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I glance at the clock for what feels like the thousandth time.
The hands seem to taunt me, ticking away each second, reminding me of how long I’ve been waiting at the café.
Hours have passed since the last time I heard from Python, and the once busy chatter of the café has been replaced by an eerie silence that only makes my heart pound harder in my chest.
I don’t know what it is, but I feel like I can’t stay here.
I can’t shake the feeling that I need to leave, like danger is lurking just beyond the walls.
I know he told me to stay until someone got here, but what if something went wrong?
What if no one is coming to get me?
I mutter under my breath, “Keep it together, Astra,” My voice shaking despite my best efforts.
I try to focus on the purring cats around me, but their usually calming presence doesn’t help me at all right now.
The air feels thick with tension, as if even the cats can sense the anxiety coursing through my veins.
I reach down to stroke the nearest cat–a small, black kitten named Shadow–and attempt to convince myself that everything is going to be okay.
But the nagging thought that I’m not safe here refuses to leave my mind.
I take a deep breath and make a spur of the moment decision: I can’t stay here any longer.
As I gather my purse, phone, and keys, every movement feels heavy and tense.
It’s as though my body doesn’t want to leave the safety of the café either, but I know I have no choice.
I’m not going to let fear control me, not when so much is at stake.
Ever since Tony’s been lurking around, I don’t think I’ve felt one moment of peace, but I’m not going to let fear drown me.
I swallow hard and take a final look around the room, taking in all of the cats I’ve helped get off the streets.
I whisper to the cats as I step away from them. “Night night, little ones. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
I don’t want to leave them, but I’m more danger to them here, versus the clubhouse.
Tony would only come in here if he knew I was here.
Not only do I have to protect them, but I have to protect myself.
Staying here any longer is simply too risky.
As I make my way towards the door, I can't help but feel like I’m being watched.
My paranoid mind races with thoughts of being followed and my pulse quickens.
I try to remind myself that it’s just my imagination playing tricks on me, but ever since Tony’s been in Chihuahua, I haven’t been able to shake the unease that constantly plagues me.
“Focus, Astra,” I tell myself, my voice barely audible even to my own ears. “You've made it this far. You can do this.”
With a deep breath, I open the door and step out into the warm night air, leaving the warmth and comfort of the coffee shop behind me.
The cold air bites at my skin, sending shivers down my spine as I wrap my arms around myself for protection.
But it’s not just the cold that frightens me.
