The Distressed Damsel

A story that popped into my head. LaBohem is a strong and independent woman. Her family, friends, and neighbors think otherwise. Can she prove them wrong?

The Distressed Damsel

          I looked around to make sure there was no one about. People have always acted strange around me, but lately it’s gotten worse. Every year it seems to be. I don’t know what’s going on, but I have always been taken care of. Even after I left home.

     My first landlord went easy on me for rent and didn’t even get into the trouble for it; he made sure that I didn’t have to pay the first and last month rent or security deposit. For some reason, all he had to do was tell his boss about me and that was it.

     My parents paid my rent, though I could. At work, my co-workers make sure that I do only enough so that I don’t get in trouble for working for nothing.

     “Hello, Damsel,” a soft voice, from behind, said. “What are you doing out and about?”

     I rolled my eyes. My real name was LaBohem. My parents loved the musical Rent and it could have been so much worse, I know it. Like people calling me Damsel al the freaking time. “I’m fine, Scott,” I said. “Just going out for a nice little run, like I do every morning.”

     Scott Xeta was my neighbor and knew my schedule better than he knew his own. He was kind of stalking me, but it was hard to press charges on the guy. He was more than likely like every other person in the building, wanting to make sure that I was okay. The thing is that I could take care of myself. No one has ever given me the chance to do so. No one will let me do a freaking thing on my own except wipe my own a*s. At least I got to do that much for myself.

     “Right, right. May I run with you?”

     He had never asked that before. I wonder if my parents had gotten to him. They were forever worried that I would somehow off myself or get myself whacked. I don’t know why. I’m not clumsy or anything like that.

     “Maybe tomorrow. I like running by myself.”

     He nodded. “Sure, sure. I can understand that.”

     I walked down the stairs and out the building. I drove the short drive to the park and did some stretching before I started my jog around the park.

     The park was beautiful. The grass was green and the flowerbeds were full of a wide range of colors. All types of flowers. The trees were in full bloom. There was a large lake in the middle of the park. There were geese and ducks. Fish were jumping out of the water. Couples were on the lake in their ranted paddle boats.

     I was halfway around the lake when I looked over my shoulder and saw someone following me; this wasn’t unusual, but I got a bad feeling. I turned my head around and kept going. The foot falls got closer at an alarming rate. I don’t care that this guy was running, but he wasn’t someone that I normally saw at the park.

     Everyone here was a regular. Right down to the old man that fed the squirrels and geese.

     I made it back to where I started and that guy was still on my heels. I whirled around and he stopped. “What do you want?” I demanded. This was stupid. He probably wasn’t following me. I looked around and everyone had left the park. That wasn’t unusual, but I really wished that someone else was here. Just to be on the safe side. “Why are you following me?”

     The man was Asian and bulky. He put his hands on my arms and started pulling me to the small wooded area to the left of the lake.

     I knew there was no one to help me so I leapt into action. I stomped on his foot, used the palm of my hand and broke his nose. I knew it was broken, I felt the bones in his nose snap. Heard the crunch.

     When that didn’t work, I kicked him in the gonads and watched him crumple to the ground.

     I turned to run off and saw a crowd of people. “We were about to help you, Damsel,” one of the onlookers said.

     “But you obviously didn’t need it,” another said.

     That tore it. My name is LaBohem. Live it, learn it, love it!” I said, stomping off. I turned around. “Arrest that man and LET ME TAKE CARE OF MYSELF!”

     With that said I left that park and went to take care of another problem I had. But that is a story best left for another time.