By the next weekend, I was out on a job. That puzzled me, because I was sure I was going to let Brenda know I was through with it all. I wanted to be finished with the sleazy parking lots and motel rooms. After my first experience with John...I found myself staying home most nights. Nights I knew I could make the most money, which wasn't like me at all.

Backsliding, I couldn't bear to be alone in my house any longer. My mind deflected the thought as to why.

It was a bitter night. While walking, I batted my eyes to keep out the stinging wind that blew at my face. I then recalled my last actions before leaving home. Guilt ridden, and distressed, I'd grabbed the small puppet doll off of my nightstand and placed it into my purse.

-

Cherish Your Life. He'd given me advice I'd be stupid not to take, and yet...why was I out here now in some uncomfortable heels, in the cold autumn night under a street light, mostly alone. Except for a troubled looking teenage boy who gave me a glare. He was a few feet away from me, sitting on a bus stop bench, although the buses didn't run at this hour, strange enough. What was he doing out here? I smiled shyly at him, feeling guilty and embarrassed. He knew what I was doing out here so late, and he couldn't hide his disgust. Despite that, I tried being friendly. He looked alone, and sad underneath the badass attitude he was displaying.

He was scruffy and looked like somebody had roughed him up pretty bad. I wondered if he'd gotten into a fight at school.

"Hey kid." I called him.

He stuffed his hands into his pockets. "What?"

I shrugged, "What are you doing out here? Its like...almost two AM."

He scoffed, "What do you care? You have better things to do right? Or should I say people to do."

"Hey, cool it kid. I'm not your beep mother. I was just trying to-"

"What? Just trying to feel sorry for me and tell me to run home before something happens to me? Well tough. I can't go home." He stared at his shoes.

I pulled out a cigarette. I lit it and took a long drag. "Why's that? I'm sure you've got somebody."

"I do. But he kicked me out. Found some pot in my room…my dad's a real hard ass."

I blew two smoke rings into the air, he rolled his eyes.

"My mom was too. But I ran away. Didn't make things much better, in any case." I thought about being sixteen again. I was young and had everything in my reach, I had the opportunity to change the world, but I'd thrown it away.

He didn't reply, he simply took a long breath and stood up. He looked unsure of himself, staring towards the apartments that he must have come from.

"Go ahead kid." I gestured towards the direction he was staring. He turned his head, giving me a nod. "I'm sure your dad loves you. He's probably cooled off by now." I tried to reassure him.
He coughed, the cold was getting to him now, or maybe it was the marijuana in his lungs. "Thanks." He darted across the street and made his was towards the apartments. I watched him until he was out of sight.

-

The passing cars were getting less frequent now, and I realized I'd been standing in the same place too long.
A voice in my mind suggested I go home; it was ever so polite, so I agreed with it.

My heels made a click clack sound on the pavement; it was an unnerving noise for the fact that it was all I heard. And at that moment my thoughts connected. It was too quiet. Not unusual for a lonely street at two in the morning, yet I knew this area, and around this time you could usually hear something. A couple of alley cats fighting, a car alarm in the distance, even an acquaintance of mine who was making her rounds as well.

But tonight, nothing. Nothing but the sound of my own heels; that is, until I turned the corner.

I stopped dead, my eyes widened with the sight. A hooded figure was grabbing another person, holding a cloth over their face. It was dark here except for the streetlight that was now flickering, threatening to go off completely very soon. We were all in the shadows, but I was still able to see the mask over the face of the captor. Seeing the mask now, jolted back the memory of how I was first trapped. Less than two months ago, I was that victim, helpless, and yet helped at the same time. Frozen in dread, I told myself that I would not allow it to happen again. I gasped too loud in an effort to scream; and the masked figure, who was stuffing the cloth back into the pocket of their jacket and letting their victim slump down to the ground, turned to look at me.

I tried to catch my breath, but it wouldn't come.

Instead, watching the masked assailant walk towards me, I bolted from the scene. I was sprinting now, and nearly falling as well, thanks to the heels I was in; though I didn't dare stop to take them off. Six blocks away, I finally assumed I was safe, and slowed down to catch my breath which was coming out in heaves and hurt my throat.

After a while, my breathing slowed slightly and my heartbeat became normal again. I stood there, waiting. Panicky and on the verge of tears, I lingered. Even I was lost as to why. Who was I expecting to come out of the shadows for me? I tried to look in all directions the way an anxious rabbit awaits an attack from a wolf.

Moments later, I was hearing no signs of danger and sensing I was quite alone on the deserted street.

Until I felt a pair of hands close around my face. One holding something over my nose that smelled sweetly antiseptic, and it was very strong. The other held my mouth, which muffled a bloodcurdling shriek. Dropping my purse, I struggled against my attacker while a voice in my mind ordered me to submit. I promptly felt dazed and faint, as I'd inhaled in a large amount of the chemical in order to scream. I closed my eyes, and let the darkness envelop me.