“You know? This isn’t the first time I’ve sat here. On this bridge, all alone,” Adara said after a moment of silence.
“Why?”
“Because here, at least, I can forget the pain of everyday life. The sound of the water calms me, lets me forget my problems for a moment, even if only for a moment.”
I said nothing more, just blew some smoke out of my mouth. I waited for her to continue on her own.
Meanwhile, I felt a pang of jealousy that she at least had a way to forget her problems.
Which was good for her, in any case.
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“You know, in the nightclub where I work… there’s a guy. A gangster with influence and money, his name is Varro. The worst part is that he thinks I’m his property too.” Adara sighed and rolled up the sleeve of her sweater a little. Fresh bruises mingled with old ones.
“He has tried to ‘convince’ me to become his girlfriend several times before, but he doesn’t understand the word ‘no’.” Adara lowered her head and cast a glance at me out of the corner of her eye, through the curtains of her thick hair. The silence between us became so thick and heavy that the air in my lungs burned.
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I threw my cigarette on the ground and extinguished it with my shoe. Then I looked at Adara again.
I had met people like this Varro guy often enough in my life. It had been like this for centuries, the only change was in their clothing and the masks they wore… along with their degree of stupidity.
A silence fell between us again, interrupted only by the rushing of the water beneath us and the tapping of the lighter I twirled between my fingers.
“You’re an exorcist, aren’t you?” she whispered after a moment. Her voice trembled slightly, but I heard a glimmer of hope in it.
Exorcist, I had heard that so often from desperate people begging me for help.
From someone who knows all the evil in the world better than his own pocket.
And people always looked at me with the same look, one of hope and fear.
Although in her situation I do understand why her voice trembled, for she is a half demon herself, and if I wanted to, I could take her out right there and then.
But why would I, if it wouldn’t do me any good anyway?
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So I looked at her in silence. I didn’t deny it, but I didn’t confirm her question either. Slowly, I pulled out a crumpled piece of paper, a receipt, I think, although that isn’t important, and my phone. Without thinking, I started writing down my number. My hands trembled as I did so. Funny, isn’t it? Even after ages, my hands still trembled at such simple gestures. And they say practice makes perfect… Whoever said that was a fool, and that’s that.
A moment later, I handed her the note. Adara carefully took it from my hand. Our fingers touched briefly, and I felt the warmth of her skin. I quickly took a step away from her and leaned against the bridge railing again.
Meanwhile, Adara glanced at my phone number as if it were an artifact from the past. Such an important piece of information could change the course of the entire world.
Or simply improve her terrible situation with that gangster from the club.
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“If you need help… Or just want to talk… even though I know you don’t know me. You can send me a message.”
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I turned around and walked away slowly. But Adara jumped quickly off the railing. I heard her shoes hit the stone bridge with a soft, dull sound. As she followed me quickly,
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“Wait, what’s your name?”
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I looked over my shoulder. Adara had already caught up with me, and the distance between us had narrowed.
“Lukianos, that’s my name.”
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Adara smiled at me. Then she took a black flyer out of her bag, no bigger than the standard advertising leaflets you find hanging in bus shelters. And gave it to me. The shimmering pink letters sparkled in the streetlights. In smaller white letters, there was all kinds of information about a nightclub.
“Club Inferno?”
I looked at Adara in surprise.
“I work there, and you can often find me there… Lukianos, thanks for being willing to listen to me.”
I felt my throat tighten. Was I really listening to her because I cared about her and understood her pain, or was it just because she reminded me of my former lover?
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I smiled politely at her, then folded the flyer she had given me in half before putting it in my jacket pocket. Then I turned away. I have no idea if we will ever see each other again… Oh well, her life not mine.
My life is shitty enough already. I don’t need any more drama. Especially not drama involving nightclubs, their staff, and gangsters.
Because that sounds like the beginning of an incredibly bad movie or series.
After thinking about it a bit longer, maybe I shouldn’t have given her that number in the first place.
I chuckled softly to myself, because I really was an incredibly sad case.
“Do you still hope that everything will get better someday, Luk? Then you’re just a fucking idiot.”
Out of frustration, I kicked a stone on the way, which flew straight into the bushes.
Well, I can’t change anything after giving her that phone number and telling her she could message me if she needed anything or if that gangster started bothering her again. I just have to start ignoring her messages, and in the worst case, I can block her. Right?
Oh, Luk, you stupid idiot, you wouldn’t do that to her, especially not after you saw how sincerely she believed she could count on you.
Which is also stupid of her, to think that a stranger she only met today can help her. But on the other hand, it is sad to see that she is placing her trust in a stranger for salvation…in this case, me…
Damn…that’s not good…because I can barely manage on my own already…
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