1963
She didn't know why this was happening. She was only a dancer, a performer. Somehow, however, she found herself struggling to breathe, her back pressed painfully against the stone wall of the building. Normally, the moonlight reflecting off the pavement of the alleyway would have entranced her, but now as she kicked and tried to plead for her life, the light was hidden by a towering shadow, and she was frightened. She tried to beg, the world 'please' on the tip of her tongue, but found she could make no sound; her airway was blocked. Despite the black of night impairing her sight, she knew her vision was beginning to darken, her thoughts growing hazy.
She kicked once more, her attempts weak as her body continued to fight for a breath of the chilly night air. The seconds ticked by, her attacker relentless. Why he had chosen her, she did not know. He had grabbed her from behind, dragging her into this deserted alleyway. The next minute or two consisted of her bolting away, or at least trying to, and she cried out for help. This earned her a stinging slap across the cheek and a grumbled, 'Be quiet'. A few seconds later and she was here, being strangled by a man she'd never seen before.
Through her haze, she felt herself falling, not quite attentive enough to keep herself upright. She hit the ground with a dull thud, her breathing labored as she gasped in breaths of precious oxygen. Her vision slowly focused, and she only just now noticed the grunts and smacks to her right. She pushed herself up into a sitting position, not able to focus on the two figures ruthlessly beating each other under the light of the moon as she went into a painful coughing fit.
She jumped as a strong hand wrapped itself around her upper arm, pulling her up and forcing her to stand.
"Wait!" She cried out in a futile attempt to wrench her arm away.
"Shut up and come with me," was her only whispered response before she was stumbling after them. She glanced over her shoulder at her attacker and the other man still rolling around in a series of growls and the occasional crash of their bodies against the wall. She didn't get to watch them long, for she was pulled around the corner, finally able to catch her balance as she followed this strange savior.