She opened her eyes to the darkened moon beams shining; illuminating what little there was of a room. Looking around, the air seemed stale and crisp, but there was nothing actually there, just the memory of an event long ago silently firing off in her brain, tantalizing her with the smell of a forest and dirt.

"I'm in a room... How?" was all Jessalyn thought, as she rose from her bed to the glass window, staring out at the marketplace that was two stories below her.

Chatter and monotone voices entered her mind, and all that she could make out was the faces of certain individuals whom she thought were acquaintances.

"No" she thought to herself, quietly moving away and entering a marble stoned bathroom.

The light dazed her for a moment when she flicked on a light, her pupils quickly decreasing in size and adjusting to the brightness. A moment was taken for this to occur, and as soon as that was over Jessalyn was already in her shower, warm water dousing her slender figure, as rich moisturizers cleansed her skin, and the smell of violets entered her senses as she applied the smooth rich texture of shampoo and conditioner to her hair. It had grown almost about a months worth, and this puzzled Jessalyn as she had no recollection of what happened after she left the forest, but she continued with her scrubbing and bathing as if nothing had happened because she did not want to think at that moment. Spending a few more minutes in the shower feeling the heat emanate from her body, and the steam opening her pores, Jessalyn emerged from her shower beat red and refreshed. A few moments of getting dry and leaving from a bedroom with the rich scent of almond oil applied to her body, she leaves her hotel room and heads down to the lobby area of the building.

"Miss........... Katina? Are you feeling better?" said someone from the reception desk, but she continued walking on as if no one was around.

It's not that she was being ignorant; she just had no intention of speaking to anyone, not until she finished her mission.

"Trinity..." she thought to herself, "I'm coming back, whether you like it or not..."

With one swift hand motion, she was outside of her building walking down the streets.

"Where though? Where do I go…" she thought to herself absently, standing in the middle of a street as peddlers tried to grab her attention for pennies and food.

"Why? You don't need to be here" she said to one of them, picking up a child in her arms as it looked at her curiously with its small, beady eyes.

Jessalyn smiled at the little girl, and she smiled back to Jessalyn. There was an urge for her to take the child and run away and live a happy life in solitude, to raise the baby and teach her compassion, love, sympathy and kindness, and block all the negative aspects of this tortured and inhuman world, but this child had already been thrust into this life on her own, dwelling on the streets for food and prostitution.

Jessalyn looked her deep in the eyes for a moment, kissing her on the forehead and letting her go. Jessalyn didn't want to remember, and started walking down the street heading for a bar joint where she could get information. It seemed all the sleazy places had the most information in them.

"Who's tugging at me?" Jessalyn thought, and looked down to see the little
girl beside her still.

"Go away girl, I have nothing to give you at all" she said sadly, bending down and caressing the girl's jet black hair.

"Mommy" whispered the girl, and Jessalyn had to put her ears to the girl's mouth to hear her. "Mommy dead, men make red paint come from her legs, and head, brother gone for a long, long day" the girl said.

Jessalyn stared wide-eyed at her. She knew that this happened a lot, but to be there in the moment of it all was just startling and a bit nerve-wracking.

"What's your name, darling?" Jessalyn said.

"Emma" the girl replied, sniffing and rubbing her nose.

Jessalyn picked her up.

"Emma, such a pretty girl with a pretty name, did you know that?" Jessalyn said, snuggling her closely.

The girl smiled and hugged her back.

"I'll take care of you" Jessalyn thought to herself, as she continued walking down the street.

"Want some ice cream?" Jessalyn asked to Emma.

She nodded with a bright smile.

"I like strawberries!" Emma said, and Jessalyn smiled at her.

"Me too!" she replied. "But first, let's get you cleaned up… Then I'll put you to bed, you must be tired from being up all day, and then first thing in the morning we'll make some tasty breakfast and ice cream" Jessalyn told Emma, but she was already fast asleep on her shoulder.

Jessalyn rested her head on Emma's, and turned back to walk in the hotel.

"Goodnight Emma darling, and may you have sweet dreams" she whispered.