Ursanthropy
6. Fear

Doreen

Two days had passed, where in the mornings I said goodbye to Vic at the motel, and an hour or two later I greeted Jack at the diner as he walked in with his men. Day by day, those rugged broad men were easier to handle, and by now they acted rather normal around me.

And as it is Saturday now, tonight was going to be the night where I would grab a few drinks with Vic.

In my lunch break, I found the cutest little store where I bought myself a dark navy dress and a jeans jacket for going out tonight, a new pair of underwear and some shirts and leggings to work in, and also some new leather boots. All from the sales corner, but it still looked nicer than any clothes that I had with me at the motel.

I thought back for a moment, to all the riches I had at my father’s house, and thought about the moments where I thought that I wasn’t a spoiled brat. I couldn’t have been more wrong about that! I’m actually somewhat happy to live the life I’m in now, besides the fear of being hunted, but still knowing that hard work is the only proper way to earn yourself some nice things.

Then, when I had walked back to the motel at the end of my shift, I had paid Vic for another three nights worth of money, as I was gifted with enough tips, and told her that I was going to take a shower.

We agreed upon leaving at eleven, to head to the local bar.

Jack

“And I have to pay for it?” I asked Vic, highly annoyed.

“Yes, you wanted me to keep an eye out for her, and this way I might gain some more information about her as well. You wanted this, so you get to pay.” She whispered to me, while Doreen was in the bathroom, in the back of the bar.

It was actually a good idea, as Bertha had told me that she hadn’t signed an actual contract and thus couldn’t ask for her personal information. So, I wasn’t any closer to getting to know Doreen’s former whereabouts.

But Vic spending my money like it was water, was irritating me, to say the least!

“Oh, and you also pay for the discount that I am giving her for the motel!” She said after ordering two big cocktails for herself and Doreen.

I rolled my eyes and pinched the bridge of my nose.

“Fine!” I grunted as Vic stepped off the barstool that was next to mine, and gave me a kiss on the cheek.

Doreen had come out of the bathroom now, and she unsurely looked around the bar, fidgeting with her necklace, until she saw Vic again.

Doreen

This is going to be the third cocktail, and we were only here for half an hour! It’s not that I don’t like alcohol, but my resistance for it was quite low, as I haven’t got the luxury to buy me plenty of alcohol to get myself drunk, the past few years. If she continues to drag these pretty blue drinks in, every fifteen minutes, then I’m going to be wasted in an hour!

Which I can’t.

“Vic, seriously, are you trying to loosen me up a little?” I asked her.

“Hmh, what?” She replied, after taking a big gulp of blue, through her straw.

“You’re trying to get me drunk, so I would spill my beans. But that’s not going to work.”

“Well, you can’t blame me! I only know your first name, and Bertha is making me give you a discount, and Jack won’t…” She stopped mid-sentence and her cheeks turned red. “Never mind! If you don’t like the drink, then I will happily take it from you.”

She tried to switch subjects, but I already figured out the underlining of this evening.

This was all a setup to get me drunk and replace out things about me. And worst of it was, that Jack, who seemed so nice, had put his own girlfriend up for it!

“You know what, Vic? I thought this town was going to be different, I thought this place was going to be good for me, for a change. But I guess I was wrong. Keep the money I gave you for the three nights, to fill up the discount that you’re missing and I’ll be gone tomorrow!” I said disappointed and put down the glass of blue and walked off towards the door of the bar.

I hadn’t signed any contracts; I hadn’t paid for more nights than necessary and I had gotten enough tips to keep me fed for at least a few days. So, I’m leaving.

I grabbed my jacket and reached for my bag and purse, to check if everything was still in it. While looking downwards into it, I kept trudging forwards, as I handily worked my way around the chairs in the bar.

But of course, as it couldn’t get any more cliché than this evening was already, I bumped into this wall. Well, not an actual wall, but one made of man. Of steel.

I stumbled a bit back, hit a man’s chair, of which the man spilled his beer, which got over a game of cards, at which the other players grunted as well. To paint the picture even clearer without further details, let’s say it wasn’t that pleasant to hear them curse in a variety of imaginative vocabulary.

A hand reached out to me, and I took it wholeheartedly to get myself into a stable standing position.

I looked behind me and saw a man, who was covered in beer, get up from his chair and stalked his way over to me. “Look what you’ve done!” He said while pointing at his shirt.

“I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to-

“You’re sorry? You better pay for a round of drinks here for me and my mates, bitch!” The man said secure of himself.

But that security of his when he shouted at me, flew out the window right after the word ‘bitch’, as an instant deep growl was heard behind me.

And if it weren’t for that growl, I would have never looked there, to see who I had bumped into in the first place. I still hadn’t seen the guy who I had hit, and then who reached out for me to get me up again. My focus had been entirely for the group of men, of which had gotten beer all over themselves.

“Jack!” I gasped surprised.

His eyes darkened, his jaw clenched, knuckles white… Well, he was angry, on an almost exploding level of fury.

I guess my thought of him being ‘nice’ just flew out of the window, along with the secure feeling that the drunk man had.

He looked my way and he was keeping in his breath, to make sure that no wrong word was being spoken out loud.

And because he was looking at me, I’m certain that he was mad at me for bumping into him. So, now I don’t only have to deal with the beer-stained men behind me, but also with the mad man in front of me.

I tried to look away from his stare, and even though the lighting was dim in this particular cropped up spot, between the cards-table and Jack, I swore to see a full-grown beard and rougher hair on his head and neck.

Is he taking something to grow his hair? He definitely needs to shave himself more often.

He growled again, snapping me from my silly thoughts and filling me with fear. His eyes had turned darker now, making him more frightening than before.

’I-I’m sorry!” I stuttered.

I had to think fast and get the hell out of this place as soon as possible!

“H-here!” I said and threw the little money I still had with me, on the table.

The drunk man smirked and quickly grabbed it, and then I turned around to snuck underneath Jack’s arm and bolted straight out.

Clutching my bag under my arm, I grabbed both sides of my jacket and closed it tightly around my body to preserve the little body heat that I own.

I wasn’t truly aware of where I was going, but as long as I wasn’t within a ten-mile radius within Vic, Jack, or those drunk men, I was going to be just fine.

Aimlessly I kept on walking on the street, following the closed shops, while putting the medallion of my mother’s necklace back to the front of my neck. In the slight ruckus inside the bar, it must have moved to the back.

While fidgeting with the medallion, following the curves of the silver knot, I thought of what had happened.

I was angry at Vic, for trying to get me drunk, I was angry at Jack for putting Vic up to it, but I was also angry at myself for believing that this town could be a good change for me, for believing in the people that were nice to me.

But I was also afraid. Afraid of Jack hurting me.

He had pushed his girlfriend to the front line, and then looked at me as if I was his next meal. I just met these people and I don’t know what they are capable of. Jack, and all the men at the diner, were all heavily sculpted and clearly Jack was someone to call the shots around here, as he commanded Bertha and Vic to do things for him.

Who was this man, and what trouble had I gotten myself into?

“Doreen?” I suddenly heard Bertha behind me.

I looked around and suddenly found myself in front of the diner. My feet had taken me all the way here, without me noticing.

“Where are you going?” She asked me.

I didn’t know where I was going, neither could I come up with an answer for her now. While looking towards the diner, I saw Erol standing at the window above it. I figured that that’s where they both live, so I just turned my gaze towards Bertha again.

“I don’t know. I just know that I have to leave in the morning. I’m sorry for such a short notice, but I was wrong about this place.” I said while looking at my feet.

I was ashamed to tell her like this, in the middle of the street, in the middle of the night, that I wasn’t coming back to work. And I was ashamed for the fact that I called this small town, where she lived in as well, a place that wasn’t good for me.

“Nonsense! Come, have a drink with me inside. Besides, you can’t leave yet.” She said with a chuckle, while putting an arm around my shoulders.

I looked her in the eyes, stunned to hear her say that. Why shouldn’t I be able to leave? Is she being nice to me, under the command of Jack again? Am I going to be kidnapped and locked up in the diner’s cellar?

“Your car, remember?” She said, interrupting my thoughts, while pulling me in closer and rubbing up my arm.

I sighed with relief. That stupid car! In all commotion I had forgotten about my not-so-trusty barrel!

A/n: Talking about a rollercoaster of emotions! 💛