Chapter Eleven

“Good morning Emily”.

“Good morning too Nora”.

“Am leaving for work, call me in case of anything, okay”, Nora said as she proceeded to leave. 

Later that evening, I decided to clear my mind with a walk. As I walked down the streets,I found myself in an unfamiliar area. I wandered the streets, growing more and more frustrated. 

“Help, help”, suddenly I heard a voice screaming. 

I looked around searching for where the voice was coming from, but couldn't trace anything. 

“Help, help”, the scream continued, this time more intense. 

My heart skipped a beat as the scream pierced the air. A wave of fear washed over me as I heard the desperate cry. I quickened my pace,driven by fear. 

The pathway was as quiet as a still pond, with no one walking around. 

As the screams continued, I noticed it was a kid's voice, this triggered my mind as I thought the kid may be in danger. I didn't want to involve myself in matters that didn't concern me but my mom guilt couldn't let me. 

I imagined it was my daughter Mia, and someone didn't turn in to help her. I thought about the fact that their parents could be out there looking for them. With all these thoughts I couldn't take any step forward. I decided to turn back and help whoever it was. 

I turned and walked towards the the direction where the voice was coming from. As I was walking past one warehouse, “ Call up her dad”, I heard a voice murmuring. 

I stood still for a minute trying to listen to what was going on, “No, call up her mum”, the voices kept arguing. 

I walked closer and pipped through a hole that was on the door, my eyes landed on men, arguing about something and a young girl tied up at the side. 

“We are not supposed to kill her”, one of the men's voice rose. 

“ Kill… . , kill….”, I Stammered

I stumbled, losing balance, I was shocked and horrified by what I had witnessed. I covered my mouth with trembling hands trying to steady myself. I stayed composed knowing I had to act fast, I took a deep breath and tried to think clearly. 

“I can't let them kill her”, my voice full of fear and anxiety, I murmured. 

“What will I do now?" I continued murmuring to myself. I looked around trying to find something or someone that could help me.Suddenly a thought crossed my mind. 

“Police… . , Police… “, I screamed. 

“Police….”, one of them said with a trembling voice, let's hurry and leave this place. If the police catch us, The Boss will be very upset. 

“Yes….”, let's leave”, another one of the men replied. 

“What of the girl”.

“ Let's leave her there and go”, their voices trembled with fear. 

“No we shouldn't”, they started arguing among themselves. 

“I have left, stay there if you want to get caught”, one of them said as he ran off. 

The other two men also followed, running off leaving the young girl alone. 

As soon as they all left, I broke into the warehouse and quickly untied the kid, it was a young girl, slightly older than Mia. 

“C’mon, let's go”, I said as I lifted up the girl. 

Just as we were out of the warehouse, “There is no police, who was that”, I heard voices. “It seems like they are back”, I murmured. 

“Auntie I don't want to go back”, the little girl said, her voice trembling with fear. 

I lifted up the girl and started to run. 

“Hey… ., Hey ... .stop”, the men called out. 

I continued to run as fast as I could. 

“Hey….”, they continued calling out. 

I ran as fast as I could as they continued running after me. After we had run a distance, I noticed they were not following us anymore, I reduced my pace, my heart racing and pounding due to all the running. 

I looked around and noticed we were finally out of the abandoned pathways, there was a busy street ahead. I breathed a sigh of relief. 

“Girl, we are finally out of danger”, I said with a low voice. I didn't get any reply, I shifted my gaze to the little girl and noticed she was unconscious. I quickly walked to the busy street and started calling out for help. 

I carefully lowered down, cradling her in my lap, “Hey.., hey..”, I called her out as I gently stroked her cheeks with my fingers. After a while of trying to wake her up I didn't get any response, I felt helpless and scared. 

“Help….help…”, I screamed, but my voice was hoarse and barely audible, it came out as a faint whisper. 

“Somebody help me…”, I felt too depleted to produce more than a faint cry. 

Tears streamed down my face, desperate for someone, anyone  to hear my pleas. 

“Help! , I continued, with a faint voice, barely audible, “someone help us please”, I cried out. 

As I sat there with the girl on my laps, crying and pleading for help. A small crowd began to gather around me and gentle voices asked “Hey what's wrong?”, “Are you okay”, I looked up, my eyes red and puffy. I tried to explain but my words tumbled out in a jumbled and tearful mess. 

“Yes…”, I Stammered, “the little… girl…, she needs to be rushed to the hospital please”

A gentleman came forward, went on his knees and touched the girl on her forehead, “Her temperature is high, she needs to be taken to the hospital now”.

“Yes!”, I nodded in acceptance. 

 He quickly took out his phone and dialed, ”Hello!”, we have an emergency around the 11th street, please hurry”, he said, his voice low and serious. 

Within a blink of an eye, the ambulance arrived, a nurse came and held the little girl and took her  towards the ambulance. 

“Please come along mum”, she said as she led the way. 

As I stood up to follow her, suddenly the faces around me blured and faded, sounds grew more distant. My vision tunneled, darkness closing in.