Chapter 7

Luciene quickly backed away, startled, tripped over her own feet, and fell on her back on the sidewalk, also feeling her elbows burn from the impact. She looked up to understand what happened but just saw one man jumping on top of her.

Closing her eyes quickly on impulse, her back hit the cold stone, and a big hand covered her mouth, pushing her head down hard.

The impact of his skull on the ground made her vision blur. Still stunned and feeling a weight on her, with the adrenaline, she didn't wait to see or think about what was going on.

She took a strong bite of the hand that held her face, tasting the faint taste of blood on her tongue, and while the grip loosened slightly, she managed to pull to get it out of his way and unbalance him. She bent her legs and gave the man's stomach a hard kick, which fell on its side and doubled over in pain.

Luciene rolled twice, moving away, and propelled herself forward in a jump, running with all her strength as fast as she could.

She felt her hand throb again, still clutching her handbag. Heart pounding and adrenaline in her blood, she watched the world go more slowly while her mind was racing. If I make it to the corner, the condo surveillance will help me! It was the only thing she could think of clearly at that moment while other confusing thoughts were mixed.

'What was that?' 'What happened over there?' 'Where did that guy come from?' 'Did he jump out of the tree?' 'What does he want?' 'An assault!' 'Am I going to be kidnapped?' 'He was good-looking?’ ‘Wait, what?'

Luciene passed the flower stand and saw the condominium's guardhouse in the distance. Everything went silent in her mind. I just need to get there. Ask for help.

The light from the poles on the opposite sidewalk illuminated her face and her hope increased, but before she could take the second step towards the light, her vision receded being covered in shadows.

Her hair was pulled back.

She screamed and elbowed back, trying to reach the man's face, but the other noticed the movement and held her “What are you doing? Let me go! That hurts! You're hurting me! Let me g... ”When she was going to scream at the top of her lungs, she was pulled again and had her neck grabbed.

The bag escaped from her hand towards the park bush while Luciene was thrown with force and pressed against the window pane of the small floriculture that cracked with the impact, her back hurt and the shortness of breath prevented her from moving for a few seconds, giving enough time for the tall man to immobilize her again.

Her left arm was stretched high and the injured hand pressed against the glass, with the man approaching his head covered with black hair. The man's outstretched arm held her neck, his feet barely touched the floor, and very little air passed through her throat.

She felt the hand that was stuck to tear, like nails piercing her flesh. Hot liquid dripped down her arm. With pain, tears filled her eyes, blurring her vision and making it even more difficult for her to breathe.

She didn't understand what was going on, she couldn't scream for help or mercy, her throat was burning and she was starting to choke.

She heard a sound of a lonely car approaching in the distance and struggled to get free. But even when trying to get rid of the tightness in his neck or kicking the other in the ribs, she was unable to get out or make the other back.

Her voice didn’t come out and her resistance sound was drowned out by the noise of the engine.

The car drove away, without the driver even knowing her desperation. Her hope was being undermined.

She had prepared for this type of situation. When younger, Luciene had spent almost five years training jiu-jitsu for self-defense, so she should know how to act, right?

Even though she couldn't find any dojo near her home after she moved, the time she spent learning and training before should be enough for her to be able to react, so why couldn't she do anything?

It was not enough? Should I have prepared myself better for this kind of situation? Even though I needed it now, everything became useless because I didn't keep practicing?

She was stuck. She had nothing to use as a weapon and she was unable to hit the other at any point that seemed to make any impact. The long arm that held her prevented her from approaching or seeing his face.

What do I do? I have no position to move, I can not apply blows, when I raise my legs to try an arm wrench, it increases the grip, I can hardly breathe! With his body so far away, he shouldn't have so much strength to arrest me like that, furthermore exert such strong pressure!

She was getting dizzy. The pain in her hand increased, her hands and feet felt numb, and she felt herself losing strength. Her previously racing heart seemed to start to lose pace, the grip on her wrist was about to break it, the blood that seemed to be sucked from her body was also spilling over her. What is that? Am I going to die now? No! I don’t want to!

She kept on fighting and trying to break free, but there was no use.

Will he be there if I go?

That stranger, who had a strength far superior to hers, held her with no chance of escape, and her strength diminished with each moment. She was just prey there. What were her chances? Come on girl, think! What can I do?

A cell phone ringing sounded loudly somewhere nearby. Was it his?

The sudden sound confused the man, who looked back reflexively, loosening his grip.

My chance! Lu prepared to deliver the blow.

With full concentration, she lifted her legs, leaning on the arm that held her, attacking the neck of the other, and maintaining the position of the choke, applied the remaining strength. The sudden movement made the man step back, letting go of the hand that held his left arm and of her neck.

At that moment, Luciene could catch a glimpse of the other's eyes, it was deep black with dilated pupils and iris like the darkest night. It was scary, it didn't look human.

And for a few moments, she was stuck in his eyes.

Even looking at each other for a few moments, she couldn't pay attention to the other's face, she just saw that his skin was very white and deep eyes that seemed to shine in surprise.

His reaction followed.

While her body was still falling towards the ground, the man suddenly bent down, throwing her for good on the ground, causing Luciene to hit his head and his back on the pavement in an unexpectedly strong crash. The pain made her lose the strength, breaking her posture and dropping her legs, losing the small advantage she seemed to have achieved.

The energy she had left was gone. Her vision darkened and she started to lose consciousness.

With a whisper, she could only plead "please" before she completely passed out.

The man stood up with his big shadow covering the collapsed girl.

The sound of the phone still sounded loud in his pocket.

He looked around. There was no one to see. No one to help. No one to stop him.

His shaking hands were stained with blood and the metallic taste he had already tried to hate ran down his throat with a refreshing and satiating feeling.

He committed again the sin that he had long ago left behind, or so he thought.

He picked up the cell phone that called for the second time, and looking at the screen, smiled bitterly.

"Of course it's you" His hoarse voice sounded low in the quiet environment.

He took a deep breath and looking at the sky, now cloudy, answered the call.

“I should have listened to you” he spoke monotonously to the one on the other end of the line, who was silent when heard the bitterness in the man's voice “Come here. You were right."