a search for a sanctuary

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𝐿 𝐴 𝑁 𝐸

This is my first time in the city. Presumptuous, I know, to assume I would survive here alone, even if it was just for a night. But, I had to get out. And, this is where I decided to go.

Taking a taxi into New York City isn't easy, either, so as soon as we got into city limits, I bailed, and I've been walking ever since. It's almost ten o'clock at night, but there are so many people out right now that you could easily mistake it for three in the afternoon. I guess that's why they call it the city that never sleeps.

I desperately need a sanctuary, though, because, unlike the city, I do sleep. Coming here at night was a bad idea, I know, but, like I said before, I had to get out. Get away. I can't be with my family right now. They're causing too many problems.

The hustle and bustle around me is easy to distract me from it, though. People brush up against me as they hurry along the crowded sidewalks, talking on phones or with friends, and some of them just have looks of determination on their faces, like they have one goal, and it's probably to get back home. 

I tuck my hands into the pockets of my jacket and quicken my pace, scouring the streets ahead of me for a place that would be open this late at night. It's not as hard as I think it is, because at least half of the windows have signs that are blinking. Being from a small town, I'm not used to anything being open past eight.

I decide to walk for a little while longer, though, searching for a place that really tickles my fancy. I want to find a place that stands out, not to the crowd, but to me. There are probably a thousand restaurants and shops in New York, but I want one that's special.

So, I walk for a while. I follow the flow of the crowd, and it's exciting. It's exciting to feel like I'm apart of something, like these people and I, we're one in the same. We might not be going the same places or have the same goals, but right now, we're all walking together, seeing the same flickering lights of the city, feeling the same wind nip at our skin, hearing the same sounds of traffic and chatter. We are experiencing this together.

And, that's when I see it.

Cheesy, I know. But, it's like a light is shining on this place, I just have to go in. Powering forward, trying my best to surge through the crowd, I make my way over to the door of a small café, nestled into the corner of a row of buildings. The dining area can't be more than 200 square feet, but there are a couple plush couches and one table with two chairs, all smushed together so that there's room to order.

I push open the door and am immediately hit with a wave of warm air, a nice contrast to the cold night I just came from. The yellow lights shining down on me aren't harsh, but soft and comforting, adding to the cozy vibes from this place.

It's empty, except for a woman sitting at the only table, typing furiously on her laptop, and I can see two employees chatting together behind the counter. One of them notices me, though.

"Hi!" she greets cheerily as she walks over to the register. "Is there anything I can get you?"

I slowly walk over to her, looking up at the menu as I walk.

"Can I just have a large hot chocolate, please?"

"Comin' right up," she inputs my order into the machine. "Do you want whipped cream on that?"

I nod in response while I shift my backpack off my shoulder to root around for my wallet.

"That'll be $2.49. And, can I have a name for your order?"

"Lane," I say as I hand her a $5 bill.

"Lane," she repeats it slowly as she writes it on the receipt. "That's a pretty name."

I thank her as she starts counting my change. When she gives it back to me, I almost put it in my wallet, when I catch a glimpse of one of those donation boxes on the counter. It's for a pediatric center specializing in children with cancer.

I put my extra money in there, instead.

I shove my wallet back in my bag, throw it over one shoulder, and head for an empty couch. I decide to sit down on the side against the wall, and, once I put my things down, I immediately unzip my jacket, letting the warmth hit the bare skin on my arms. I let out a sigh of content at the feeling.

Along with my wallet, I also brought my phone, a charger, and an assortment of books for my entertainment. I know I should've brought items of more practical use, but I was in a hurry, and I love books. So, to occupy my time, I pull out my favorite, a book about an agent who has to go undercover to catch a target, only to fall in love with him. You may call it cliché, but I call it wonderful.

Of course, it helps that I've read the book at least a dozen times.

The same woman as before brings me my hot chocolate in a steaming mug before I have the chance to open my book.

"One hot chocolate," she says sweetly, handing it to me with care. "I hope you enjoy, Lane."

"Thank you," I say, giving her a small smile. She responds with a larger, brighter one, before walking away.

I take a sip, even though it's steaming, and, as hot as it is, I can tell you that it is single-handedly the best hot chocolate that has ever entered my body, and I seriously have to resist the urge to chug the whole thing down at once. I use self control, though, and convince myself it will be better if I sip it with my book.

So, I get comfortable and start reading.

Those few moments I had, just me, in this warm coffee shop, with a steaming mug of cocoa and my favorite book of all time… they were heaven. If I died at that very moment, I would hope to stay in that place for all of my afterlife, if it did exist.

That peaceful serenity was interrupted, though. Of course it was.

Because, before I even have a chance to register it, someone is sitting down on the couch opposite mine, and then, suddenly, they're speaking to me.

"Can I ask you a question?"

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