“Stop!” I hear in the back of my mind, that gut feeling of ‘go back’ was beginning to hunt me I just kept walking, it was almost a sprint now. I got back to the main road, everything was closed, all but one little out of the way coffee shop. There was 20 minutes between now and when the bus was coming. Walking into the coffee shop I felt something so familiar but there was something so cold about it, I went up to the counter and ordered my small, plain, black coffee while putting a tall bottle of water by the register. The total came to $5.50 I had a $10 he shorted me $2 I didn’t feel like contesting it. I put the water in my small purse and grabbed my coffee, out the door I went. 6 blocks later I could see the bus stop, I walked past two cop cars busting a middle aged man, and continued on my way. Finally I was there I looked at the time for the next bus, it said 10:03, it was 9:59. I sat down and finished my coffee waiting for the bus to come 10:10 my phone said. ‘I’ll wait 10 more minutes’ I mouthed to myself. Time flew by and then there it was the bus, I saw it coming up, it slowed to almost a halt, the man looked at me pulled away from the curb and picked up his speed. I moved to the tip of the curb and looked at the bus to see what it was doing, it was making a U-turn a sigh of relief came over me. It slowed on the opposite side of the street again the man looked at me and speed up, I was furious, I was alone, it was dark, and it was at least three miles to the nearest subway to get home.


I gathered myself together and looked down at my converse, that goodness I desired to wear flats. I looked up past the light I saw the cops again, Sighing to myself I walked over to where they were. “excuse me” I said in a sheepish tone, The taller more bear like cop came over to me “Can I help you?” the tone was deep, “Um, yes, I’m… I was wondering where the nearest subway is?” it seemed like I tripped over every word that came out of my mouth. “Well, here’s what you do…” he explained to me, “go up till you get to the bridge the turn slightly to the left on Lincon street, follow that about a mile then turn right at the shopping strip, then follow that the hole way there, about 2 more miles.” “Thank you” I said and began walking again.


Darkness, and the unknown lay ahead. The lights were dim on the black asphalt. All I could focus on was getting home. I walked passed window after window, every store was closed. I saw figures in the distance, they were tall, as I began to get closer I started to worry they had stopped walk toward me, I crossed the street and kept on my way. I finally came to the bridge, I couldn’t remember if I go right, or left. The choice seemed simple, but I just didn’t know. I took a quarter from my back pocket and flipped it high into the air, heads for right, and tails for left. I saw it descending in slow motion flipping over and over again in the air. I heard the coin colliding with the cement, I found it hard to look down, ‘what if it was wrong’ I said in my mind, ‘what if I get lost?’ I gradually tilted my head downward. Tales. I bent down and grabbed my coin, I turned to the left, zipped up my jacket and went left.


An hour later of walking and I was lost, I had know Idea where I was, I was lost. When I was crossing
the street, I saw from the corner of my eye, lights! I turned in the middle of the street, There it was, I went the right way. I took a step then hear screeching from behind, I turn all I could see were bright lights…


My eyes shot open as I gasped for air, I was home in my bed. I looked at my phone, and in big bold letters my alert said “Concert tonight!” It was a dream, it was all a dream.