“Excuse me, miss?” A gravelly voice interrupted. “I was hoping you could help me?”

Intent on getting the door open and the groceries out of the rain, Seolhyun didn’t hear anyone approach. She shoved the stuffs into the car and tightened the hold on her purse as she turned toward the sound.

A man came out of the shadows and stood under the streetlight. Rain coursed down his light-colored hair. His wire-framed glasses slipped down the bridge of his crooked nose as he stood with his arms wrapped around his chest, his thin body shivering slightly.

“My car back there,” he gestured behind him, shouting a bit to be heard over the rain pounding against the hood, “has a flat tire. I was hoping you had a tire iron.”

Seolhyun did, but every fiber in her body was telling her to say no. Even though the man looked as if he couldn’t throw a stone very far. “I’m not sure.” Her voice was smaller than she intended. She pushed at her wet hair and cleared . She shouted back, “I don’t know if I have one or not.”

The man’s smile was weary. “I couldn’t have picked a better time, could I?”

“No, you couldn’t.” Seolhyun shifted from one foot to the next.

Part of her wanted to leave him there with an apology, but then there was this other part of her, (a huge part of her) that was never good at telling people no. Seolhyun chewed her lower lip as she rushed by the door. She couldn’t leave him in the rain. The poor man looked about to crumple over any second. Pity for him pushed away the sense of dread that always came when you were confronted with the unknown.

Seolhyun couldn’t leave him stuck in the rain when she knew she could help. At least the rain was starting to let up.

Her decision made, she forced a weak smile. “I can check. I may have one.”

The man smiled. “You would be a savior if you did.” He stayed where he was, not moving any closer, probably sensing Seolhyun’s initial distrust. “The rain seems to be letting off, but by those dark clouds coming in I think we may be in for a heck of a storm.”

Seolhyun shut the driver’s side door and headed to the rear of the car. Opening the trunk, she ran her hand along the carpeted bottom, searching for the release to the spare tire. “I think I may have one, to be honest.”

Her back was to the stranger for only a few seconds when she felt a rush of chilly air stir the hair at the back of her neck. Adrenaline coursed through her veins, sending her heart slamming against her ribs and painful tendrils of fear coming through her stomach.

“Humans are so stupid, so gullible.” His voice was as cold as the wind on her neck.

Before Seolhyun’s brain could register his words, an icy, wet hand closed over hers in a painful grip. His breath was sticky against her neck, striking a chord of finality. She didn’t even have a chance to respond.

Using Seolhyun’s hand, he swung her around. A cry escaped Seolhyun’s throat as pain shot up her arm. She was face to face with him now, and he didn’t seem as helpless as he had before. Actually, he seemed to have grown taller, broader.

“If– ugh, if you want money you can take whatever I-I have.” Seolhyun wanted to throw the purse at him and take off.

The stranger smiled and then pushed her. Hard. The impact of the rough asphalt knocked the air out of her and jarred her wrist in scorching pain.

With her good hand, Seolhyun grabbed her purse and shoved it at him. “Please,” she begged. “Just take it. I won’t say anything. Just take it. I promise.”

Her attacker crouched in front of her, lips curved in a sneer as he took her purse. Behind the glasses, his eyes seemed to shift colors. “Your money? I don’t need your money.” He tossed the purse aside.

Seolhyun stared as little gasps of breath wheezed in and out of her lungs. She couldn’t keep up with the idea that this was happening. If he wasn’t robbing her, then what did he want? Her mind shrunk from that line of thinking, instead echoing in terror. No. No. No!

Her body was moving, and she was dragging away from him, banging into the curb. Fear swamped Seolhyun. She knew she needed to scream. She felt it welling up in . She opened .

“Don’t scream,” he warned, his voice a biting command.

Seolhyun felt the muscles in her legs tense. She twisted, pulling her knees up, getting ready to run. She could make it. He wouldn’t expect it. She could make it. Now!

His arms shot out in a blur, grabbing both legs and yanking. Her left arm and that side of her face hit the pavement, skin grating against rough cement in blinding pain. Her eye started to swell in a matter of seconds and warm blood trickled down her arm. Seolhyun tried to pull her legs out of his grip, kicking when that failed.

“Please! Let me go.” She tried again to kick her legs loose. The road scraped her arms, sending more pain and something stronger.

Anger coursed through her, pushing at the fear, trying to overcome it. The combination sent her into desperate action. She kicked and bucked, pushed and shoved, but nothing seemed to budge him. Not even an inch.

“Let go of me!” This time Seolhyun yelled, the sound torn from until it was raw.

He moved quickly, his face fading in and out. And then he was on top of her, his hand covering . His weight was unbearable even though he’d appeared so small before, so helpless. Seolhyun couldn’t breathe, couldn’t move. He was crushing her, but the thought of what was to come next nearly destroyed her.

Someone had to have heard her. It was her only hope.

He lowered his head, sniffing Seolhyun’s hair. A shudder of revulsion rolled through. He hissed. “I was right. You have their trace.” He moved his hand from and gripped her shoulders. “Where are they?”

“I... I don’t understand,” Seolhyun choked out.

“Of course you don‘t.” His face contorted with disgust. “You’re nothing but a stupid, walking mammal. Worthless.”

Seolhyun squeezed her eyes shut. She didn’t want to look at him. She didn’t want to see his face. She wanted to go home. Please...

“Look at me!” When Seolhyun didn’t, he shook her again. Her head cracked against the ground. Again. The fresh new pain startled her and her one good eye opened against her will. He grabbed Seolhyun’s chin with his icy hand.

Her gaze flickered across his face and finally settled on his eyes. They were vast and empty. She’d never seen anything like it. And in those eyes Seolhyun saw something worse. Worse than being robbed, worse than being degraded and abused. She saw death in them, her death.

“Tell me where they are.” Each word was bitten out.

His voice sounded muffled, as though underwater, or maybe that was Seolhyun. Maybe she was drowning.

“Fine,” he spat. “Maybe you need a little encouragement.”

Within a second, his hands wrapped around and he squeezed. Before Seolhyun had a chance, the last breath that she’d taken for granted was cut off. Panic clawed through her chest as she tried prying his fingers off her neck, her legs kicking out in a vain attempt at freedom. His grip dug into her fragile windpipe.

“Are you ready to tell me?” he challenged. “No?”

Seolhyun didn’t know what he was talking about. Her wrist was no longer throbbing. The torn flesh of her arms and face no longer seemed to sting with such fierceness as before, because new pains were replacing the old. There was no air, no more air. Her heart pounded in her chest, demanding oxygen. The pressure in her head threatened to explode. Her legs were going numb. Tiny lights crawled in her vision.

Seolhyun was going to die.

She would never see her mom again. Oh God, she would be devastated. She couldn’t die this way, for no reason. She begged silently, prayed someone would find her before it was too late, and then... everything was fading.

She slipped into an inky abyss. The pressure wasn’t bad now. The rawness in seemed to ease. The pain was leaving. She was leaving, fading into the darkness.

Suddenly, his hands were gone, and there was a fleshy sound of a body hitting the road in the distance. It felt like Seolhyun was at the bottom of a deep well and the source of the noise was too far above.

But she could breathe again. She gluttonously ate each breath, drawing the beautiful air down her bruised throat, already feeding her starved organs. She started to cough as she gulped air.

Someone cried out in a soft, musical language she’d never heard before, and then there was another curse and punch being thrown. A body landed next to her, and she rolled slightly. Pain caused her to wince, but she welcomed it. It meant she was alive.

They were fighting in the shadows. One of them, a girl, grabbed another, holding him several feet into the air. The strength was shocking, brutal. Inhuman. Impossible.

Rolling up, Seolhyun was wracked by another round of coughing. She leaned over, putting weight on her wrist, and yelped.

“Dammit!” a deep voice exploded.

There was a flash of intense black and white light. Streetlamps down the street exploded, casting the entire block in darkness. Seolhyun doubled over as she heaved. Gravel crunched and tips of hiking boots came into view. She threw her arm out to keep whoever it was back.

“It’s okay. He’s gone. Are you okay?” A gentle hand was on her shoulder, steadying her. In a distant part of her brain, she thought her voice sounded familiar. “Just sit still.”

Seolhyun tried to lift her head, but dizziness nearly stole her breath. Her vision blurred and then cleared. Her left eye was now swollen shut and throbbed with each beat of her pulse.

“Everything is okay.” A warmth started in her shoulder, flowing down her arm and circling her wrist, easing sore muscles and delving deeper.

“Thank you for...” Seolhyun’s words trailed off as her rescuer’s face swam into focus. High cheekbones, straight nose, and full lips formed before her eyes. A face that was striking and so cold that it could not possibly belong to the same heat that was slowly swallowing her entire body. Vibrant, familiar black eyes met hers.

“Seolhyun,” Hyejeong said. Concern was etched in her forehead. “Are you still with me?”

“You,” She whispered as her head lulled to the side. She vaguely noticed it was no longer raining.

“Yes, it’s me.”

Dazed, Seolhyun glanced down where she was holding her wrist. It wasn’t throbbing any longer but Hyejeong’s touch was doing something else. She jerked her arm back, confused.

“I can help you,” she insisted, reaching for her again.

“No!” Seolhyun shrieked and it hurt.

Hyejeong hovered a moment longer and then straightened, her eyes glancing down at Seolhyun’s wrist. “Whatever. I’ll call the police.”

Seolhyun tried not to listen to her as Hyejeong spoke to the police on the phone. Eventually, she was able to catch her breath. “Thank... you.” Her voice was hoarse, and it hurt to speak.

“Don’t thank me.” Hyejeong dragged her fingers through her hair. “Dammit, this is my fault.”

How is this her fault? Seolhyun leaned back carefully and peered up, way up, and she immediately wished she hadn’t. Hyejeong looked fierce. And protective.

“See something you like?”

Seolhyun dropped her gaze... to Hyejeong’s clenched hands. Her knuckles weren’