Little Black Book

Little Black Book

Chapter 1:

Hannah opened her eyes as she felt a wave and of fear, she grown a custom to settle into the pit of her stomach. Every day upon awakening the chaos would return without fail. She knew she needed to go get as far away from here as possible but had no means necessary. Every fiber of her being was telling her to run anywhere to get away from this life she had thought she wanted.

Has her eyes adjusted to the room she could see the remnants from the party from the night before. Dirty glasses littered every surface of her tiny apartment as the smell of stale beer and cigarettes stung her nostrils. Her escape from reality had only lasted a few hours and she knew she would dearly pay for last night’s wild endeavors by the undeniable thumping inside of her head and the nausea settling coming in relentless waves of reminder. For now, she didn’t have time to deal with this she knew she had to get to work.

Hanna splashed some water on her face, jumped into some clean clothes and smoothed her hair out before running out the door.

She was rushing to work her mind was racing about the night before. The guys I just got home from work and gobbled up all the food she had made for dinner. Everyone had started to arrive, and they were 2 bottles of wine in. They’re living arrangements were complicated to say the least. Josh was her on again off again boyfriend. Josh was tall thin and dangerously handsome and always sarcastic and broody. He always had some off the cuff smart ass thing to say. He was the polar opposite of Hanna. He was terrible for her, but he loved her and made her feel safe. He also never judged her wild moods and at times even crazier actions that were perpetuated by their fast-past lifestyle. Both of them came from what you could only call a broken home which created a bond in them that no matter what happened they would manage to find their way back to each other.

Nick was their friend and flat mate who she had grown increasingly close to. He was funny charming and always in a good mood unless you pressed his hair trigger temper that he had to work around the clock to supress.

Both of these men were wild cards with as questionable pasts as her own, but she knew what made them tick, how to talk calm them down but mostly how to take care of them both and the loved her for it. They were a bunch of misfits living under the same roof. Each of their checkered pasts so interwoven with each other’s.

Chapter 2

Everything seemed so fragmented and Hannah’s thumping head. As she was about 100 m away from the restaurants parking lot an older looking man grabbed clamped down onto her arm and said, “Hannah Bloom?” She gulped and nodded. “Officer Goodwin come with me” as he motioned her towards an unmarked car. Apprehensively she got in. “You are currently living with two men who are under investigation for distribution of illegal narcotics” his gruff voice huffed out.

“Are you aware that the two men you are living with are dealing narcotics for some really dangerous people and that not only are you at risk, but their lives are as well?”

“Pardon me” she said trying to look for doe eyed and play stupid with the officer. “I have no idea what you’re talking about”. I have never seen either of them use or give anyone drugs.” Also, she chimed they both have fulltime work so I am not sure how either of them would find the time.” The cool methodical lie slipped right off her tongue.” Her innocent looking and childish demeanor had got her out of so many precarious situations, but she wasn’t sure this is was going to be one of them. Officer Goodwin’s eyes squinted trying to read her face. “Let me level with you”. I will make an arrangement with you he said. “Bring me concrete evidence by the end of this week and I will pay you $20,000 in unmarked bills he said. “A girl like you could really use this money to start her life over. This is not the sort of situation a lady like yourself should be living in”. This comment infuriated her he didn’t know a damn thing about her or her life. He wanted her to throw them under the bus and fast. “she looked at him square in the eye and said, “I honestly don’t know what you are talking about” Am I free to go or are you arresting me? I have to get to work. “Well Hannah just think about what I said the offer expires Friday you have until then”. She wanted out but not this way.

He opened the door and she got out slowly unsure her feet wouldn’t wobble from all the adrenaline and mixed emotions pumping through her blood. She tried to act collected as she walked across the parking lot to work.

A memory from Earlier when she been searching for something and in the house Joshua’s bag spilled off the chair. she came across what she had initially thought was something for her and it turned out to be a bag with a black book which had strange names dates times and numbers written beside it. The bag also bullets in it. She remembered how panicked she felt. Had Josh gone back to selling drugs or was he in danger? She thought his party boy lifestyle that included all the hard stuff had died when they got together. He had cleaned up and she had told him it was drugs or her and he had chosen her. Or at least up until the last few months he had. He had been distant and really short, but she did not see this coming. Nick must have charmed him into thinking it was a good idea, or that it would give them all a better life. He was a hustler and always wanted more. Instinctively she tucked everything back in and returned to the living room as though nothing had happened. Her mind racing and with questions she was to afraid to hear.

Chapter 3

As Hannah approached her apartment door after work, she could already hear loud music and voices filling the hallway. She needed to get the guys alone and quickly without causing too much distraction just to be safe.

The house was full of people again loud drinking and most of whom she did not know but now instead of seeing them as guests to have a great night with she felt like they were invaders.

She scoured the room for Josh’s bag it wasn’t there, so she went to the bedroom to look for it.

It was in the closest this time she went into it found the black book and ripped out all the information with numbers dates and times. Hannah found a pen and scribbled in his book on a blank page if I could find this so easily so could they. She heard footsteps approaching so she shoved the loose papers into her purse. Her hands shaking.

“Come join the party” Nick said as the bedroom door swung open. She turned around and they could both see a look of panic on her face. “What is wrong? Hannah Josh asked. She didn’t want to lie to them, but she had to.

“Oh, nothing we just ran out of drinks, so I am going to go grab more at the store” Rough day at work. You want some company Josh asked. “No, she said I need to clear my head”. Her hugged her tight and kissed the top of her head. “Ok well hurry back it’s never any fun without you Nick chided. Hannah choked back tears. She was a mixture of gutted and angry that Josh chose this life over her again.

Hannah headed out the door realizing she had to leave now and not look back. She knew if she stayed the fate that would await her with these two guys she had grown to love so much. She did not want to be a part of their demise or to watch it either. She wanted a better life not just for herself but them to. She could not go down with this sinking ship. By this time hot tears were flooding down her face. She walked out into the night air making her way to the bus station. In an alley along the way she took the crumpled pages out of her purse and lit them on fire. Thinking to herself if she burned the evidence perhaps there would not be proof, and she could buy the guys a bit more time.

She had $20 in her pocket which was a short a few zeros Officer Goodwin had offered her, but she felt at peace with her decision to go and in this way.

As she got onto the bus headed to Sandiego all she could think of to drown out her guilt of leaving was this is a fresh start, a new beginning no matter what the price of submission was.

Story by Lisa Blake