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| Chapter 1 I went to the bank today. I cleared out my account. I have almost quarter of a million. He never skimped when he gave me money. Most was just a bribe to keep me quiet. I am now at home, packing a suitcase. I�m throwing all of my clothes in it. I grab a backpack, putting some �at my reach� things into it. I grab the letter with the address in it along with my two bags and I leave the bedroom. I go to the front door, but I see him. I guess he decided to come home for lunch today. So I turn around and leave through the back door. I open the passenger side door and throw the bags in. I go to the driver�s side and I get in. I start up the car, put in reverse and back out of the driveway. If I were to go home, I would never here the end of this. I get onto the interstate and I the top of my car is down. My hair is Blowing around my face and I almost feel free as I cross the border of Illinois and Indiana. It�s a beautiful day and the sun is shinning and there�s not a cloud in the sky. As I move further down the road, my old home in Chicago is becoming the past. Only to probably come and kick my in the ass on day. For that I have to be prepared. I know my destination, but I am still unsure of what I will meet up with once I get there. I don�t think that the man that I�m trying to get away from will be there, but another will. He doesn�t know what I have been going through and this is going to hurt so much. Not only me, but him too. I know he�s going to feel for me. I just keep replaying everything in my head, over and over again. When I think about the past, I am filled with rage. When I think about where I�m going, I feel happy. When I think about the future, I become leery (I just had to put it in) of what could happen. Next thing I know, I look at the sky and I see the moon, and not the sun anymore. The clouds are replaced with stars. It�s a beautiful night and I want to pull over and just gaze up at them. But I can�t. Traffic agreed with me today and I�m pretty close to Pittsburgh. (I did some research and I found out that if traffic is good, you can get to Pittsburgh from Chicago within a ten hour time limit. So she left between 8:00 and 10:00 and got there around 7:30) I pull out the envelope that I know so well. Even though I memorized the address, I wanted to make sure that I got it right. I look at it and hope just fills up my entire body. He lives near Mellon Square Park on Oliver Street. (note to reader: I have never been to Pittsburgh so I don�t know what this street looks like or how it is set up. Just bear with me :)) He says the park is lovely and that the roses are beautiful this time of year. I pull onto Smithfield St. off of 376 and I head for Oliver St. When I reach his street I can�t help but to want to turn around. I�m scared even though I shouldn�t be. I�ll knock on his door and he�ll be so happy and he�ll welcome me in with open arms. What if he doesn�t? What if he�s entertaining someone and I completely ruin everything he has going for him? I shouldn�t be here, but I keep on going anyway. There�s his house. 1562 Oliver St. I just stare and I can�t move. The realization just dawned on me that I�m here and he�s really there. He is in that very house. I laugh to myself as I think of how messy it could be in there. After all, he just moved in two weeks ago. Again I just stare. Contemplating whether or not I should go up there. I should. Like now. But I not moving. I will my self to get out of the car. I grab my bags and I begin walking to the steps leading up to the front door. His front door. I lift my head up in confidence and take the steps slowly, cautiously, one by one. Almost as if I�m afraid of what could be waiting for me at the top. After a few more steps I reconsider turning around, but it�s too late because I�m at the top. I walk to his door and I ring the bell. I wait a few minutes, but nobody answers. Not even a light comes on. So I knock�tap�tap�tap. A light comes on inside the house and I�m beginning to freak out. I hear him unlatch the lock. The door knob turns and the door is opening. I see him through the screen door. He�s just about to open it when he looks up. He starts to look pale. �Joey.� |