The day had started well enough, that’s what Cynthia had thought when she stepped out of the boarding house. The skies were cloudless and the Australian summer morning cool, a coastal breeze whipping curly strands of brown hair about her face. She had given a contented sigh and made her way to the bus stop with her satchel slung over her shoulder.

The bus went directly to the business district where the court house could be found. Cynthia had lost her visa paper work when she had left her bag on a train and some miserable person had stolen it. She guessed no matter where you went these days problems like these would rise up, it was just a shame and an inconvenience. People needed to learn some good old fashion manners like the ones Mama and church had taught her when she was just a girl.

The bus pulled up to the curb and the breaks hissed. Cynthia shot up in her seat and took her bag swinging it over her shoulder before checking to make sure she hadn’t left anything behind. Weaving around the pole and bounding down the steps she stood by the bus stop surveying her surroundings.

The courthouse was a little ways down the road. Cynthia moved toward it pausing when a man ran in front of her and then around and into the building. She raised an eyebrow wondering what the rush was all about.

“No excuse me or nothing,” she muttered before taking the steps and walking through the automatic doors.

Walking into chaos...

What she saw first was frightened eyes, many sets of them that seemed to look at her with an expression saying, I’m so sorry. For what she wasn’t certain at first not until she saw the man that had pushed in front of her standing her his arms in the air. Another man stood with a gun pointed to his chest. His narrowed eyes found her and the gun jerked in her direction.

“You, girl get your hands up high and get over here,” he barked.

Cynthia lifted her hands and they trembled her eyes misted over. Never in her life had she expected to go anywhere and get herself held up. She was one of the good guys, bad things happened to good guys sure, but never her. She couldn’t even recall breaking bones in her childhood. She obeyed because that was what Ian had always said, do what they say and stay calm, that could be the difference between living and dying.

She stepped over and tried to smile, but her lips trembled and a little whimper tumbled out. Of all the days this could happen it had to be today.