rule. Not if I wanted to stay unnoticed.

So, it is settled. I will fly out to the Washington DC and start a small road trip up to New England at my leisure. After a few days of travel, I can make my way further up north until I am back to the place that I haven't been to in almost a decade. I don't think about it too much, there is really nothing much more to think about. I've been mentally preparing myself for this visit for years. I know what I'm going to do and I know how it is going to feel. In the end, I just need to let go and move on.

I need to let my mother go.

******

"I ordered two shots each." Alice reaches over and pats my hand. "You'll have a whole week to recover from this hangover." She's wearing a tight, dark blue, sequin dress and black heels. Unlike me, Alice loves to go clubbing. She already has the rest of her night planned out the same way I do. Whereas I'll be home, drinking water and trying to sober up before going to bed, Alice will be shaking her ass at whatever new club opened up downtown. I never know who she goes out with but I know she has more than enough friends to take. I'm just glad she is okay with just drinking at a bar with me. That being said, the shots have to stop.

My tolerance level is nowhere near what it used to be and I'm slightly nervous that I'll get blackout drunk before the end of the night. I've already drank more than I usually do. I can't be hungover tomorrow during the plane ride. I will be miserable.

"I have an early flight, maybe we should stop after these shots." I know my cheeks are burning from the other two drinks I have worked on. It also doesn't help that my hair is down. It feels extra thick and frizzy today. I wish I remembered a hair tie.

"You can sleep during the plane ride!" She pouts.

The waitress comes back with our shots and we take them back-to-back.

Okay, that's enough for me. Any more and I'll be on the verge of puking my guts out all night. The bar lights are starting to swing back and forth, or maybe it's me. Either way, not a promising end to my night.

"I have to be in bed by the next hour." I ask for the check and give the waitress my card.

"Grace! I know you make decent money, but I'm the one making lawyer money." Alice tries to take my card from the waitress but we both bicker until the waitress offers to split the check down the middle to appease us both.

"I asked you out tonight!" Alice's cheeks are a pretty pink but her night is just starting.

This is usually how my night typically ends. As long as she doesn't pressure me to drink, I don't mind going out with Alice. She's a happy drunk and is never sloppy. She makes me feel like I'm one of her favorite coworkers since she rarely drinks with others. I really appreciate our friendship. She manages to find a way to lower my guard and actually gets me to relax, which is refreshing. She's also not so bad to look at.

Uh oh, I'm really feeling these drinks.

"I will see you in a week." After signing the bill, I lean over to kiss her cheek as a goodbye.

She leans back to look at me and her gaze falls to my lips.

I've never done that before. Alice is more of the touchy, feely friend that pats my hand and pushes my hair out of my face, and hugs me for too long. I've never initiated physical touch unless it was a quick hug to say hi or bye. A kiss, even if on the cheek, is a line we've never crossed.

She giggles and kisses my cheek. "I like that."

My ears burn and I give her a rushed hug before leaving.

The walk back to my place is filled with guilty thoughts of Alice. She doesn't know I'm into girls, I'm sure she suspects it but I've never offered the information and she's never asked. I've always wondered what she'd do once I confessed but my fear of losing my only friend at the moment is far too great. I shouldn't have drunk so much.

Is it just me or is she looking much more beautiful? She looked pretty in her dress. Maybe I should have taken her up on going out dancing tonight. I look down at my plain t-shirt, jeans, and sneakers. Definitely not club-appropriate attire. I wouldn't do her the disservice.

I decide to pause all thoughts of Alice in my head when I walk through my front door. No need to agonize over my inappropriate feelings for my friend. I already feel a headache forming from all those drinks. It takes less than three seconds for my mind to fall back on her. So, what if she knows I may have some feelings for her? She didn't seem to mind my kiss. She said she liked it. I think I'm fine. I mean, she did kiss me back. My hand comes up to brush my cheek.

I drink a large glass of water before getting ready for bed.

***

Bullets start raining all around me, flying through the wood, glass, and cement that is meant to be my safe haven.

My body reacts without thought and I'm rolling off my bed onto the floor in an instant.

After crawling under my bed, I search for the location of the shooter. Shooters, I mentally correct myself. I hear car alarms going off outside, people yelling, and dogs barking. I'm bombarded with sensory overload. Pointedly ignoring the glass in my hair, my mind jumps to the most coherent thought since waking up: Who and why? It can't be who I think it is because they have left me alone for some time now. What the hell have I done to deserve this? Who hates me this much? The bullets keep coming, as if one isn't enough to do the trick. My adrenaline spikes even further. The ringing in my ears is secondary to the pulsing of my heart. They're coming from the right window. I push away from that side of the bed and focus on my breathing.

I'm on my knees and in my closet in the blink of an eye.

Completely wide awake now.

The guns all stop at the exact same time.

They're reloading. Waiting for their next signal.

My hands shake as I gather my ID, money, passport, and the bag I packed for my trip. My phone light works well enough to look through different shoes until I find the ones I'm looking for. I turn it off and take out my burner phone from deep within a shoe box. Never thought I would need to use it again but I have always been prepared for the worst. I pack some change of clothing, again, clothes that I kept hidden and hoped to never have to see again.

The car alarms are still going off and the dogs are still going at it, but everything else is silent. No more yelling, no more bullets. That gives me mere seconds to get my life together before they make their way in here.

Just as I open the closet door to leave my room, the bedroom door breaks open and I see a dark figure walk in with a gun in hand. They're wearing all black, their face is covered with a mask. I react first and leave the thinking for later. I throw my body at full speed toward the figure and we both land on the ground. I hear a grunt and twist their hand until they drop their weapon. Just as I am about to turn it on them, they do the same thing and the gun goes flying to the other side of the room.

Their eyes land on it but I'm already moving on to plan B. I get up and don't make a move for the gun. Instead, I stand in between them and the gun. My fists come up. They get up in an instant and we start fighting, blow for blow. I go for the ribs, kidneys, and face and they mirror my movement. I get in as many licks as they dish out and at one point I have a nagging thought in the back of my head. Their fighting style is very similar to mine.

That can only mean one thing.

I start landing harder punches at quicker speeds. I need to get out of here. This is much worse than I thought. I won't be able to defeat them as I first suspected.

"Fuck!" They yell when I kick them in the chest and they fly backward.

I'm fighting a woman.

I go for the gun and point it at the figure on the ground.

"Stay down." My voice is emotionless. It sounds foreign to my ears. It has been a long time since I've had to detach myself. Nothing compared to the person I have worked all these years to become.

"Where the fuck did you learn to fight like that?" She sounds pissed. And she should be seeing as she's taller and has more muscle mass than I do. Although I look deceivingly fragile, I run five miles a day after work and still take boxing classes every week. That's not where I learned to fight though, everything just happened to come back like riding a bike. Weapons aren't my favorite but I know how to use them, shoot them, take them apart, and do what I need to get done. It is very easy to underestimate my abilities if these last few years are anything to go by. The new life I built for myself is crumbling all around me and I have to revert back to the person I was before.

"Shut up, I'm the one asking questions." I kick her ribs and she curses again. "Who sent you?"

"You're fighting the wrong person!" She's on her side cradling her rib.

"You come into my house with a gun and I'm fighting the wrong person?" I move backward to grab my duffle bag.

A voice comes over her walkie talkie and she freezes. "Get down!" She launches at me seconds later and pulls me down to the floor. The bullets start flying again and I scramble away from the window.

I crawl to my bag, place the strap across my body and make my way out of my room. With the gun still in hand, I get up, still crouching to make it down the stairs. I hear footsteps behind me and cruse. I knew I should have killed her but something in my gut told me not to. She technically saved me by throwing me to the ground when they started shooting again. That doesn't mean I want her following me though.

I turn and point her gun at her. "Stay here. I will shoot you if you follow me."

She scoffs, "You need me." One foot moves closer and I try to shoot her leg but she moves just in time. "You, bitch!" She's yelling at the top of her lungs. "I just saved your life and you're trying to shoot me? With my own gun!"

"Stay back!" I cock the gun again and she raises her hand in surrender. Her eyes are glaring but she's staying in place.

I leave her behind and rush down to the basement.

"Don't use that exit! There's five of them waiting for you if you go out that way." She's moving behind me again.

"How do you know that if you aren't the enemy?" I turn away from the back door and make my way to the side window.

"What do you think you're doing?" She helps me move my freezer under the window to make it easier to crawl out of it.

"Going with Plan C," I grunt and throw my bag out the window. I put the gun in my waistband.

"Wait." She pulls out a grenade and places it next to the backdoor. "We'll need a distraction."

"We?" I jump on the freezer and look back to see her pulling the pin. "Oh, shit." I shuffle out as quickly as I can and pick up my bag once I'm outside.

She's right behind me by the time the explosion happens. I'm already jumping over my neighbor's fence and running across their backyard when I hear the faint sound of police sirens. I look up at the nearby windows but there is no sign of movements inside. No one is home, all of the lights are out, their pool lights are off. I jump over the other side of the fence and make my way to the other neighbor's fence.

"Isn't there an easier way to escape?" She grunts as we both land on the other side.

"What are you doing?" I keep running, ignoring her question.

"Following your Plan C." She may as well add a 'duh' at the end of her sentence.