Ch1

The night is warm.  Autumn is falling, orange and yellow leaves are everywhere on the footpath.  My car has broken down yesterday, hence, I had to take a bus home from work.  I am exhausted and hungry.  Why did I choose to be a doctor?  I asked myself this question at half past one in the morning while walking briskly through the park to reach my flat.  I am not thinking straight.  How I wish I had a nine to five job with no pressure.  I have picked the most demanding field to specialise in – emergency room medicine.  People’s lives depend on me making the right decision at a split second, sometimes it is the adrenaline which keeps me going.  Spending everyday in the emergency room saving people’s lives are very rewarding though, it makes me appreciate my life more.  On the other hand, you do get people coming in for drug abuse, alcohol poisoning or worst, flu or back pain.  Believe me, at times I feel like strangling them myself. 

After a 36 hour shift, I made the wrong decision in taking a short cut through the park, I knew I should have stay on the main road. I heard noises behind me, so I wrap my arms around my handbag tighter and keep my head down hoping to reach the exit of the park soon. 

The park exit is close by, I can see a police car outside.   The foot steps behind me are closing in too.  I practically ran towards the gate with my hand in the handbag holding a pepper spray.   The policemen are looking out for someone, roads are blocked.  I approach them to tell them that someone was following me.  They are in position to question whoever is coming out.   A woman walks out, we are all relieved.  It was me being paranoid.  Afterwards, they told me that there was a robbery around this area and they were looking for tall slim man.

One of the policemen offers to walk me back to the apartment but I decline, I have wasted enough of his time already.   It’s only one block away, what could happen? 

My flat is just round the corner, I turn towards the main gate and instantly regretted not having an officer with me.  A hooded figure pushes me into a dark corner, I scream but nothing came out.  His hand is covering my mouth.