Anarchy

Vanessa's cell phone dances on her oak desktop to the sound of Beethovens Symphony Number Five.

She answers "Hello Ben"

The only sound is heavy panting as feet pound the concrete ground at pace. Her gut signals something is wrong "Ben are you okay Ben. Can you hear me. Do you need help"

"Vanessa!" Bens tone gaspy as he struggles to speak and sprint at the one time "They are here. Run" The line goes dead.

Vanessa freezes momentarily as anxiety consumes her. Her eyes scan her walnut veneered office unsure what to do. Her adrenaline rush makes the simple task of securing her laptop into her desk pedestal a challenge as her fingers struggle to find the strength to lock it shut. A task normally completed with little thought. She fumbles awkwardly with the delicate clasps on two gold bracelets on her tiny left wrist. She whines in frustration. Eventually she removes them and places them in the right inside pocket of her expensive black business suit jacket. She places her hands in behind her silk white collared blouse and traces them around to the clasp on her silver necklace. How she wanted to yank it off but it is a precious family heirloom. Her nervous energy adds complexity to the removal of the necklace. She places it in with the gold bracelets.

She glances down at the rings on her childlike fingers, She doesn't have time to remove them. She stands up from her plush brown leather executive chair and strides towards a coat stand and removes a long black parka coat. Vanessa stresses as her hands struggle to put it on. The faster she goes the slower it feels she can button it up. She glances in a wall mirror. The parka stretches down to her ankles concealing her designer business suit on her five foot two slender frame. She adjusts her black rimmed glasses on her nose.

Her anxiety elevates with the sound of smashing glass. She nabs her designer hand bag off her desk and darts out the office & takes a left out in the corridor. Her pace surges as the aggressive sound of smashing glass intensifies. Even opening the rear emergency door takes additional effort. Gingerly she shuts it. A putrid smell of the city burning fills her tiny lungs. Sirens and alarms bellow from every direction with flashing lights illuminating the night sky. Vanessa leans forward, the nauseous sensation too great and she physically gets sick.

Her heartbeat intensifies, she hasn't much time. She chokes up. Years building up her firm now being shattered with hoodlums screaming with joy as they butcher everything she worked hard to create.

She opens a creaky side gate, leading onto an unlit alley. She curses in silence, the slower she closes the gate the more creakier it seems to be.

Vanessa walks with pace up the alley while she searches in her hand bag for her brown leather gloves. She stops and hides against the wall. Two males walking stop momentarily at the street entrance to the alley. She finally gets her gloves on concealing her rings. She keeps straight just looking at the wall directly across. She hears the sound of the two high fiving and then the welcome sound of their footsteps. She looks towards the street entrance and takes a few deep breaths. Both are gone.

She walks on towards the entrance. To the left is her office. She dare not turn left so takes a right. Her emotions a mix of joy and fear. Joy at making it out of her office, fear at the dangers she yet could face. Sweat pumps from her pours. Her parka and suit jacket felt like heat radiators. How she gags for a bottle of water to quench the desert dryness of her throat.

She keeps her head down and walks forward afraid almost to look at her surrounds. Across the street the alarms sound from a Humvee show room. The smoke from two burning new vehicles on it's narrow forecourt brings on a cough from Vanessa. She glances promptly into the showroom. Masked vandals with hatchets destroy vehicles others spray paint eco messages on the walls. The irony of this and destroying vehicles beyond use was not lost upon her.

She reaches a junction at the top of the road. To the left two rival gangs fight. Between both are the police; their stretched numbers struggle to keep the peace. Vanessa takes a right.

Behind her the sound of sprinting. She turns her head over her right shoulder. A male of no more than nineteen years of age races like a sprinter. Vanessa stands still like a rabbit in headlights. He is coming right towards her. She freezes. He extends out his right hand and smashes her against a pillar. "Owww" she screams, her padded parka provides some protection to her shoulder bone. She leans in tight against the pillar as a male and female police officer sprint after him.

As she walks the deafening sound of an alarm grows louder. She places her hands over her ears. Alarms pound from an upmarket ladies fashion boutique she occasionally frequents. Two ladies in their mid thirties of athletic build sprint out their arms full of expensive clothing. Vanessa's astounding glare catches the attention of the ladies. The blond lady shoves her her face into Vanessa's, knocking her glasses down her nose and bellows "WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING AT FOUR EYES".

The intimidation shakes Vanessa. She feels the blood drain from her face. Her right hand trembles as she readjusts her glasses. She isn't a fighter.

"Leave her, c'mon lets go". The lady barges Vanessa out of the way which nearly sends her in a three hundred and sixty degree spin. Vanessa takes a few deep breathes. She forces her jelly legs to keep moving.

Squawky sirens exalts as they get nearer, causing her ears more discomfort. A masked gang appear from what seems like nowhere and pelt the two SWAT trucks and water tanker as they pass at speed with missiles.

Ahead a group of youths examine their loot from the adjoining cell phone shops. Terrified of another encounter she proceeds to walk briskly pass on the road. She turns her head slightly to the right. Both cell phone stores empty of all produce.

"Oww" Vanessa moans as an empty cell phone box smacks her on the head. Behind two male youths laugh. She walks on, avoiding confrontation is her best form of defence.

Across the road an abandoned red Ford Crown Victoria gets smashed, no doubt an under cover Police car.

A former colleagues law firm window front is desecrated with the world globalist in green spray paint. The word terrifies Vanessa. These people don't like those they classify as globalists and they would include her in that bracket.

"Why didn't I work from home" She asks herself. Ahead is some trouble outside an exclusive bar which fine dines businesspeople. Only last week, she hosted a luncheon for Businesswomen in the legal and financial services industry. Tonight customers are locked in as a gang of five attempt to force entry. A rock is fired through a window. The group of five taunt the customers to come out and fight. A table leg is fired out from the bar hitting one on the head and knocking him to the ground. Two of the gang help him to his feet and move him away. The abuse between the gang and customers continues. One of the guys wearing a death metal t-shirt picks up the table leg and fires it back in. It's fired back out. The sound of sirens quickly gets the death metal t-shirt guy and two others scampering. An ambulance and two police vans stop. Emergency personal attend to the guy hit with the table leg. Two more police vans arrive and a mobile police command centre.

She crosses the road. She prays to make it to her car. Her breathing labours, she worries about a panic attack. There must be more people like her in the city , but she she didn't know where they were hiding and how to get to them.

After the bar she crosses the street again and comes to another junction, again she takes a right. She takes refuge inside the door way of a shut drug store as a mob of at least twenty run past her with looted merchandise. Next three national guard HumVees come to a stop and six armed guards alight from each, splitting into three separate patrols.

She hears voices inside the drugstore and batters the metal shutter with her right palm. "Let me in please, please".
The voices inside go silent "Her gut pains, an indication this will be a waste of time".

She pounds again "Please, please". Again nothing. Her tummy cramps up "Please, please".

"Please let me in" she whimpers but to no avail. With no choice she proceeds. She thought about trailing the national guard patrol on the same street but then she would be a sitting duck.

The national guard patrol comes to a stop. Ahead on the other side of the road is a baying mob outside a private bank head office for wealthy clientele. Two lines of riot police protect the building. She increases her pace as she walks by. Her entire body tremble with fear. She is dressed like a city banker. They would still be merciless if she told them she was a commodities lawyer. She weighs a paltry 48 kilos and is physically no stronger than a teenage girl. It comes as relief that she doesn't draw the attention of the mob. That is taken by bankers inside the building in the upper floors whom taunt the mob by waving dollar bills of various denominations.

She takes another right onto a back street. The sound of scampering cats startle her.

All her hope is punctured when she discovers a shopping trolley smashed through the windscreen of her Lexus saloon. She gasps in horror and places her right hand over her mouth at the affliction applied to it. The front two tyres slit, in red spray paint the words Capitalist Pig are scrawled across the driver and rear passenger door. The metallic silver paintwork further destroyed by what must of been a knife or similar object. The Mercedes Benz and BMW parked behind the Lexus suffered a similar fate except the Merc had its lights smashed and the drivers door looked like something kicked it in. Tears stream down her eyes, the only car not destroyed an eleven year old Oldsmobile. Across the road is a scorched red Mustang. A failed attempt to set it alight.

She opens up her handbag and withdraws her cell phone. She whines in anguish. No signal.

No cell phone signal, no public transportation, no taxicabs. She looks down at her tiny fists there is no way they can protect her. The thoughts of the twelve kilometre walk home brings on a nauseous feeling in her throat.

She walks to the other end the back street and takes a left at the junction. Two police cruisers and a military truck speed by.

A group of hoodlums are vandalising a top end restaurant the other side of the street.

Her quick glance catches their attention. She hears footsteps behind her. Her heartbeat races. The hairs stand up on the back of her neck and her gut pains.

Ahead are two girls in their early twenties smoking and leaning against the hoot of a smouldering police car. One is five foot eight of athletic build. She is wearing ripped denim jeans and denim jacket. The other girl is five foot six. Her appearance is gothic. Dressed in complete black. Her long black straight hair blends in with her clothes and black lipstick. On her right nostril are two rings. Behind Vanessa a shrill whistle sound alerts them to her presence. The two girls start walking towards her. The foot steps behind draws closer. She fumbles in her hand bag for her pepper spray.

"I wouldn't if I was you". A strong right arm tightens around her neck and her left hand easily twisted behind her back.

Both girls tower over her. The shorter girl easily extracts the pepper spray canister from Vanessa's left hand and passes it to the taller lady. Vanessa felt like she was breathing through a straw, eventually the male frees her neck and she begins to cough.

She keeps her head downwards, afraid to look up.

Her chin is squeezed tightly and forced upward by the bigger girl until she makes eye contact. Her assailant's hate filled facial expression terrifies her. "Tut tut tut tut. pepper spray. A little rich girl like you needs a lot more than that around these parts don't you?"

The male releases Vanessa's left arm from behind her back. The chances of her escaping is minimal. Vanessa shakes with fear as her hand bag is removed off her right shoulder and her parka is unbuttoned and removed. The two girls stare in contempt.
The bigger girl bundles chunks of the suit lapels and squashes them into her fists. Vanessa stares upwards, the expression of repulsion on her bullies face terrifies her. "Nice suit businesswoman. Pity I'm going to have to destroy it businesswoman. Just like we are going to destroy everything you and your kind stole from the rest of us businesswoman". Vanessa paralyses with fear.

Suddenly an electric shock vibrates through her brain. She screams in agony as the smaller girl tugs at her left ear. "SHUT UP" . The male recipient clasps his right hand over her mouth, which squeezes her lips right into her teeth. Her agonising screams now muffled. She feels a tickling sensation as the assailant removes the diamond encrusted earring. Vanessa takes a few deep breaths and shuts her eyes in anticipation of the agony to come. She screams again with the violent tug this time on her right ear.

The earring is extracted. The smaller girl places the two earrings next the two other earrings on her nose "Thank you, just what I always wanted!"

The bigger girl takes hold of Vanessa's left fisted hand. "You stretch that hand out flat now other wise I will punch you so hard my fist will go through your little belly and out your back".

With no other choice Vanessa succumbs to the threat and opens her palm out. She whines again. The glove is removed revealing an expensive engagement ring and wedding ring on her ring finger.

The bigger girl lowers down directly in from of Vanessa's face, she wanted her to witness her ecstatic grin "It's beginning to feel a lot like Christmas. This is going to hurt"

Tears stream down Vanessa's cheeks. Memories flashback from Ben's proposal from the top of the empire state building and spending time in Applebees choosing her ring to her wedding day in Maine. First its the wedding ring. It slides along her finger like a razor blade. The bigger girl's face beams in the enjoyment of the torture she is inflicting on her victim. Overhead a chopper hoovers, Vanessa says a prayer it can hear her muffled screams "Ah am hurting you? poor little businesswoman". Next is the engagement ring. The pain more severe, as the ring slowly crawls over the raw damaged skin.

The short girl slides her right hand onto Vanessa's neck and quickly tightens her grip "Now open up the other hand before I squeeze this little neck of yours off" . Vanessa does as she is told. Again the glove is removed. This time revealing another three rings. One a gift from her husband, one from her mother, the other a gift she bought herself.

Her pleas to stop are nothing more that faint moans the first ring shows no mercy as it tears into her skin "Poor wussy businesswoman. This gold and silver doesn't belong to you.You stole it from the earth You're capitalistic greed is your downfall"

The other two rings are as merciless on removal as the other ones. The male removes his hand from around Vanessa's mouth. She draws out a few deep breaths.

Her Relief is short lived, she squeals as the smaller girl yanks at her delicate right fist tightly and pulls up the sleeve of her silk white blouse. "This is our lucky day". She removes the gold cufflink. Vanessa's mind wonders to her necklace. She closes her eyes, its only a matter of time before they find it.

Her delicate left wrist is yanked and the cufflink is removed. "Earrings, cufflinks and fancy rings and we haven't come to your handbag yet"

The bigger girl unbuttons her suit jacket "You're quite a treasure chest businesswoman. You make it so easy for us too Businesswoman"

"Please don't, please" laments Vanessa. The sensation is weird as the bigger girls hand searches through the right hand pocket".

Her hand then slides into the inner left pocket "No please! please don't, please don't" Vanessa sobs but its all in vain.

"What are you hiding in here Businesswoman!"

The bigger girl withdraws her hand and opens her palm up. The smaller girl takes the bracelets and they examine them "Guess what, we are keeping these too"

"Look at this!". The bigger girl plays with the necklace on the palm of her right hand. The male tightly grips Vanessa's puny left bicep to ensure she can't run away, while he examines it too.

The examination and interest in the necklace petrifies Vanessa, she gasps with pain that excruciates in her stomach. The bigger girl stares at her. Vanessa is nauseous, the sadistic grin that stretches across the bigger girls face, scares and intimidates her. The girls eyes a mix of wildness and excitement. Vanessa's mind races with anguish on what might come next. She thinks of her ancestors. Scenarios like this never ended well for them.

Vanessa hyperventilates at the sight of the widening of the bigger girls sadistic grin. The bigger girl gathers the necklace into her left fist. Her wild eyes fixed clearly on Vanessa. Vanessa cold with fear watches as the bigger girl places her left fist above her forehead. The bigger girl slightly opens her left fist until the only thing Vanessa can see is its Star of David twist side by side in front of her bespectacled eyes.

Vanessa's chest tightens as bile crawls through her throat. These days were meant to be gone. She breaks into hysterical sobs.