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Our neighborhood has been at war with native wildlife ever since the subdivision was built. With homes taking up a lot of the animal's habitats, we chased them into the heavily wooded surrounding area. Therefore, it’s commonplace to spot random deer or coyotes using our streets as a shortcut to the other side of the forest. Regardless of the species of my discovery, my hackles rise, and my danger flag is flying.
My text to Wolf was probably five minutes ago. He couldn't be here already.
Could he?
Goosebumps raise, causing the little hairs across my body to stand at attention. I could blame them on the frigid temperature, but I’d only be lying to myself. Maybe I shouldn’t be doing this, It was a stupid idea.
I need to go home.
I can be adventurous another night, when plans are more thought out, or perhaps when it isn't raining. I look down at my feet, realizing flip flops aren’t the best type of shoes to be wearing. Not exactly weather appropriate footwear.
To stop the trajectory quickly, I scrape my heels against the rubber mat each time the swing of my self-induced pendulum is closest to the earth and jump off when I’m confident I won't fall on my ass or break a bone. I stick my landing and have to think quickly.
A large shadow lurks near the path I took to get here. I swipe at my eyes, the rain is really impairing my vision. The light from the streetlights barely reaches that area. That, along with the wind, creates the perfect environment for dancing shadows. Still, I don’t want to chance a possible encounter with a creep who watches people from behind a tree. My only other option is to run around the school to try and avoid running into him.
My flip flops slip in the wet grass as soon as my foot leaves the wood chip bottom of the park’s playset area.
God damnit.
My heart is thumping like there’s an angry mob inside my chest pounding on my rib cage to break free. I really should stop to let it regulate and take these unrealistic shoes off. It would be easier to run without them, but I don’t want to spend the night cleaning poopandblood off my carpet. With my luck, I’ll step on a shard of glass contaminated with a flesh eating bacteria. The badly lit school sign comes into view again as the snap of a nearby twig gives me pause. Is there something behind me? Or someone? What are the chances it’s a raccoon or stray cat? I turn and it's too dark to be sure but it seems like someone is there, watching me, but there’s no one. The rain falls like a curtain over the world around me, closing me in and confining me to the very spot I stand. My hands tremble at my sides, because if anything was out here with me, I wouldn’t be able to see it until it was right up on me. Who in their right mind would be out on a night like tonight, hanging out at an elementary school in the rain?
Me.I’m the one not in their right mind.
Not wanting to linger over my stupidity and keep debating the noise, I continue running. The chill is getting to me so I wrap my arms around my chest. It’s an awkward position to run in but so is wearing flip flops.
There is no way I am imagining it. That's definitely the sound of someone splashing in a puddle behind me.
And they're getting louder.
This isn’t a raccoon or a stray cat. Someone is chasing me.
Unlike stupid girls in horror films I don’t look back. Realizing my arms aren’t doing any help keeping me warm, I unwrap them from myself. I begin swinging my arms in time with my legs, now I have better balance and can avoid falling again.
There's no time to be cold.
Concentrating on putting distance between us, my flip flops slap loudly onto the pavement. Then I hear it clear as day. Heavy footsteps are mimicking mine, and they’re right behind me.
As much as I dare, I turn my head. From the corner of my eye, I see a flash of whoever is pursuing me. He’s wearing all black, an oversized hood conceals his face in a dark shadow. By the quick glance at the person’s build, it’s a man. A large man.
Turning my head was so stupid. The proof is immediately given when I turn around. I'm so distracted by the situation I'm in, I trip over the lip of the sidewalk. I lurch forward, arms coming out to brace myself. Thankfully I don't nose dive into the pavement. Instead, I'm hovering over. My sports bra is cutting into my rib cage as it, along with my shirt are being held taut against from behind me.
No. No. No.
This can't be happening.
four
“Gotcha,” a deep voice growls.
Without releasing his grip from the back of my bra, my captor wraps his other arm around my neck and yanks me back. My esophagus is being crushed by the crook of his elbow and the tighter he squeezes the more he constricts my breathing. Is he planning to strangle me on the side of the road? I claw my nails into his sleeved arm and try to pull him off me, but he’s too strong. My head is becoming light from the lack of blood flow. His grip is tightening and my consciousness is slowly waning. Right as the houses in front of me start to fade into a giant blurry blob the man lowers his arm. I suck in air, filling my lungs and gasping for more. But then something sharp pricks into my abused neck. The way it feels against my flesh tells me it can only be one thing. A blade.
“Don’t move a fucking inch,” he seethes, jarring my body as if to jerk some sense into me. “I can slit your throat and kill you in seconds.”
Fear grips me as his statement only reiterates that this isn’t the man I was supposed to meet tonight. Wolf and I had multiple, thorough conversations about not using weapons during our rendezvous. My heart races, its thunderous beats echoing through my chest as I realize the repercussions of my actions. The icy tendrils of apprehension creep up my spine, sending shivers to my trembling limbs. A nearby animal screeches and its claws clack against the pavement as it scampers away. It's probably competing with another critter for coverage in this torrential downpour. Every nerve in my body stands on edge, hypersensitive to the slightest sound or movement, as if my senses are in overdrive.
There's no other option but for me to fight, I have to get the fuck out of here.
My sweet babies flash through my head like a flip book. I can’t believe I took this risk. Why couldn’t I be happy with my dull, sexless life?
