Guarded

Stacy checked into the hotel and settled in her room.

Walking into the room, she threw her backpack on the bed and plopped down with a satisfied sigh. After traveling on that long journey, she was exhausted.

The young lady sitting on the bed wasn’t just a normal backpacker. The journey she went through, the path she covered, the world she saw – everything she experienced far exceeded the perspicacity of your standard teenage girl.

Seventeen-year-old Stacy was left all alone to fend for herself at a young age. She had seen and experienced the cruelty of the world firsthand. She understood how dangerous and deadly the world could be. In order to survive, one ought to be smart and precise. Being strong would be a bonus.

After taking a breather, she stood up and started walking around the room. From her backpack, she fished out a small tracking device to check for any hidden cameras or threats around the room.

One can never be more careful. ‘Never trust anyone.’ That would be her motto, something she deemed as a valuable lesson learnt from numerous betrayal and traps. With that said, she was a lone ranger navigating through the world by herself since she only had herself to trust. Surviving alone, however, didn’t make her an orphan. Her parents were alive, as far as she’s informed.

Only after making sure that her surroundings were safe that she was finally able to relax. Holding an old photo in her hand, her eyes showing a hint of resoluteness. Although there wasn’t much to remember, fragments of the past still haunt her mind.

Stacy gently gilded her fingers across the surface of the picture in her hand. Her expression was solemn as she looked at her mother’s figure in the picture. The woman she cared about stared back from the picture, her expression glum with unspoken grievances and worries, evidence of age and hardships.

This woman was the only person who tried her best to protect Stacy from the dysfunctional community they called family. That’s the reason why she has a very important place in Stacy’s heart. She knew her mother tried her best to keep her safe but there wasn't much she could do. Women were not exactly respected there and apparently, her father didn’t care enough to give them the time of day.

Events from the day she left was deeply engraved in her mind. The last thing she saw as she was dragged out of the clubhouse was her mother’s face. Never in her life would she forget the agony she saw on her mother’s face no matter how hard she tried.

She then knew that this woman would be the only person in the whole world that deserved her care. She trained hard everyday and waited forever until she’s ready to save her mother from that hellhole.

Her investigations proved that her mother survived all these years. Now, she’s back to the crook she despised the most with only one goal in mind – to rescue her mother and live together happily ever after.

“I’m sorry that it took me so long but I promise to rescue you no matter what it takes, mom,” Stacy whispered.

Putting the picture securely in her backpack, she left for the first place she had in mind. There’s no time to lose. She’s entering the enemy’s territory.

After some walking, she came to the club named Ivory. As she walked towards the bar, she surveyed her surroundings. It had Viper written all over the place.

To the right were a few scattering tables filled with girls wearing too little clothing flirting with the guys. There were three tables to the left. The table closest to the door was taken by a couple making out. ‘Not a threat’, Stacy quietly eliminated them from the list of possible dangers. The middle table was empty and the last table consisted of a group of men playing cards.