Years ago when I was 17 my best friend lived a street away from me. To get to her house it was a long walk down the street and around the corner. That was considered the long way which was about 20 min walk. In between her home and mine was a middle street it was called Worthington. On Worthington there was the police department, a fire station, a strip club and a male homeless shelter. Strange things happened on Worthington. One day friend and I were walking to my house when a man pulled up to ask for directions, seeing people across the street my friend turned to answer him to see his pants down. She started shouting at him an he drove off. I told her I think he thought we were hookers. Another time we were being asked out by homeless men. And one time the street was flooded with a letter that was printed over a hundred and seemed to have been thrown over the streets. It was about a man who was searching for the women her met that gave him a golden shower. That one had us laughing for days.

On this particular day it was cold we were in November. We decided to take a short cut to her house. It was on the far end of Worthington over the tracks in between two abandoned factories. It was dusk and it was already getting pretty dark so we just said F it and headed for the cut. As we get there we keep our eyes out for the train that still ran by the tracks also crack heads and bums. We crossed as we were walking through the parking lot of the factory the street light lit up part of the lot and street. We heard laughter from behind us. We looked back but thought it could have been other people crossing the tracks as well since the area was well known. We got to her house safe and I ended up staying the night. Like 10 minutes later my friends sisters boyfriend comes in the house saying that Worthington is packed with police officers and partial of her street close to the abandon factories. We ask why and he said that two girl that were working at the strip club near by were cutting through the path we’re raped. That sent chills down my spine. The same area that we just came from minutes before was now an active crime scene. I never walked that path alone ever again and would only go through when I had a weapon and was with someone. So many things still go through my head about that night. Still shocks me to think it could have been us.