khanover
January 27th, 2014, 10:44 PM
The severe weather of an early Colorado summer was rearing its ugly head. The sky had turned black; a soft breeze was blowing through her hair as she walked down Colorado Boulevard to catch the bus home after work. Thunder cracked after a flash of lightening lit up the black, late afternoon sky; however a rain drop had yet to be seen. She flinched as the thunder exploded above her head and instinctively went to cover her head as she ducked down to hide from the storm.
Charlotte Marcelli was a beautiful young woman in her sophomore year of college. She held down a full time job at a jewelry store while also maintaining a 3.89 GPA at Metro State University in Downtown Denver. She was smart, outgoing and had a smile that made everyone instantly love her. Charlotte was tall with long, tan legs that matched the rest of her Italian olive skin complexion. Here eyes were piercing blue against her skin and contrasted with her wavy brown hair that flowed down her back.
Charlotte was very cognizant of what clothes she put on her body, always wanting to look put together, especially for work. Today she pulled on a pair of black flared trousers and paired it with a sleeveless sheer blouse, layered on top of a white camisole. A pair of black wedge heels completed the professional look she was striving for.
She walked quickly to the bus stop that was a quarter mile down the street and across busy Colorado Boulevard from the jewelry store after her shift. She stood at the bus stop that was exposed to the elements, hoping it wouldn't rain. She looked towards the south in the northbound lanes of traffic to see if the bus was approaching her stop yet; seeing nothing she turned her eyes to her watch for the time.
She decided that she had enough time before the bus showed up to go to the gas station at the same corner and grab a bottle of water. Even though the sun was hidden by the mischievous thunderheads it was still blistering hot outside and she needed to quench her thirst. She quickly walked up to the entrance of the gas station and inside the cool air conditioned store. The station was at a busy intersection and the bell on the door was ringing fiercely with customers walking in before the expected downpour.
Charlotte quickly went to the back of the store where the refrigerators were located and grabbed a cold bottle of water and then walked back to the front of the store and got in line to pay behind two other people. She was staring mindlessly in front of her at the cigarette display behind the counter. The older, short, portly, balding man with a thinning mustache in front of her had about a half dozen lottery tickets that he wanted to check if they were the next big winner.
The only clerk behind the counter put the first two tickets in the machine. The screen facing away from the counter told the over-weight man that these tickets were not winners. The clerk put the third ticket in and a robotic voice came from the machine, "Congratulations, you are a winner," the screen showing he had won five dollars.
The talking machine had snapped Charlotte from her thoughts of her day and what she needed to do when she got home. She looked down at her watch, then to her left and out the front door towards the bus stop. There was her bus, doors open, inviting her to sit down after a long work day. She threw the bottle of water on the display of candy and gum behind her and sprinted out the door towards the bus. Charlotte threw the doors to the gas station open almost hitting a twelve year old kid parking his bike in front of the store. As she was running from the store the doors to the public transit monster closed and started its descent. The bus took off northbound without her on it, now heading for her home. "Shit!" she screamed in the parking lot next to gas pump number six.
At gas pump number four there was a large quad cab diesel pickup truck with heavily tinted windows. The truck was occupied by one male driver who watched Charlotte's every move as her misfortune was now his lucky day.
Charlotte pulled out her smart phone and called her mother to see if she was able to come pick her up. The phone ringing echoed in her left ear while her right index finger plugged her right ear in a failing attempt to drown out passing traffic.
"You've reached Carmella Marcelli," Charlotte pressed end on her phone before her mom's voice could finish.
She started walking southbound through the parking lot to Mexico Avenue and turned left to walk to another bus stop. This route would take longer to get home, but was still better than the alternative of waiting an hour for the next bus to show up.
The driver of the truck at the gas pup watcher her cross the parking lot and out of view onto Mexico Avenue before the truck moved again. He pulled the truck slightly out of the driveway of the parking lot. He had eyes on her; this was his chance as she was waiting along for the bus now on a side street. He turned left out of the driveway and onto the street he had just watched Charlotte walk down.
He slowly pulled up to Charlotte and rolled down his window, "Hey Charlotte, I thought that was you back there at the gas station, and it looked like you missed your bus. Did you want a ride to your mom's house?" He said this very matter of fact but his heart was beating out of his chest with excitement.
The hairs on the back of her neck stood up in fright as he had startled her. "Sure, thank you," she said as she walked around the large truck to the passenger side door. Once Charlotte got into the cab of the truck she struggled to make small talk with this familiar driver that saved her afternoon.
"So, how have you been? It's been a while since I have seen you."
Without answering her, the driver pulled the truck into the parking lot of a strip mall and kept driving to the back of the stores where it was desolate.
"What are you doing?" Charlotte had an uneasy feeling that her afternoon was about to get worse.
The driver threw the truck violently into park. The man in the driver's seat turned to Charlotte with a gun in one hand and handcuffs in the other with a large smile on his face. "Don't make this difficult. Cuff your right hand to the door. We are going on a little trip."
Charlotte Marcelli was a beautiful young woman in her sophomore year of college. She held down a full time job at a jewelry store while also maintaining a 3.89 GPA at Metro State University in Downtown Denver. She was smart, outgoing and had a smile that made everyone instantly love her. Charlotte was tall with long, tan legs that matched the rest of her Italian olive skin complexion. Here eyes were piercing blue against her skin and contrasted with her wavy brown hair that flowed down her back.
Charlotte was very cognizant of what clothes she put on her body, always wanting to look put together, especially for work. Today she pulled on a pair of black flared trousers and paired it with a sleeveless sheer blouse, layered on top of a white camisole. A pair of black wedge heels completed the professional look she was striving for.
She walked quickly to the bus stop that was a quarter mile down the street and across busy Colorado Boulevard from the jewelry store after her shift. She stood at the bus stop that was exposed to the elements, hoping it wouldn't rain. She looked towards the south in the northbound lanes of traffic to see if the bus was approaching her stop yet; seeing nothing she turned her eyes to her watch for the time.
She decided that she had enough time before the bus showed up to go to the gas station at the same corner and grab a bottle of water. Even though the sun was hidden by the mischievous thunderheads it was still blistering hot outside and she needed to quench her thirst. She quickly walked up to the entrance of the gas station and inside the cool air conditioned store. The station was at a busy intersection and the bell on the door was ringing fiercely with customers walking in before the expected downpour.
Charlotte quickly went to the back of the store where the refrigerators were located and grabbed a cold bottle of water and then walked back to the front of the store and got in line to pay behind two other people. She was staring mindlessly in front of her at the cigarette display behind the counter. The older, short, portly, balding man with a thinning mustache in front of her had about a half dozen lottery tickets that he wanted to check if they were the next big winner.
The only clerk behind the counter put the first two tickets in the machine. The screen facing away from the counter told the over-weight man that these tickets were not winners. The clerk put the third ticket in and a robotic voice came from the machine, "Congratulations, you are a winner," the screen showing he had won five dollars.
The talking machine had snapped Charlotte from her thoughts of her day and what she needed to do when she got home. She looked down at her watch, then to her left and out the front door towards the bus stop. There was her bus, doors open, inviting her to sit down after a long work day. She threw the bottle of water on the display of candy and gum behind her and sprinted out the door towards the bus. Charlotte threw the doors to the gas station open almost hitting a twelve year old kid parking his bike in front of the store. As she was running from the store the doors to the public transit monster closed and started its descent. The bus took off northbound without her on it, now heading for her home. "Shit!" she screamed in the parking lot next to gas pump number six.
At gas pump number four there was a large quad cab diesel pickup truck with heavily tinted windows. The truck was occupied by one male driver who watched Charlotte's every move as her misfortune was now his lucky day.
Charlotte pulled out her smart phone and called her mother to see if she was able to come pick her up. The phone ringing echoed in her left ear while her right index finger plugged her right ear in a failing attempt to drown out passing traffic.
"You've reached Carmella Marcelli," Charlotte pressed end on her phone before her mom's voice could finish.
She started walking southbound through the parking lot to Mexico Avenue and turned left to walk to another bus stop. This route would take longer to get home, but was still better than the alternative of waiting an hour for the next bus to show up.
The driver of the truck at the gas pup watcher her cross the parking lot and out of view onto Mexico Avenue before the truck moved again. He pulled the truck slightly out of the driveway of the parking lot. He had eyes on her; this was his chance as she was waiting along for the bus now on a side street. He turned left out of the driveway and onto the street he had just watched Charlotte walk down.
He slowly pulled up to Charlotte and rolled down his window, "Hey Charlotte, I thought that was you back there at the gas station, and it looked like you missed your bus. Did you want a ride to your mom's house?" He said this very matter of fact but his heart was beating out of his chest with excitement.
The hairs on the back of her neck stood up in fright as he had startled her. "Sure, thank you," she said as she walked around the large truck to the passenger side door. Once Charlotte got into the cab of the truck she struggled to make small talk with this familiar driver that saved her afternoon.
"So, how have you been? It's been a while since I have seen you."
Without answering her, the driver pulled the truck into the parking lot of a strip mall and kept driving to the back of the stores where it was desolate.
"What are you doing?" Charlotte had an uneasy feeling that her afternoon was about to get worse.
The driver threw the truck violently into park. The man in the driver's seat turned to Charlotte with a gun in one hand and handcuffs in the other with a large smile on his face. "Don't make this difficult. Cuff your right hand to the door. We are going on a little trip."