He felt the cold metal press his skull again.
"Oh, man. I don't have anything on me except this water bottle." Jason said with his trembling voice with fear. He tried not to move an inch, but his body was shaking uncontrollably.
"You fuckin with me, neggah. This is the last time I'm tellin you. Give me all you got, or I'll put a big hole in your skull and then fuck your brain with my dick." This time his voice became much rougher than the last time.
"If you don't believe me… just check my pockets." Jason swallowed, his throat getting drier.
Jason felt the pressure of cold metal move and stopped at the back of his skull.
"Stand up." The rough voice commanded.
Jason stood up carefully. His legs were already destroyed from the 9.8 kilometers, wobbling like jelly under the pressure of terror. He felt a rough hand tap a few times on the left thigh and grabbed the keys out of his pocket.
"What's these keys?" The rough voice asked.
"Sir. These are my house keys." Jason replied with a low tone.
He felt the keys being shoved aggressively back into the pocket. After a few seconds the hand moved to the right side. It didn't pat this time. It dived straight into the pocket.
The hand grabbed the first thing it discovered and tried to pull it out. It was warm, soft, and very sweaty. "Hey, what's this?"
"Aaarggh! Sir! Sir! This is not what you think it is. The pocket… it's torn." Jason cried out as pain burst out in his groin.
As Jason's shorts were old. There was a huge hole at the bottom of the right pocket. The pain made his face red. He tried not to move, but the pain made him crouch a little.
The hand yanked in fast motion and pulled out from his pocket.
"MADAFAKA YOU SHOULD HAVE SAID IT SOONER!!!" The rough voice screamed.
"Sorry, sir. I didn't realize until you grabbed it." Jason replied with his trembling voice.
Hawk tuah
The robber spat on the ground. Clearly disgusted and wanting nothing more to do with this robbery.
"Madafaka, don't look back and run. If you turn around, I'll shoot you." The rough voice growled.
Fear overwhelmed him, and adrenaline rushed through his body. He dashed toward the park exit, his tired legs moving faster than they had all day. As he sprinted past the gate.
[Ding!!!]
[Congratulations, Host. You have completed the running quest.]
[Reward: ??? (Unlock the rewards by upgrading the system.)]
[Pulse Card Balance: $1341]
[Complete the Main Quest to level up the system.]
[Quest Log:]
[Pushups (100/41)]
[Sit-ups (100/76)]
[Squats (100/83)]
[Running (10/10 km)]
[Spends ($1000/100)]
"CLOSE!! CLOSE!!" Jason screamed in panic as he was running for his life. He didn't stop running. He didn't look back. He sprinted all the way through the block, his chest burning, until the apartment building appeared in sight.
He dashed through the main gate and climbed the stairs quickly. His lungs were burning, but not from the run but from the sheer panic.
He struggled with his keys, managed to open the door, stepped inside, and locked the door behind him. Then he slid down the door and sat on the floor, pulled his knees to his chest, and covered his face with his arms.
He couldn't believe what happened in the park, as it was so sudden. His body was shaking, trembling with fear. Replying to what happened in his mind. He was in trauma; he had never faced robbery in his life before. He sat there for about half an hour. After that he felt somewhat safe.
"Aahh! Thank god. I'm still alive after what happened. I'll never go to that damn park ever again." Jason muttered to himself.
He stood up from the floor and went to the bathroom and turned on the shower. He stood under the water for a long time. After cleaning and dressing in fresh clothes, he went to the kitchen and made two thick sandwiches with salted butter and strawberry jam. Then grabbed the container of fresh strawberries from the refrigerator, carried everything to the bed, and collapsed. He grabbed his phone and opened Online Multiplayer Battleground Mobile to divert his mind from the robbery thoughts.
As he was playing aggressively, taking out his frustration while eating strawberries, a notification popped up on his phone. It was a text message from Kaitlyn. He tapped open the text.
Kaitlyn: Hey! So when did you want to do that shopping trip?
Jason took a bite of a strawberry and replied.
Jason: Whenever you're free.
Kaitlyn: Well, My office is only off on weekends. Saturday and Sunday.
Jason: We are already going on a long drive on Saturday. So, what about Sunday? Will the mall be open on Sunday?
Kaitlyn: Yep! They will be open.
Jason: So how about Sunday then?
Kaitlyn: Sounds perfect for me.
Jason: Sunday it is, then. Oh! Don't go to the neighborhood park late at night. I just encountered a robbery.
Kaitlyn: Oh my god!!! Jason, are you okay?? Did they hurt you? Did you call the police?
Jason: Yeah, I'm okay… physically, that is. He didn't hurt me. Luckily, I didn't have anything with me, so he let me go. I didn't call the cops. I just want to forget it happened, honestly.
Kaitlyn: Jason… that's terrifying. Why were you even there at night? Rumors were already spread that robbery had happened before in that park. So most of the locals left the park early for safety reasons. And this whole area is full of bad places. I only live here just because it's five minutes from the dealership.
Jason: I was just trying to finish a workout. I had no idea it was a bad place. And I live here because… well, the rent is cheap. And the metro station is close, so I can get around.
Kaitlyn: I get it. But please, don't go back there at night.
Jason: Yeah. As the saying goes, fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me.
Kaitlyn: Hehe. Alright. Try to get some sleep. Take care of yourself, okay?
Jason: I will. Good night, sweet dreams.
Jason closed the ChapApp and continued to play OMBM. He was playing a game but his mind was on Kaitlyn.
This girl… Why is she so caring about me? Is this her nature? I just brought that topic up just because I didn't want our conversation to get awkward. But she showed care for me. I shouldn't think about her that much. Or I will fall for her.
As Jason was thinking about Kaitlyn and not giving attention to the game, he was getting brutally molested in OMBM. After making a few streaks of losing, Jason got frustrated. He closed the game and put the phone aside.
Damn! This lag is killing me. I got the money now. I should buy a new phone. This phone is too old. My parents bought me this when I was in school. Now that it is cracked and barely hanging out, I should replace it. System.
[Pulse Card Balance: $1476]
[Complete the Main Quest to level up the system.]
[Quest Log:]
[Pushups (100/41)]
[Sit-ups (100/76)]
[Squats (100/83)]
[Running (10/10 km) - Completed]
[Spends ($1000/100)]
Close!... Just as I thought, I have enough money to buy a top-tier gaming phone. But should I buy a phone before shopping, or should I go shopping with Kaitlyn and then upgrade my phone?... Maybe I should save it for the shopping. I don't want to get humiliated in front of her… Also, I have to buy a pair of clothes for Saturday. I don't want to appear in front of her with old clothes… I don't know why we are going to a different state, should I buy a formal dress? Or casual? It's a long drive, so casual will be comfortable. I will buy the clothes tomorrow.
Jason put the phone into charge, grabbed the half empty container of strawberries and dragged himself out of the bed. His body was hurting. He went to the kitchen, put the container in the refrigerator, drank a glass of water and went back to bed. He was both physically and mentally exhausted. He went back to his bedroom and collapsed face-first onto the mattress. He didn't even realize when he fell asleep.
The next morning, Jason woke up from his deep sleep. He shifted his body and instantly regretted it. His body was hurting, every single muscle, from calves to shoulder. His body was still hurting from the last day of workout.
He grabbed his phone and unplugged the charger. He squinted his eyes at the bright screen. 1:42 P.M.
Whoa! I slept for almost 13 hours. Time to get up, eat something and continue my workout.
Jason rubbed the grit out of his eyes and dragged himself up from the bed. Then he went to the bathroom, brushed his teeth, washed his face and went to the kitchen. He grabbed the box of honey-flavored cereal and a gallon of milk he had bought previously and poured them into a bowl. He mixed them and took a spoonful into his mouth.
"Wow, this is phenomenal. I love this honey flavor." Jason's eyes widened. He was amazed by the taste of honey flavored cereal. After four years of relying on salty instant noodles, the sweet, crunchy taste of honey cereal hits him differently. He finished it within a few moments and made himself another bowl.
After eating 2 bowls of cereal, he washed the bowl and set it on the drying rack. Then he went back to his bedroom and took the phone from his bedside table.
Jason noticed he got 12 missed calls from his mother. He didn't notice before when he checked the time. His phone was in vibrate mode.
12 missed calls!! She never calls that many times just to talk. It must be an emergency!!