YOU, ME, & SHE • |KTH AU| •

forty

As I cruised through the neighborhood on my trusty scooter, the afternoon sun casted long shadows on the ground.

The house I was looking for was tucked away at the end of the street, seemingly isolated from the rest. I parked my scooter by the curb, eying my surroundings warily as I stepped onto the cracked sidewalk.

As I approached, a chill suddenly ran down my spine. And then I saw it: a shadowy figure lurking at the side of the house.

Before I could blink, the figure lunged forward, revealing himself to be a creepy guy straight from the pages of a bad horror flick. Gripping a knife with a menacing glint, he was joined by four more equally menacing guys who materialized from the shadows.

My throat went dry as they closed in on me, forming a tight circle.

"Give us all your money," The guy brandishing the knife growled. The glint of the blade danced in the sunlight.

I took a cautious step back. "No, please," I pleaded, my voice quivering. "Don't do this..."

But my words fell on deaf ears as one of the guys snatched the pizza boxes from my trembling hands, his greasy fingers leaving smudges on the pristine box.

The one wielding the knife, his eyes glinting with malice, grabbed my hand and pulled me uncomfortably close.

His gaze traveled up and down my body, his lips curling into a lewd grin. "Look at you, ain't you a pretty one..." He sneered, and his cronies joined in with crude laughter that echoed through the tense air.

"You're a sweet little thing, ain't ya?" He went on tauntingly, his voice laced with a twisted excitement. "I bet you taste better than this pizza," He glanced at the others. "Want a bite of her, fellas?"

They jeered and cackled in agreement, and I felt my stomach turn, a mix of fear and disgust rising inside of me.

I shut my eyes tight, shrinking as the ringleader brought his face to mine.

And then a loud screech of tires against the asphalt tore through the air, making him freeze.

I snapped my eyes open to see a sleek black SUV pulling up alongside us.

The window of the car rolled down, revealing a man with a cigar dangling from his lips. "Gentlemen, is there a problem here?" He asked smoothly.

The thugs stared at him in shock for several seconds. Then they scattered away like startled mice, leaving me standing there stockstill.

The man turned his attention to me. "Are you okay?" He asked.

I took a deep breath, trying to steady myself. "I'm fine, just shaken up," I replied.

He continued to study me, his piercing gaze lingering for several moments.

"I'm Greyson," He finally said, leaning forward slightly. "And you are..?"

I hesitated for a moment. "I'm Narae."

"Nice to meet you, Narae," Greyson drawled, eyes sparkling with intrigue. "Listen, do you need a ride? I can take you wherever you need to go."

"Thanks for the offer, but I'm good," I replied, pointing my chin towards the scooter.

Neither of us spoke for a lengthy few breaths as he stared and stared at me.

I cautiously stared back. There was something off about this guy...