Chap1.0 Come in [[Trigger warning Assault]]

To warm up a little, the thin figure pulled a cigarette from her back pocket and walked toward an alley on the right side of the club. 

'Tonight of all nights…' 

She watched the smoke dance with the night fog, hoping it would bring her some warmth. Suddenly, a noise further down the alley caught her attention. Trying to see through the shadows, she stepped forward. Someone was running in her direction. 

With nothing but a dim safety light from the club's side door, it was hard to make out who it was. To avoid unnecessary drama, she dropped the cigarette and was ready to turn back to the front door when two more figures, bigger than the first, rushed into the alley. 

'Shit…' 

A giant, hairy hand grabbed her. It was so big it held her entire arm effortlessly. With a single movement, it pulled her back. 

"Lemme go, you jerk!" she said as they cornered her against the wall. 

The one holding her wrists had a perverted smile that showed all his teeth. Looking up at him was a test of bravery, but there was no way she would look scared. Avoiding eye contact would show weakness and give them power over her—which, obviously, they already had—but she was determined not to appear weak. 

"You angry now? You were the one who teased us with that tiny skirt of yours," he said, so close she could smell his warm breath, nauseating and as frightening as his fingers touching the skin of her thighs. 

"Don't play hard-to-get. Let's have a little fun," said the smaller man, though he was still big enough to block her view of the street. The limited field of vision was terrifying, amplifying their vicious features and making it harder for her to think of a way to escape. 

The only source of light in the alley was high above them, casting shadows across the narrow space. The girl tried her best to see their faces, but it was useless. She wouldn't even be able to identify them. 

"Tell me," the sound of his voice set her body on high alert. "What do you got underneath those short clothes?" 

Desperation began to grow in her chest. Gathering all her strength, she pushed and kicked at everything in front of her, praying to hit something vital so she could find an opening to run. 

Even though she gave it everything she had, the man didn't budge. Instead, he leaned closer to her ear, breathing loudly like a pig. 

"You're a wild one, huh?" 

Seeing how her attempt to fight not only failed but also encouraged them more, she immediately stopped. Inside her chest, her heart felt frozen, along with her organs and every blood cell in her veins. 

That was it. There was nothing she could do against those men. She could pretend as long as she wanted, but she was powerless against their physical strength. It was pointless to fight or scream; that would only arouse them more. How sadistic did someone have to be to corner a girl alone at night, coming home from college? 

The entire situation felt hopeless. Closing her eyes was the last defense mechanism she could think of. In the darkness, her mind screamed for help. She prayed to God to send someone, anyone, who could hear her. With great effort, she tried to ignore the man's breath as he sniffed her neck. 

Trapped inside her own head, crying for help, she heard a small noise of iron scraping against concrete. It lasted only a second, but it was enough to make her open her eyes. What she saw were the two men leering at her, their intentions clear. She knew what would come next. 

The world disappeared, and with it, the air from her lungs. She felt empty. How did this happen? Was it really her fault? Unable to move or feel her own heartbeat, a massive feeling took over her, making even the simple act of thinking impossible. Pure fear. 

As she gasped for air to scream, a dry sound startled all three of them. Something hard hit bone, and everything fell silent as the man holding her collapsed heavily to the ground. Before either she or the other attacker could react, another hit landed. The second man fell face-first onto the ground. The only ones left standing were the girl and someone holding a long steel bar. 

Since the first hit, the girl hadn't moved an inch. She couldn't tell if it was an act of God or another disturbed man trying to eliminate the competition. It all happened too fast, too confusingly. Only after a few seconds, when the last man fell, did she remember to breathe. The void inside her filled with cold, fresh air, bringing her heart and lungs back to life. 

"Thank you!" she said, leaning against the wall as she realized her legs were trembling. They couldn't be trusted, just like her hands when she touched her chest, trying to steady her racing heart and feeling the fear in her fingertips. 

"It's okay," a strange voice said. "Just take deep breaths." 

Up to this point, the girl had been trying to get her body to function again. Everything was malfunctioning—her legs, hands, mind, and heart were still panicking from what could have happened. 

"I'm sorry…" Tears began to flow down her cheeks like a dam breaking. It was relief. Her body was finally trying to expel all the fear that had consumed her. No matter how hard she tried to fight it, the tears kept coming. "Thank God they can't see this!" 

Those monsters didn't deserve to see her cry. 

"Come on, let's get out of here before they wake up…" The voice paused. "IF they wake up."