Free Mind Slide by Glenn Bullion

kid had tried to carry one soda too many on his tray, and Kelly had to pay the price. He spilled one all over her when turning around from the soda machine. Her black slacks took most of it.
    The soda was sticky on her leg, making her uncomfortable. She had traded one terrible uniform early in life for another one in her early twenties. The black slacks weren't uncomfortable, but they hugged every curve from the waist down, and she felt far too exposed wearing them. There were far prettier women that worked at Friday's besides her, so she didn't have to worry too much about men staring at her. Still, she hated her uniform. The obnoxious yellow shirt was an eyesore as well. But it was a job, and it helped pay the bills.
    She couldn't wait to go home and tear off her clothes. She also couldn't wait for the day when she could burn them.
    She waited patiently near the front door when it was time to leave, and triple checked her purse to make sure her pepper spray was still inside. She left with a crowd of people and crossed the parking lot to her car. Creepy George invited her to yet another party, which she turned down. He would get the hint one day to leave her alone.
    As soon as she stepped foot in her apartment she stripped down to her panties and bra and tossed her clothes in the hamper in the closet. She caught a glimpse of her scarred foot and looked away, a reminder of a night that would stay with her the rest of her life. She made sure to lock the door behind her. One of the bonuses of her roommate leaving her high and dry was being able to walk around the house completely naked if she wanted to.
    There was a stack of bills on the coffee table. That was one of the drawbacks.
    She freed her red hair from her ponytail and sat on the couch with a glass of water, still not bothering to get dressed. The apartment was quiet. The only thing she heard was the couple that lived next to her having sex on their couch, and that only lasted a few minutes. After working eight hours in a busy restaurant, quiet was what she needed.
    She was alone at one in the morning on a Saturday. Work was an easy target to blame, but knew even if she didn't work nights she'd still be alone.
    It was a good idea she'd sworn off dating for a while. Her last date was nearly a year ago.
    It was a disaster.
    The guy seemed nice enough. They met while she was working one night, and decided to have dinner. He kept giving her a strange look, then decided to yell in the middle of their meal, for the entire restaurant to hear.
    “Hey! You're the one who got kidnapped a few years back!”
    Kelly's pale skin had never been more red.
    Whenever she felt sad at her lack of a love life, she remembered that moment.
    Countless hours in therapy could barely set her straight after that horrible night. She still woke up screaming, and didn't need a man to complicate matters.
    The phone rang as she channel surfed. She gave the phone an odd look, knowing it couldn't be for her. She didn't have any friends. It was probably for her old roommate. Not everyone realized she had moved.
    She double checked the caller ID to make sure it wasn't her father, saying how much he missed her. Their relationship hadn't improved at all over the years. He still was never there when he needed her. She went through the entire aftermath of her kidnapping alone. After her kidnapping, it seemed like he spent even more time in the nuthouse with that boy Mason.
    He called often now, though. She avoided him as much as possible. Was he trying to make amends for twenty-three years of neglect?
    She didn't care. It was too late now.
    She was relieved when she saw it wasn't him calling.
    “Hello?”
    “Is this Kelly Rierson?”
    She tensed up. “Yeah it is. A little late for a phone call, isn't it?”
    “I'm Officer Tate-”
    She stood up from the couch and paced. “Are you serious? Look, my roommate just moved out. I know I'm a month behind on rent. But I picked up an extra shift, and I'm making