A'S

warnin

like a bag

ith me. Don't w

ank you! Have

too,

her bag before she could get in the way of the next customer. As soon as the back of her lilac coat had disa

numbers on the screen quickly but carefully so as not to keep her waiting. Handing the book back to the customer

stuffed in her mouth, sucking on her fingers adorably. Some might have found it a little disgusting or unhygienic but a

girl for myself. Her innocent green eyes, verging on the shade of verdant grassy banks, and her

woman's outstretched hand and entering some numbers into the syst

rl who was too busy staring at a toy truck nearby. "She takes a

g playful jealousy seemed unthinkable; her brown eyes brewed like dark, earthy coffee, softly swirling, swirling as they flic

am and give me a wave as she gently pulled her daughter out of the store. I watched them to ensure the li

eturned to my body as I

cking up the CDs that had

look a

look a

look a

aying anything and I could only assume that he was taking in my appearance, scrutinising my face as I struggled to pre

e okay,

be o

best friend would always assure me that I looked

f acne scars kissed the ridges of my cheekbones and curved around my temples. Mirroring my dark brown eyes, my thick hair which fell past my shoulder

hat was ho

tioned as I slid the CDs acr

trailed off to myself and c

look busy. Despite of the faint classical music playing in the background, I could only pay attention to the tightness in every muscle, in every fib

going to

is hands stuff the four disc cases

d, wrinkled, warm. Even though they held no trace of ill intention, I couldn't prevent my body from reacting in such a way, as if he were the most dangerous murd

be scared to death by half the consumers I'd be attending to; but I also thought that if maybe I interacted with more men and proved

rified as my firs

ore to find that it was mostly empty - after such a busy spell, it only made sense. And so I b

into view and gave me a disapproving look

of her Spanish accent shining through. Guiltily, I shrugged my shoulders and averted my eyes from he

he best way of reassuring her. "Trust me, you already know I don't mind working a little longer. I'd hate

shake of her head, her rounded chin resting on my shoulder; the faint scent of her perfume entered my nostrils and h

woman stopped writing on the tags and offered me a grin from the working table. Then, she went

outh to respond, only for her to cut me off. "But that doesn't mean you can work any

almost rising into a pout,

soft frown pulled at my lips when she let go of me and returned to the

furrowed my brows, "

ated after me, giving me a stern ye

them a wave as I sidled between the cloth railings and stepped out of the shop, a gust of icy wind immediately feeling for my face

quickly during winter, leaving either a black canvas smear

rather hard to do so when it was below zero degrees Celsius. I could feel my hands growing numb, even from inside my coat pockets, as I made my way home along the

beautiful

s a chilled silver beam. Under the ghostly moonlight, the mist of my breath made me smile as I started ascending the hill to my house. Little p

out into the icy air that I barely n

bing against my legs and meowing as I stroked her fur, trying to steal some warmt

ears. Her fur felt so unfamiliar when it was cold and it only made me feel more awful for leaving her outside on a night like this. I paused

ain, the sharp click echoing in the street as her glo

erhaps the tallest tree in town, full of green bristles that shed all year round, and it lived in our front yard. I clicked my fingers for Ruffles again. She followed me

e and I was tempted to start running all the way home as if

stantly broken when I caught s

e

men laughing t

eyes glued to the ground as I paced onward, no matter how much I wanted to turn the other way and start runni

nversation grew loude

would stop and sniff at a stray leaf or her ears would prick as she heard something almost impercepti

ered once we r

hey did was

quietly. Thank goodness. My whole abdomen was hurting from clenching so hard and, feeling out of breath, I snapped my f

roz

ie, this

f her neck. I didn't even know how he was holding her in such a way and she didn't look comfortable at all - it looked lik

approach them. "She doesn't like to be held though so co

to my utmost relief, I watched as he dropped her to the footpath and she darted across the road to the pavement opposite me. I sighed

hey looked like without a lamppost nearby but I didn't think I needed to. So, without another word, I s

hear you ca

. Taking a shaky breath, I didn't turn around and kept walking. It was going to be alright.

ng all alone? Boy

rmally large nose and an unpleasant smile. His hair, which was blond and looked like it had been slicked back with a gel of some sort, was partially

y, focusing extra hard on keeping my voice ev

n all my seventeen years of living had I encountered anyone who was so set on finding anything out about me. I couldn't

n, foot

otsteps coming from

thoughts of my cat momentarily forgotten. My eyes were wide and bleary and I could hardly see a thing with the cold wind in my face, sti

're not going to hurt you.

My whole body was shutting down on me at a moment like this and I had no control over it. Even my throat was closing in on itsel

nd I was flung into someone. "Where do you think you're runnin' to?"

gs up as they both dragged me into an alley. My heart was thundering and booming and I could hardly breat

. I couldn't breathe. I wanted to go home. I wanted my cat and I wanted to stroke her in bed as I took silly pict

Please, please let me

using on staying alive and getting breath back into my lungs but I couldn't. My breathing only became wheezier as I was laid dow

wrong wi

ing quick. I want

s if begging to be let out as I felt the warm breath of a man hovering over me but I had no will to p

sound of somet

that? Her fucking c

f Ruffles meow and then hiss spite

t before it p

way ahe

the walls around us. They couldn't hurt her. They couldn't. I had no care for my wellbeing but I couldn't witness th

there wa

and the sound of soft tinkling fading

at held no trace of dignity in it at all, something desperate and completely filled with fear. I didn't know what was happening. There was no

ped to the flo

t as stammering bre

entlest of hand

gentle as

ke I was

your

en his mouth again. There was something so rough and dominating about it that I feared what would happen if I didn't open my

abydoll. Open th

head fall against their warm chest as

s heart was all that lulle