ASK FOR ANGELA

Exhausted! Sara had persevered through the semester. Managing her time, she completed the final exams and projects. Admitting the ordeal to be a frenzied, hectic week, that would have been an understatement. The last week of the semester was driven by exams and group projects with strict requirements and deadlines. It was a chaotic finale.

Initially, the celebration was prompted by Sara's friend Nora. The plan was to meet at the bar on Elm Street, The Olde Watering Hole. Sara, Nora, and their classmates were ready to party. Laughing, hugging, crying, joyfully, the coeds toasted and celebrated like there was no tomorrow.

All the while, Sara sipped on her Corona Light. The beer was more of a prop than an adult beverage. Sara wasn't a drinker, but she wanted to socialize, knowing networking presented unlimited opportunities. 

When the party started, there were seven girls around a table for four. After two and a half hours, their numbers had dwindled down to four. Sara, Nora, and two others were enjoying the music and the camaraderie. However, the other two girls were scheduled to leave town the following afternoon for their Winter break. They decided to call it a night, contacting an Uber for their short trip home.

Shortly after the two girls left the bar. Sara and Nora were approached by two unknown males. Immediately, Sara felt uncomfortable which wasn't her normal response to strangers.

In the past, Sara has been told her recall and memory leaned on the photographic side. Observing, the shorter male had sinister green eyes and had light blonde hair. Dripping with charm, he came on too strongly, promising a better life and good wages. Who was this guy? Introducing himself as Dennis, he looked familiar to Sara. She intuitively knew that she had seen Dennis' picture recently. "But! Where?" she wondered.

Strangely, the other male reminded her of an old ex-boyfriend, he drove drunk. She made a bad choice and rode with him. While her ex-boyfriend escaped with a few scrapes and abrasions, the accident resulted in her two months of recovery in the hospital. The accident marked the end of their relationship with the text messages that followed making the breakup official.

Immediately, the guy who reminded Sara of her ex-boyfriend started flirting with Nora.

Conversely, Sara felt overwhelmed, feeling that her mind was spinning. Remembering a recent story that she read in the campus paper, a student destroyed cars with a crowbar and tried to attack people with the crowbar. It could have ended badly, but he was wounded by the campus police and recovered, learning later that a dangerous drug had been slipped into his drink.

Then, in a flash, Sara had an immediate recall of the story that was online four months earlier. The story was in an Austin newspaper online and concerned human sex traffickers. Realizing that Dennis was the wanted person in that newspaper article, she accidentally spilled the remainder of her Corona on herself.

Sara excused herself and went to the women's restroom.

With Nora still at their table, Sara headed to the restroom. In her damp clothes, Sara thought, "What should I do?" Fortunately, Sara received her answer in a place that she least expected. Inside the restroom stall door, there was a new poster. She read, "Ask for Angela? If you need help, if you feel threatened, or if you feel that you are in danger, you can ask for Angela or order a Halo Shot.

Continuing, Sara read, "Our bar participates in the Ask for Angela campaign. Your coded message will alert our staff. Asking for a halo shot on the rocks means you need a taxi, or asking for a halo shot with lime, means you need the police."

Returning to her table, Sara waved to the waiter. The waiter queried, "What can I get for you?"

I'll have a Halo Shot with lime!" Sara exclaimed.

At first, the puzzled expression on the waiter's face worried Sara. Then, she added, "Is Angela working tonight?"

That seemed to register, gaining the waiter's attention. With that, the waiter reiterated Sara's request, "A halo shot with lime. Is that correct?"

Sara confirmed, "Yes!" Before the waiter left, he announced, "I'll check to see if she is here."

Sara whispered, "Appreciate it, thank you!"

Alerting Beth, the manager, the waiter told her what had transpired seconds earlier. Beth decided to pose as Angela and find out what the trouble or problem was with the waiter returning with a shot with lime and pointing out where Angela was.

With that, Sara walked away from her table and moved towards Angela's direction. At that point, Beth introduced herself to Sara, "What is the problem?" Beth questioned, "Why the police?"

Sara explained, "The blonde male at my table is wanted. According to an Austin newspaper online, he is a human sex trafficker.

Subsequently, Beth had no problem calling the police. To avoid suspicion, Beth requested Sara to return to her table and stay calm, reassuring Sara that the police will be here momentarily.

Returning to her table, Sara remained reticent while hiding her nervousness as she waited for the police to arrive.

Finally, three police officers approached Sara's table.

Writer's notes: Thank you for reading this fictional story that is entered into Vocal+ Fiction Challenge. However, the Ask for Angela campaign is real, and it started in England around 2016. It wasn't long before it gained approval in the U.S. While the codewords may be different from region to region, signaling that a person is uncomfortable or in danger, Ask For Angela is a commendable campaign that has the potential to save lives