When she just realized that she was being a stranger in a strange land, it was already too late.
When she was walking towards the university, she felt that the people on the streets were way less than usual. Have all the students already left for home for the holidays?
Jenny didn’t believe that, she thought there must be people left who stayed back.
But when she arrived on campus, it was like she thought, everything was empty, even when she went to the library, which was usually packed, she barely saw a soul.
Jenny sighed, this must be the power of vacations.
It seemed that she was the only one left walking on campus, having her lunch alone, even Wendy, who was almost always by her side, has gone back to China for the holidays.
During Thanksgiving, Jenny has barely left her room, all she did was studying, and working on her computer.
She was living alone, cooking alone, eating alone, cleaning alone, she almost forgot the time, forgot the existence, forgot about her past that she hasn’t forgotten yet.
She had a sense of security when she was being alone, but also a sense of loneliness. It made her get used to the things she couldn’t get used to so far.
At night, when she was getting bored, she started missing Wendy, who was usually with her during those times.
She turned on her computer and played music on it, the song was “My Love” by Westlife.
The song was echoing in her room.
It was as if they were singing about Jenny’s feelings at that moment, about the empty streets, the empty rooms, the empty heart, her all alone surrounded by loneliness.
…
At the same moment, James was working in the hospital, even thought his father had threatened him with the hospital, but he still allowed him to keep working there. He knew his son was a talented doctor, it would be a waste to not let him work there.
In the on-call room there was simply a bunk bed, a simple wooden desk, and a small bathroom on the side.
The computer was on the desk, and the cup of instant noodles beside it, that he had just finished.
James has finished a day full on surgery, more than ten hours did it go, when the patient was pushed out of the OR he was still unconscious, both eyes closed.
Since then, James has been in the on-call room, he was on the chair, and knocked out.
Then he suddenly woke up, he remembered that he had not called Jenny yet. Just as he was about to dial her number, he got message about the patient waking up. He had no choice but to hang up the phone, and said to himself to call her afterwards. He hurried to the ward.
…
Jenny was thirsty and wanted to boil some water to drink, but her boiler was somehow broken, so she took some coins and went down to grab some water from the store.
It was already nighttime, and the already empty streets were even more quiet than during the day. Jenny was a little frightened by it, and pulled her jacket closer to her body, praying to get to the store faster.
In her ear were the sounds of wind and leaves, but suddenly she saw a shadow behind herself. Jenny started to shake, thinking maybe it is just someone also on their way to the store. She still tried to keep away from him.
The person got closer and closer to her, Jenny was just going to run away when she felt a small knife on her stomach. This was even scarier than the first time she was kidnapped, the guy in front of her was a stranger who was staring at her with evil eyes.
Jenny had cold sweat running down her face, she swallowed carefully.
“What do you want?”
The adrenaline was running through Jenny’s body, she smelled the alcohol in the man’s breath and suddenly felt sick by it.
“Money!” The guy yelled, his voice echoed on the streets, but there was no one else.
Jenny went through all of her pockets, trying to gather money, but all she had was the few dollars she wanted to buy water with.
“Fuck, are you kidding me?”
“No, no, no, I just came out to buy water with this money, if you want money, I can get it for you, please don’t hurt me, please.”
Jenny was so scared that her voice started to tremble as well, she was thinking, that if she died here tonight, she would probably only be found tomorrow.
“If you don’t have money, then you can give me your body.”
The guy said, and pushed Jenny to the floor, he was laughing dirty.
Jenny’s head went blank, all she could do was to try and resist.
But the guy didn’t think that she was so strong when she tried to get him off herself. His face was scratched by her nails, and it started to bleed heavily, and her feet had hit him a couple of times as well.
“Go screw yourself, dirty son of a whore!”
The guy was so angry, he took his knife and aimed for Jenny’s chest.
Jenny was scared and tried to get away from the knife. But it hit her left arm, and went through her jacket. The blood was soaking her clothes.
Her resistance has only gotten the man madder than he already was. He stretched out his arms and got ready for another hit.
Horrible pain shot through Jenny’s body, she was watching the guy take another hit towards her.
She lifted her feet and aimed for his private parts.
The man started to scream out in pain, held his hands in between his legs, and fell down to the ground.
Jenny thought she could use this chance to run away, her right hand holding the injured part of her arm, trying to get herself to stand up, and running towards her house.
But she had not gotten far, when the guy stood up again. Jenny got so scared that her feet could barely hold her. Her need to survive helped her to move forward. She knew if he got her again, she would die right there.
“Help… Help!”
Jenny was yelling while she ran, hoping there would be someone who heard her cries for help.
The guy behind her was getting closer and closer, and Jenny lost all her hopes.
He threw himself on her again, and Jenny used all of her remaining strength to try and fight him off.
In that moment, she felt his weight lift off her, and when she focused her sight, she saw that he had been kicked to the side.
What happened? Did someone come to save her?
She saw Harold in front of her. Harold has never felt so surprised and clumsy. Then those feelings were replaced by infinite anger, his blood boiling in his body, shooting all the way to his fingers, he could not bare this situation.
He ran to the drunk man and kicked him another time.
Jenny watched this familiar figure, and felt how she was losing her consciousness, and slowly she fell to the ground.
The drunken guy felt that Harold has ruined his night, and took out his knife again, he was waving it in the air, making Harold take a step back. The tip of the knife still hit Harold on the chest though, leaving a small cut on the surface. Tiny blood drops were coming together on the small wound.
The guy was waving his knife again, but Harold managed to duck away, taking a strong kick with his right leg, and smashed it towards the legs of the drunk man.
He felt pain in his knees, his legs got weak, and he fell on the ground. Pain shooting through his legs.
He knew that he could not fight Harold and tried to run away instead, but he didn’t get the chance before Harold gave him another kick. The guy flew through the air until he hit a wall.
There was a sound of breaking bones, and then he fell on the ground again, dust all over him, blood running from the side of his mouth.
Harold’s anger has not faded yet, but he remembered Jenny, who was laying on the side, and went to help her up.
Jenny was unconscious though.
“Jenny, wake up!”