/JENNIE/

Chill ran down my spine as the cold wind blew. I tightened my jacket around me, seeking warmth in the middle of the chilly night weather.

I glanced around to find no one, positively nothing around me. The street was empty, the sidewalks hollow.

I thought I was hallucinating when I heard footsteps following me. I turned around and was again met with emptiness. My eyebrows were automatically furrowed, I was sure I had heard footsteps after me, or maybe it was just mine.

As I increased my walking speed, the footsteps were again heard. I was starting to feel nauseous, negative thoughts started to consume my mind.

Then the wind blew again, aggressively this time. My hair was blown and messed up in the result. I tucked some loose strands of hair and hugged myself tightly, September wind was no joke, especially at 11 pm.

"What's a beautiful lady doing out here by herself?"

I jumped at the baritone voice, my heart rate picked up. I looked around and found a man leaning his body on one of the trees beside the street.

"None of your business," I spat, increasing my speed and tried to escape the creep.

Only a second passed and he was already beside me, "Playing hard to get, are we?"

His voice sounded flirty and dangerous, despite the fact that it was unbiasedly a good sound to the ears. Just not at this moment, not when I was alone in an empty road with a creepy guy beside me.

I decided not to answer. Other than I didn't know what to say, I was starting to feel unsafe. I mean, we're alone and only God knows what sat on his mind.

"Come on, why are you such in a hurry?" he mirrored my pace, a grin evident on his face.

He looked around 30s, his facial structure sharp and defined, his eyes alarming, with a pointed nose and thin lips, unshaved mustaches sat uncomfortably just above his lips.

He suddenly stopped in front of me, blocking my way in the result. He smirked as he walked towards me, his arms reaching for a hold on my body.

I walked backward, my heart starting to thunder incredibly fast.

TRIGGER WARNING !!!

"You're so sexy, you know?" he said in a low voice that annoyed and scared the hell out of me. He then grabbed my shoulders violently, "I can give you warmth, skin on skin, you'll no longer need that jacket."

I almost puked at his sentence, if I wasn't so focused at the distance between our faces, which were only inches apart.

His breath smelled so much like cigarettes as he whispered next to my ear, "Let me take you home, we'll have a good time. A definitely hot, good time."

I wanted to scream. Even a blind man knew where this was going, and I wasn't going to let it happen to me. I was aware of the situation, with his hands keeping me in place, I couldn't escape, but trying wouldn't hurt, right?

So I did.

I screamed for help, tried my best to punch him and freed myself. He was caught off-guard when I gathered all my strength to kick his lower part with my knee.

He let go of me and kneel on the ground, hands covering his lower body part. I took the chance to run as fast as my leg allowed me to.

The street was still dark and empty, my heart was still beating uncontrollably. I internally cursed myself for being so stupid, for choosing to walk through this abandoned street, alone at 11 pm, only because it would bring me home faster than a cab would.

"Where do you think you're going, bitch?" his voice echoed again as I was pulled sideways onto the darkness.

He pushed me forcefully and I was met with damp grass as I fell down onto the ground.

I heard him undoing his belt and his jeans.

No, no, no.

This couldn't be happening.

"You wanna go rough? Fine, I'll give you rough, bitch. I'll fuck you senseless until you forget your own name," he growled.

Then I felt his hands roaming on my thigh and lower stomach, inches close to my center.

"No, don't. Stop, please!" I begged, tears brimming in my eyes.

"Oh, yes. You'll be begging for me not to stop later, kitten. Trust me, it's gonna feel so good," he cupped my mouth with his hand as he laid on top of me.

No, no, no.

He spread my legs wide, his body pressing onto mine. I felt his hand trying to undo my jeans and the other cupping my mouth; keeping me silent.

Tears ran down my cheeks as I tried to kick him, punch him, to scream, but earned nothing. He was stronger, he held my body down firmly as he almost succeeded undoing my jeans.

"You're one sexy ass bitch," he growled again, pulling down my jeans. He then ripped my panties apart and pulled back to thrust in.

I closed my eyes to prepare myself for whatever was coming, tears running down my cheeks. But I was met with a grunting sound, as I felt a weight lifted off of me.

"Get off her, you fucking douche," I heard another voice spoke.

"What the fuck is your problem?" the first guy spoke up, and I courage myself to open my eyes.

I saw two figures standing in front of me, the former man and another stranger in a hoodie, in a stance ready to fight.

The hooded stranger punched him square in the face, and he stumbled back a few times before falling onto the asphalt.

"Run or I'll make you regret ever being born," the hooded stranger growled. The former man ran for his life, as the hooded stranger watched him.

I took the opportunity to redressed myself, zipping my jeans and straightening my shirt.

I wiped my tears as the hooded stranger approached me.

"Are you okay?" the hooded stranger spoke, and I was surprised to find a feminine voice. A gruff, but a feminine voice.

I nodded, trying to figure out her face in the darkness.

"Come on, I'll walk you home," she held out a hand and helped me stand up. I felt a funny feeling inside my stomach when our hands touched, but shrugged it off immediately.

"Thank you," I said in a small voice.

She nodded, keeping her face straight ahead.

"You shouldn't walk alone at night, especially in streets like this. You're lucky he's alone," she said in a low tone that brought chills to my neck; not in a bad way.

I looked over to her, her hood blocking my view of her face. I didn't know why, but I had the urge to pull down her hood, just to see her face.

As we walked in silence, my mind was filled with unanswered questions. How did she just showed up out of nowhere? How strong was she that the guy fell down only by one punch?

Who was she?

"Where do you live?" she spoke up, her voice breaking the cold silence between us.

"Just around that corner," I answered, not trusting her enough to give the exact place.

She accompanied me until we reached the corner of the street to my apartment building.

"Thank you, honestly," I breathed. "I don't- I can't imagine what would happen if you didn't show up."

"It's fine," she faced me. With the help of the distant, illuminated street lamp, I could see a glimpse of her face.

All I could see was a pair of big, brown eyes staring at me.

My heart warmed up funnily at the sight.

"I should go," she broke my train of thoughts, ending the eye contact and flashed what I had assumed as a smile before walking back to the abandoned street.

"Take care,"  I called before she disappeared into the darkness.

I hadn't seen her since that night, but the spark her eyes and her being had given me that night hadn't gone away.

I could still remember precisely the warm brown eyes that stared at me within the shadows of her hood, the sudden warmth I felt ever since she appeared, and her voice, the voice I swore sounded so unexplainably familiar to my ears.

Ever since that encounter, it's safe to say that she occupied my mind, day and night.

Who was she?

And what was she doing to me?