Under the Viaduct by H. Anderson (first e reader txt) 📗

“Siri, what are some nearby sites I can visit?” Kaylee asked into her phone.

A list popped up and Kaylee zeroed in on one in particular, the Lower East Side Tenement Museum. It was unlikely that she would be able to get a tour with such short notice, not to mention they were kind of expensive for her small budget, but she could wander through the gift shop and visitor’s center and around the neighborhood. She clicked on the directions and followed the map.

The visitor’s center proved to only make her wish she’d planned ahead and booked a tour. She was able to watch a video about some people who had lived there and the truly rough times they’d faced. She bought a book about the history of the museum, tucking it into her bag while thinking about how long it was going to take her to pay off her credit card. Looking at the time on her phone, she decided she’d have about an hour to walk around the area before it started to get dark, then she’d arrange a ride back to the hotel.

She followed a sign reading “Essex Market.” There were so many shops! She wanted to visit each one and sample the food there, but there were just too many. The pizza she’d eaten before noon was starting to wear off, and she found herself struggling in earnest to make a decision of which of the small eateries to try for an early dinner. Kaylee decided on the Japanese deli, where she got a bento box and a sushi roll.

Strolling back outside after eating, Kaylee intended to explore just a few more shops, maybe get some ice cream, but it had already started to get dark. The cloud cover had been dreary and had hidden the sun all day, but now, it looked like someone had flipped the light switch off. She pulled her phone out. Five-thirty. She clicked on the ride-share app and was dismayed to see that the only available car was miles away from her location. She booked it and decided to explore a little more while she waited the estimated thirty minutes for it to arrive.

Streetlights lit the way, and the sky darkened to a deep black. Kaylee waited outside the Japanese deli for her ride. She looked at the app, her stomach churning as she saw that her ride was running late and wouldn’t be there for another fifteen minutes. She stomped her feet and shoved her gloved hands into her pockets, tucking her chin down into her scarf. The temperature had dropped along with the sun. “I hope this driver has his heater turned up full blast,” she mumbled.

Finally, the car pulled up to the sidewalk, Kaylee verified the license plate and driver’s information, and climbed in. She buckled her seatbelt then pulled her scarf from around her mouth.

“Sorry I was late,” the male driver said. “Traffic is bad at this time of day, but was even worse than expected tonight.”

“That’s okay,” Kaylee said. “I’m just glad your car is warm.” Her thoughts flitted back to the homeless people she’d fed earlier. They must be freezing.

“It’s going to take longer to get to your hotel than usual, too. I hope you aren’t in a hurry.”

“No. I don’t have any plans other than sleeping,” on filthy sheets, she thought.

The driver pulled out into the street and turned his music up without bothering to ask her if this genre was okay with her. He was definitely not as customer aware as her driver from the airport. He was right about traffic though. The streets were slow-moving and packed. It was after eight by the time they reached the neighborhood where the hotel was.

“Mind if I drop you off here?” he said. “I have another gig I need to get to, and I need to turn here.”

She drew in a breath to protest, they were still two blocks away from the hotel. And it was dark. And the streets were not well lit. But he’d pulled to the side and stopped the car, double parking, and the cab behind them had already started to honk.

Two blocks. She’d be fine. Kaylee had barely stepped out of the car, one foot between two parked cars, and the bad-mannered driver pulled away, squealing his tires as he sped around the corner. Kaylee shoved her hands in her pockets, glad that her bag hung around her shoulder, hidden underneath her coat.

Despite her aching feet, she walked fast, her heart rate speeding up and her instincts telling her to go faster. But she looked straight ahead and forced herself not to break into a run. Half a block from where she’d been dropped off, a man stepped out of the shadows of an overhang and matched her steps beside her.

“Why you in such a big hurry?” His raspy voice reminded her of all the boogie-men in all the scary movies she’d ever watched.

She ignored him and sped up.

“Hey sweetheart, no need to be rude. I just want to talk. Don’t often see a pretty young thing like you on this street after dark.”

“I’m sorry.” Why did she say that? She swallowed. “I am in a hurry and don’t have time to talk.” She moved sideways, now walking on the curb next to the street. Her eyes darted up ahead and to the sides, finding no lights or open businesses for at least another block. She silently cursed the driver who had dropped her off on such a dark street.

The guy grabbed her arm and pulled her toward him, his face close enough to hers that she could smell his fetid breath. “Now, be nice. Smile. I ain’t gonna hurt you.” The glint in his eyes and sneer on his lips spoke otherwise.

Kaylee tried to jerk her arm out of his grasp, but his hold on her was tight. “Let go!”

“How about we go back here in this little alley