She knocked on the door holding the cleaning in one hand. She wanted to leave as soon as she could. Things were bad enough between the two of them and she didn't want to hang around long enough to make them worse.

The door opened and she looked up at him. He always had creeped her out but there was something in his eyes now that made her want to throw the clothes at him and just run.

As she went to hand him the clothes he walked away from the door forcing her to go inside.

"I'll just put these on the back of the door. I gotta book it outta here. I've got to meet some friends."

"What's the rush?"

"Like I said I have friends to meet." She turned to the door, "Cya." She almost had her hand on the door handle when she felt herself being pulled back into the room.

She heard the door slam close and her back hitting it with as much force.

"Did I say you could leave? No I don't believe I did." He held her against the door with one arm across her chest as ran the other up her arm till he was holding her face in his hand.

Forcibly kissing her he slapped her when she tried to pull back.

"You can make this easy or hard. It's your decision." He glared at her as he ran his hand down her middle caressing each breast on it ways down to her pants. He kissed her neck as he quickly undid her pants.

She tried to push him back but he was too strong. She knew what was about to happen and she couldn't let it. She had to get away from him if not for her then for the one person she loved.

But he was too strong. The more she fought the more he would hit her. She felt her pants being pushed down as he quickly pushed her down to the floor. As soon as her back was on the ground he was on top of her. Moving his one hand up and down the inside of her leg his other hand holding her arms above her head as he kissed her with force again. Then slowly yet violently made his way to her breast. Having torn her shirt open, revealing her soft flesh. He was almost teasing her with his hand as to what she knew was to come.

He moved to a sitting position on her abdomen holding her down as he undid his own pants with one hand and holding his other hand over her mouth so she couldn't scream. Getting off her just enough so as to take his pants off. Only to have him lying down on top of her again.

His hand once again exploring the inside of her legs, caressing her, touching her. Testing her, teasing her. Not letting on to her when he would do the unspeakable. Then she felt it, felt him, rubbing against her. Caressing the inside her legs with himself.

She tried to block it out but she soon felt his thrust as he entered her, hard, fast. She tried to scream out in pain, but he covered her mouth.

She sat up, bolt right, as the perspiration ran down her body. Her screams waking the apartment. She tried to catch her breath, but the memory was too vivid, to fresh.

Her roommates entered her room coming to her bed and comforting her the only way they knew how. "I told you not to sit up watching that movie Phoebe."

"I know Alicia."

"And after what happen the other night. You should have known you would get nightmares."

"I know Alicia." Phoebe looked at her friend. Every since Phoebe came to NYC she had found her old friend from high school and they had been inseparable ever since.

They sat in silence a little bit longer neither girl saying anything.

"I'm going to go back to sleep Alicia. Thanks again."

"Hey no problem. You're my friend. Mind you, if I was good friend I wouldn't have let you watch that movie."

"Hey it was Clays idea."

"Right. Well next time tell him to rent one that isn't so violent. G'night Phoebs"

"G'night Alicia." Phoebe watched her friend leave her room and make her way back to her own. Was it the movie that had woken her or was it something else?

--- ----

She staggered hazily into the kitchen reached for her coffee cup.

"Hey Phoebe you ok after last night?"

"Yeah thanx Jane. I think it was just that movie that Clay got."

"Yeah well, what do you expect to get when the guy picks the movie." Alicia laughed from her seat at the table

"Yeah, sex, violence and more sex." Jane put in.

"Yeah well next time, I'm picking the movie." Phoebe laughed.

They sat around laughing and enjoying each other's company, before moving to the couch and flicking on the TV.

"Once again the NYPD are advising women to be cautious when walking around the city. Make sure you are always with a friend. Another violent rape, murder occurred last night down near the financial district. No details have been released yet. But as they have said, please be careful out there."

A silence fell in the room as someone turned off the TV. Phoebes mind started to wander. Had she seen what had happened on some cosmic level? Or was what she had seen on the news was the same she had the nightmare she did? Or was it just the movie giving her nightmares?

"Ok I have to go to work. I will be late, I have a date with Clay." Phoebe announced as she sprung up from the couch and went to her room to change.

"Clay you can't work late we've been planning this night for over a week now."

"Phoebs, honey I know but I need the overtime, not to mention the money that comes with it. Look you could come down here."

"I'm not coming down there Clay, it's the middle of the might. I wanted to go out with you."
"I know honey. Look I'll make it up to you I promise."

Phoebe sighed knowing she didn't really have a choice. "Look, I'll take a cab home. Come by when your done I'll stay up for you." Phoebe smiled through the phone, knowing that Clay wouldn't be able to resist.

"You know I will." He replied. "Love you."

"Love you more." Phoebe answered as she hung up the phone.

Walking out of the office, "Great."

"Hey Phoebe you looked a little bummed."

"Yeah Clay has to work late."

"What? No. You two have been planning tonight for weeks."

"Week actually but it doesn't matter. Maybe we can try again next week." She said as she grabbed her purse from behind the bar. "Look I'm going to grab a cab. I'll see you tomorrow night."

"Be careful Phoebe. G' night."

"Night."

The evening dampness brushed against her skin as she flagged down a taxi. Pulling her jacket closer around her she opened the door and moved across the seat.

"49th street please. #1405."

The driver didn't even reply. He just put it in drive as they left the curb.

There was always something about the city at night. It didn't have the sparkle that San Francisco did, but it definitely had its own character. Her mind went to the call that she had received that night from Clay. There would always be next week she thought to herself. But as her mind drifted to her boyfriend she soon noticed that the cab was stopped along the curb.

"You ok Lady?"

"Um, yeah, thanx." She answered as she handed him ten dollars and got out of the cab.

She reached down for the keys to her apartment when she suddenly felt a hand over her mouth. She tried to scream but he was too strong. She tried to kick him, but he had practically lifted her off the ground. Leaving only air below her feet.

Once he had pulled her around the side of her building, away from the crowds of possible passer byes, she suddenly felt all the air in her lungs escape as he punched her in the stomach. She bent over trying to breath, but he hit her across the face sending her sailing to the ground.

It was to dark, she couldn't see who it was. But she knew what he wanted and she was not going to make it easy for him. But as he continued to hit her, she lost hope that she could hold him off for much longer.

She lay on the ground and she felt his weight on top of her. She did they only thing she could think of. She retreated to a safe place in her mind. But she was suddenly brought partially out of it when she heard a gunshot and then everything was gone.