Gears hugged her coat closer to her body and looked up at the old dirty, brick apartment building. Then down to the letter which prompted her to visit her old home. “Why exactly did I ever come back here?” she muttered to herself.

“ Nope, nothing, uh uh, dang it.” Gears muttered as she sat on a park bench and flipped through the days paper trying to find something she could improve upon when she actually started selling that day. She frowned and brushed some of her dirty blond hair out of her face, it was beginning to look as if she would have to make something up on her own if she was going to be able to sell any of her papers. She was so engrossed in the paper trying to find anything to use that she didn’t notice the man standing in front of her.

Gears’ head shot up at the sound of someone clearing their throat in front of her.

“Oh , I’m sorry.” Gears apologized as she set her paper down. “Is there something can I do for you?”

The man looked her over once as if trying to remember something before answering. “Yes there is. Is your name Patricia?”

Gears was slightly shocked how the hell did he know her name? She Looked him over, he was tall with blue eyes and chestnut brown hair that was neatly combed. He was wearing a nice suit and looked familiar somehow, but she couldn’t quite remember how she might know him. If experience has taught her anything its that if you think someone is familiar yet you cant remember from where you might know them then be vague until you can be sure they don’t want to beat you up or kill you for something. Gears looked up at him and frowned. “There are a lot of Patricia’s in New York.”

The man looked at her and then fished a piece of paper out of his pocket and looked at it before stuffing it back into his pocket. “I’m looking for a Patricia McNatt, and I know for a fact you’re her.”

Gears raised an eyebrow. “Oh yeah? How do you know I’m her? ”

The man smirked. “Well fer one my grandmother pointed ya out when she was here visiting me last Thursday and I also remember ya from when she used to watch ya for your Aunt and Uncle. You were the girl who lived downstairs from her who went all weird one day and started dressing like a boy. Yer still wearing those overalls I see.”

Gears took a moment to process this and realized he was talking about Mrs. Lokhart, she lived right up stairs from her and did used to watch her when she was little…now she remembered him. He was that boy that used to come over sometimes to visit while Mrs. Lokhart was watching her. What was his name….oh yeah Brian……wait…he just said she went weird! She did not!

“I did not go weird! I just went to work with my uncle is all! I aint even gunna try an explain it to ya! And these are different overalls then the ones I wore when ya last saw me!”

Brian just smirked and dug the piece of paper out of his pocket then handed it to her. “My grandma told me to give this to you. You aint easy to find ya know.”

Gears took the paper and smiled. “Ill take that as a complement.” She looked back own at the paper and began to read.

Dear Patricia,

I have something here for you from your aunt, you were gone before I could give it to you, I would give it to you in person but I am old and cannot make the journey very easily. I saw you when I was last there and believe you should have this. Please tell Brian if you would come. I hope you will.

Mrs. Lokhart

Gears looked at the letter for a moment and thought ‘Wow not much a letter writer is she?’ Brian clearing his throat brought her out of her thoughts.

“Yeah?” Gears asked him looking up at him again.

“Well are you going or not?”

“Why couldn’t she just give it to you to give to me?”

“Because…she said that it was horribly private and she was told to give it to ya personally.”

Gears frowned she didn’t like the sounds of this. “How do I know this aint some trick? That you aint some sort of sick pervert who’ll kill me, once I get there?”

“I knew you from when my grandmother watched you. You even know my name, you know me.”

“Just cause I know ya doesn’t mean you aint some crazy guy now out to kill everyone ya once knew.”

Brian shot her a disbelieving look. “Your paranoid!” he said.

“It could happen!” Gears defended.

“Could not!” Brian said

“Could so! I read the papers every day I know this stuff happens.”

“Fine maybe it could but I’m not about to kill you. Listen just humor her ok she wont kill ya I promise.”

Gears gave him a skeptical look. He looked at her and sighed. “I wont kill ya either. So are ya going to go or are ya going to break and old woman’s heart.”

Gears rolled her eyes and there was that guilt thing Brian always used to do. After five minutes of weighing pros and cons she finally came to a decision.

“When should I be there?”

Brian smiled “She will expect you by next Thursday!”

Gears shrugged “Ok.”

And now here she is standing here trying to gather up the nerves to go inside and talk to a little woman. Gears took a breath and stepped inside.

more to come...