A leaf crunched. The girl, too scared to move, to run, to
escape, simply stood frozen by her fear. Another leaf crunched. She whispered
hoping to reassure herself “There’s nothing there. There’s nothing there.”
However, her words could not comfort her mind. Another leaf crunched only
louder this time, closer. Her heat racing and breathing heavily she closed her
eyes. Another leaf crunched. This time too close to bear. Before her feet could
refuse she took off. She ran desperately with one thought in her mind: to
escape. Finding it increasingly difficult to breathe the girl stopped cowering
behind a tree. After several moments passed and her breath had returned she
sighed as relief washed over her. She screamed as a cold hand clamped down over
her mouth. Salty tears fled from her wide eyes. The man forcibly flung the girl
around to face him. As she felt the cool metal against her neck her eyes shot
open to see the horrific smirk on his shadowed face. Realising her fate she
squirmed desperately as he leant forward whispering in her ear: “not today
sweetie.” Suddenly she was alone. Fearing that he would return she almost failed
to notice the intense pain that seared through her body. Her hand shakily
reached up towards her right shoulder. Warmth embraced her fingers. Blood oozed
slowly but heavily as her body collapsed against the tree. As she lay there
covered in her blood and tears, the lights came on and Jenny headed towards
make up to be cleaned up.
Only after locking the door to the makeup room and
turning left into the shadowed corridor was Jenny finally free from her
stressful day at work. It wasn’t that she didn’t love her job; she had always
dreamed of being a professional actor and was very appreciative of her luck.
Jenny simply found that the world of show business was not as glamorous or as
simple as she had imagined. It had taken her years to even get the opportunity
to work in a television studio and she couldn’t believe her luck when the lead
actress, who just happened to be her size, had had a mysterious accident. She
was so distracted by her thoughts that they were severed unexpectedly after
colliding with the awkward video editor Kenny. Shuffling nervously he lowered
his head apologetically and murmured a stuttered sequence of explanation.
Attempting to reassure his anxious disposition, she insisted it was no problem.
She always had a soft spot for Kenny. Others felt repulsed by his awkward
personality and nervous behaviour, but Jenny almost felt sorry for the wiry man
who wore his ‘green lantern’ t-shirt just a little too often. Without saying
another word Kenny disappeared and Jenny was alone.
The cold breeze hit Jenny unexpectedly as she stepped out
onto the busy street although it didn’t bother her as the studio had been
stuffy and almost unbearable all day. Passing the tube station, the street
gradually emptied as business men, tourists and shoppers congregated inwards
like bees into a hive. Jenny often chose to walk home as she lived only a 20
minute walk away and honestly found the journey enjoyable. Most days her friend
joined her and they would discuss their day at work or gossip about their
co-workers but, as she did once a month, tonight she had left town to visit her
sister. Although she enjoyed her friend’s company, Jenny had learned to appreciate
the alone time to think about her week. Her thinking time was cut short as a
tiny tear fell from the clouds and landed on Jenny’s cheek with a gentle plop.
Soon her face had welcomed many more. She was not disheartened by the memory of
her umbrella sat at home as she enjoyed the way the rain caressed her long
silky hair. Her thoughts turned, as they often did, to her father. Rain always
had that effect on her. She had been very close to her father as her mother had
left them at a young age and the rain reminded her of her childhood. Memories
of the little girl dancing and splashing in the rain with her father flooded
her mind. ‘You can stay inside and growl at the rain or you can go outside and
dance in it’ he had told her. From that day she had always found being in the
rain liberating and had developed a love for the typical British weather.
As she wandered down the now quiet pavement she couldn’t
help but feel replenished as the rain developed into a savage downpour, fully
soaking her dainty dress. Glancing down, she watched the way in which the
raindrops danced like graceful fairies on the pavement. The street she wandered
wistfully down was mostly empty now as people had fled suddenly as the shower
became a nuisance to their busy day. She passed a bus stop filled with cowardly
pedestrians as they watched, waiting for the outbreak to cease like a mouse peeking
to avoid a cat. Following her usual route, Jenny turned down a shadowed lane
decorated with beautiful views of the nearby forest which she always thought displayed
its true beauty at night. Her phone’s screen sharply lit up, drawing attention
to the girl in her dark surroundings. The message from her fiancé had alarmed
her at first but it comforted her to know he was thinking of her. Her mind
drifted to home and her fiancé of 7 months. They had met at an April wedding
and although he had thought her crazy for choosing to stand outside in the rain
that day, while others cowardly flocked towards the shelter, it had interested
him and was one of the many things he learned to love about her.
As Jenny’s journey was shortening she stopped to take in
her favourite view. The forest slept beautifully and looked especially pristine
as its evening shower cleansed the natural body of its plant life. She truly
loved the way the rain seemed to redecorate everything and showed the world in
a whole new light. Appreciating her lovely day she sighed peacefully as she
turned to continue the last leg.
Quietly, a leaf crunched.
