Renting Ginny

As soon as I entered Anina’s bathroom, I opened the medicine cabinet in search of anything I could possibly use as a weapon. A small but sharp-looking pair of scissors was present on one of the small glass shelves. I snatched it up and slipped my forefinger and middle finger through its looped handles for leverage. I was correct in suspecting that Anina would enter the bathroom soon after. “Find everything?” she asked. I faced her, careful to keep the hand that held the scissors out of view until I was ready to strike. “No. I can’t seem to remember where the towels are kept.” “Oh, they’re right here,” she said, stepping into the room. As she opened a small closet behind the door and went to pull one from a shelf, I dove at her. With her hands still occupied by the towel, I drove the pointy blades into the side of her neck. Anina gasped with shock and dropped the towel, and I ran as fast as I could through the house. I knew not to bother with the doors as they wouldn’t have their keys in their locks. Instead, I bolted out into the garage and flung the driver’s door of the Mercedes open. I fumbled around the visor area, heart beating frantically. The problem was that it was dark in the garage, and so I couldn’t see where the remote was for the garage door. I glanced toward the partially open door to the condo. I saw no flickering shadows or other signs of movement to say that the madwoman was approaching, but that didn’t make me any less terrified. I continued fumbling around, now with both hands. Finally, the door hummed open, and I ran for my life even if it was at a slower speed than before. This time, I headed in the opposite direction from last time. There was still a faint trace of sunlight left, and this made it easier to see my surroundings. I ran along the sidewalk, planning to run and pound on the nearest door should Anina come after me. Out of breath and unable to run anymore, I slowed to a walk and stole a glance behind me. No black Mercedes came racing down the road. Still, I wished the neighborhood would turn into the old, rundown neighborhood it had appeared to be when my father and I were in search of Anina’s place. But it remained exactly what it had been the first time I’d been there. I was determined to get the proper street name this time around, though I still didn’t see how I could have made the mistake I’d apparently made before, despite the stress I was under at the time. I finally reached the end of the block and studied the street signs. They definitely said Woodsy and Cedar. No doubt about it. As soon as I felt I had the energy to run some more, I hurried off once again. Then, as if my heart wasn’t racing enough, the sound of an approaching vehicle terrified me to the point that I thought my heart would literally explode in my chest. But I needed to stop and see who it was. I needed to see if it was Anina so I could try to get someone’s help, or if it was someone else that I could try to persuade to drive me at least out of the neighborhood. The vehicle was now close enough that I could make out a small car of some kind. I stepped off the curb and waved my hands. The car slowed to a stop. The last of the sunlight was just about gone, and I wasn’t standing near any streetlights. Therefore, it was very hard to make out the driver in the darkened interior of the car. I couldn’t even tell if it was a woman or a man until I heard a familiar voice with a German accent speak my name. And it wasn’t Anina’s. “Oh, my God!” I said, out of breath. “Barbara, is that you?” “Yes, it is. It’s Ginny, isn’t it?” “Yes. Could you please help me? I need to get out of here fast!” “Of course, meine liebe, hop in.” I ran in front of Barbara’s car and around to the passenger side. Once I shut the car door, I noticed that Barbara didn’t appear to be overly concerned for me. Was she naturally this calm, cool, and collected? “What’s wrong, honey?” she asked with a friendly smile. “It’s that woman,” I said, still trying to slow my breathing. “What woman?” Now she looked both curious and a touch concerned. “Remember I told you about the woman who hurt me and made me decide to change jobs?” “Ja,” she said with a nod of her head, straight black shiny hair moving in an almost sexy way. “Well, she kidnapped me from the escort service when I went to tell the owner I quit.” “Oh, my goodness!” “I don’t know what happened to my Dad or to Emmy.” “To whom?” she asked, keeping her eyes on the road. “My father took me to the damn place, which a woman named Emmy own,s and I still don’t get why no one heard me screaming as she dragged me down the stairs and out the door. It was so dead. No one was in the parking lot or on the streets. It was like a ghost town. “Ach, das ist nicht gut.” “No, offense, Barbara, but I think I’ll scream if I hear one more word of German tonight.” She laughed. “I’m so sorry.” “No, I’m sorry. Really, I am. Here you are, no doubt saving my life, and I’m being rude.” “Nein… I mean, no, not at all. You will learn when you’re ready to learn, right?” “Yeah, I guess so. Right now, I just want to either go home or at least get to a phone and call my parents.” She pulled a cell phone from the purse that sat between us and said, “Here. You can use my cell.” “Oh, thanks,” I said, taking the phone gratefully. I dialed my home number. “Hello,” said my Dad a moment later in a calm voice. “Dad?” “Hi, Ginny. What’s up?” He was kidding, right? “I just wanted to let you know I’m okay. I got away and I’ve got a bit of a sprained ankle, but I’m okay.” “Got away from where?” Dad asked, voice now taking on a note of alarm. “Are you alright?” “Please tell me you’re joking and that I’m not losing my mind, Dad,” I moaned, despair and confusion threatening to overwhelm me. “Ginny, all I know is that someone came to tell me you’d taken off with Shelma in a hurry because she wanted you to meet her cousin who was leaving town within an hour, and so I took off assuming all was well.” “No, Dad, that’s not what happened.” “What do you mean that’s not what happened?” he asked me. “Then what happened?” “Was the woman who told you this tall and slim?” “Yeah, she was pretty tall and could be described as slender.” “Long light brown hair and grayish eyes?” “I don’t remember the eye color, but it does seem she had light brown hair, yes.” “That’s the psycho that kidnapped me, and she did it again.” “What?!” Barbara cast a look of concern my way as she waited for the light to turn green. “Don’t worry, I’m fine now.” But my anxious Dad had a torrent of questions for me. “What happened? How’d you get away? Where are you now?” “She dragged me down the stairs and out to her car. That was the black Mercedes I pointed out. I don’t know why no one heard me shouting at her upstairs, but then she held a knife to me and threatened me with it if I didn’t shut up.” “Then what?” “I managed to get away for a while and ended up running through some streets until she nearly ran me over and dragged me back to her house. It was the same condo we couldn’t find before.” “How’d you escape?” “I stuck the bitch in the neck with her own damn scissors and then I ran.” “Good for you, Ginny. I’m so sorry you had to go through that. I should’ve suspected something was up but when she mentioned your friend Shelma’s name, I didn’t think I had any reason not to believe the woman.” “That’s okay, daddy. It wasn’t your fault, though I don’t know how the hell she could’ve known about Shelma. I don’t believe I ever mentioned her name to her.” “Do you need me to come and get you?” “No. Remember that other woman I told you about? The university teacher named Barbara? She was the one who drove me home the first time.” “Oh, yes. Yes, I remember.” “Well, she happened to be cruising by and she picked me up. We’re over by the Wal-Mart Super Center right now.” “Are you coming home?” I glanced at Barbara. “I don’t have any plans in particular right now other than just to be grateful to Barbara for saving me.” Barbara flashed a smile as my Dad told me he was grateful to her as well. “You know we should call the police, Ginny.” “Yeah, I know, Dad. But if we call the police, we have no real name to give them because we don’t know this psycho’s name, and although the cross streets in the other direction said Woodsy and Cedar, what if it changes again?” I asked, realizing how silly that must sound to Barbara. But if she thought so, she didn’t show it. “Right now, I’m just thankful to be alive, and after running for what seems like hours, I just want to relax. So, unless you want me home now or Barbara’s in any hurry to get rid of me, I’m open to suggestions.” “You’re an adult, Ginny. As long as you’re okay, you can feel free to do as you’d like. Mom and I don’t need you here right now for any reason.” I looked at Barbara. “Do you have other plans and need to drop me off at my house right away?” “Nope, not at all,” she said with a smile. “Well, then I guess maybe I’ll finally start learning another language if she doesn’t mind the company,” I told my Dad before hanging up. “Thank you,” I said, closing Barbara’s cell phone. “You’re quite welcome,” she said, beaming a smile, “and I would love to introduce you to the German language.”