Chapter 6

23:00 - Streets of Campo Grande

"How cold!" Only 5 minutes passed since she left the bar and Luciene already felt the temperature drop and the cold settle in her bones.

She left her car at her mother's house after returning with her and Matheus from the hospital. If something happened during the night, her brother could take Suely to the doctor without having to wait for a driver.

I hope she doesn't have to, but if mom goes to the hospital again, I wish Dr. Francisco were there. He's one of the few kind doctors in that place. The rest were all gross, for God´s sake. She thought of remembering how the doctor took care of his mother, being quick and attentive, without losing his friendly smile. It was even reassuring.

However, her mother living alone and even more without a car was no good. She already said that it would be nice to have a car at home in case she needed it or if there was an emergency like today, but her mother always says that she doesn't have to, that she can ride her bicycle anywhere and a car will only take up space and add dust.

She knows how to drive, can have one, and needs it, but she doesn't want a car! This drives me crazy!

‘If anything happens I ask for help to Valdete or Linda’ and ‘Don’t worry about those little things, darling.’ Were phrases that Mrs. Suely always said. She was very close to her neighbors, Valdete lived on the right with her husband, Mr. César, and a little boy who loves to talk called Marcos, and on the left lived Linda and Mr. Amaral.

They are two nice couples, which Mrs. Suely liked to talk to and help with. She often took fruit when the trees were in the time to give them and she exchanged recipes with the ladies. She was esteemed by the four, and little Marcos even called her Grandma Su.

But, even with their help, some unexpected situation could happen, and thinking about her mother alone in that house worried Luciene a lot. Not that a car would help a lot in that case too, oh, what should I do? And my mother would never want a stranger in the house...

Strong wind hit her face and pulled her out of her thoughts, making her shiver from head to toe.

When she got home from the hospital, in the early evening, she hurried out to met the team, - Luciene didn't want to make them wait so long after she told them at the last minute that she was going - she just took a quick shower, got the first clothes she saw in the closet: a blue loose spaghetti strap top, her beloved black pants, a small heeled sandal. And left.

“I knew I was forgetting something. I still looked at the jacket on the couch, but he didn't even look back.” Luciene lamented to herself softly, rubbing her hands together. Now I can only freeze until I get home.

Although tired, Luciene loved to walk into the night, so she didn't bother to call a car when she left the restaurant.

Even though the cold breeze, characteristic of early autumn, caught her off guard on the main avenue. She almost regretted not accepting that Victor would leave her at home.

Walking down the sidewalk, she watched the movement of people on the street.

It was Friday night, many people still circulated in the commercial area of the city, the last customers left stores that were closing, some entered restaurants and bars, one or another in party house and karaoke - they had become popular today with the increase in search for Asian culture - and other establishments.

Some places had large facades with innovative concepts or suggestive invitations with their main products, others had colorful signs with led lights or neon lavishing unmissable promotions for a single day that last all month.

It looks like a new player has entered. A high-class development down the street that has been drawing attention for the past week. Who knows if it will be a total success, unlike so many others.

Luciene released her hair, which had been tied in a high bun. The loose curls fell over her shoulders and back, blocking some of the wind and heating her neck. The tactic was learned on the freezing nights of Monte Nebula, the city where she grew up and graduated, which was quite different from Campo Grande.

Being a coastal city, one could imagine that Monte Nébula would be large and well developed, with a large stratified population and consequently other things like high social inequality, violence, and all the things that stem from them, but that city was a little out of the standard.

It was a small and lovely port town north of the capital that looked like a country town. Of course, it had a mall, a university, a shopping center, some tall buildings, and other things, but the population was very interior style.

Everyone knew each other, people stayed at the door chatting and talking about life, with emphasis on the lives of others, there wasn't much violence, the children played on the street without so much addiction to cell phones, with a certain threat from their parents, of course.

It was a quiet city where the sea breeze always blew cool and you could hear birds in the sky and, in the stillness of the morning, if you were close enough and helpful to bake attention, you could hear the sound of the waves crashing against the breakwater.

There were many times that Luciene strolled in the winter - in a coat - watching the sunset on the shore illuminated by the last rays of sunlight, and many - warm - dawns that walked through the park near her house on summer nights.

Sometimes, under a clear sky full of stars and sometimes in the rain, that could go from a drizzle to flood in a few minutes. She has come home soaked many times when she was younger because of the city's bipolar climate.

But she was never a fan of the cold. Even more so when combined with strong gusts of wind that clung to her spine.

Why haven´t they invented teleportation yet? It was going to reduce traffic, pollution, nobody was going to be late, nor need to be cold! Not that I would have the money to buy one, it probably be a fortune... she kept walking fast with her daydreams.

Sometime later, facing the head-on wind, Luciene finally reached the point where she would enter the intersection and could let the city's architecture protect her.

She crossed the strip and entered the avenue on the right, with the wind finally blocked.

She just had to cross the park at the next exit and with two more streets, she would get home, take a hot shower, wear a sweatshirt and a sock and sleep until noon tomorrow.

With a feeling of anxiety to get home, Luciene quickened her pace as she thought about the past week and what she would do next.

The presentation had already been made, preparations for the project would only start in a month, all documents and spreadsheets were organized and she had nothing scheduled until Thursday.

For now, it was just resting and monitoring customer feedback at work. She would have more time to see her mother, too. Maybe she'll sleep over there a few nights. I miss having coffee together and talking. It has been so busy the last few months that I almost couldn't go there.

The light of the moon and stars could be seen in the depths of the park, where artificial lighting did not reach. Some bats flew among the trees and even an owl could be heard in the distance.

There weren't many cars driving around at that hour, so the street was deserted. This park always looks mysterious at night. And the dew leaves the earth with the smell of rain. It's soothing, even if the light doesn't reach some areas, it's a cozy mood...

Feeling the environment, Luciene slowed her step a little and enjoyed the warm feeling of the park, even the light breeze that hit her back seemed less cold. I think I lost the touch, I'm not even feeling that cold anymore.

The park was extensive. Almost three blocks long, running parallel to Oceania Street, the union of leafy trees and thousands of flowers, which now slept, contrasted with the set of high-level condominiums across the street.

Approaching the end of the path, she passed behind the flower stand on the park's sidewalk. But in the silence, Luciene heard something cracking in the distance.

The sound of branches breaking and leaves being shaken approached and picked up speed getting higher and higher, towards her.

Her mind went blank for an instant. She stopped walking and looked confused at the darkness of the park. It looked like an animal running through the trees, but the sound was so strong that it couldn't be a small animal. "What the hell?"

The source of the sound was ahead of her.

The great shadow blocked the moonlight and she was the goal.