Don't Go Chasing Shadows

Chapter 1

I've made some really shitty decisions in my life, but walking home alone at 12AM on a Sunday night is probably one of my worst moments. My idiocy opted to continue when I took the shortcut through the deserted, back alleyway of Chicago.

I should have known better than to walk past a group of shady, bulky men, but like I said before, my decisions aren't always the most intelligent. So obviously, I shouldn't have been expecting anything more than for them to follow me.

We all know how stories like this end, and I wasn't looking forward to it. I should have just gotten a ride from Derek, or something.

Promising I would be back in a few hours was one of the many things Derek ensured I did before leaving for my sightseeing adventure. It was more of a walk down memory lane, considering that Chicago was my hometown. With everything that had been going on lately, I just needed some time to myself, away from the norms and my reality...time to pretend everything was okay, until I completely convinced myself that it was.

I felt an eerie presence behind me, but refused to turn around and look at the menacing eyes I assumed would be there. As the steps grew louder and I could hear the faint sound of a switchblade opening up, I picked up my pace, knowing it wouldn't do me any good. It was too late; they were going to kill me.

"Where ya goin' pretty lady?" One of them sneered at me.

He was an ugly looking fellow, with a scruffy looking beard and scars in all the wrong places. I could only make out a few of his features in the darkness, but his hair was definitely pitch black, like the surrounding night. He looked Hispanic or Latino, not that it really mattered. I assumed he was six feet or taller because of his ominous and looming stature.

In the dim light from the street lamp, I could make note of two other men. One was equally ugly to the man who spoke, but the other was surprisingly attractive. If it were any other circumstance, I would actually find him pretty hot, but then again, it wasn't any other circumstance...

"Don't go runnin' off now, we just want to have some fun," the other ugly man called out to me.

"Trust us. Come on over sweetheart," this time, it was a demand from the attractive blonde.

With that last comment, I whipped around and sprinted off deeper into the alleyway. Unsure of where I was going, nor how to get back onto the public streets, what I did know was that I was in deep shit.

As I heard the pounding of feet directly behind me, I knew they were getting too close. I turned onto a pathway to my left, which only brought me deeper into an opaque alley with absolutely no sign of life or light.

"Come on lil' lady, don't be difficult. We won't hurt you if you just be a good girl and listen," one shouted out, growing closer and closer. I didn't turn back this time to look at who said it; I just kept running.

It was too late. A hand reached my shoulder, and I knew that I was no longer moving forward. He had a good grip on me now, and wouldn't be letting me go easy. It seemed as if the more I struggled, the worse things got for me. His dirty and sweaty hands grabbed my waist from behind, pressing down hard enough to imprint his hand marks. His hold was too strong to escape no matter how hard I thrashed for freedom.

In a matter of seconds, I was pushed against a wall a few feet behind me. Another great evaluation to turn left and inevitably end up at a dead end, Aria.

As I fought hard against them for escape, I think my lack of cooperation frustrated them. The fact that they had a knife made everything a whole lot worse and terrifying. A knife meant that I could die; a knife meant that they had the upper hand and were still in control.