Unhinged

Radiant Abyss

It was a small pull of my lips,
A gentle smile,
Not a code for consent.
I recoiled, immediately regretting it.

His eyes sparkled with carnal desire,
Pupils dilating ominously up and down my figure,
Outlining every luscious curve he could find,
Even beneath the oversized hoodie.

His luminous eyes probed,
Leaving it all to his imagination.
The way he licked his lips was
Akin to a wolf preparing to strike.

I swallowed dryly, lips pressing into a thin line,
A chill slithered up my chest
And nestled there,
As my heart thudded softly against my ribs.

His entire countenance glowed under the bus's
Soft, radiant light,
But as it danced in his eyes, its brilliance dimmed,
Giving them a predatory gleam.

The muted pounding of my heart gradually picked up
To rapid, powerful beats.
My movements rigid, yet erratic as he smiled,
His teeth flashing with a menacing aura.

The tension on the bus escalates,
Atmosphere oppressive, air stagnant.
The gentle vibration beneath my feet served
As the sole anchor to reality.

I subtly take deep breaths in, and out
To ward off any impending panic attack.
Not here, I told myself.
Not yet.

Such vulnerability does not bring pity.
Especially not from men;
It only heightens their attraction
Akin to a lamb bleeding amidst a forest.

I avert my gaze from the man,
Sensing the weight of his stare piercing through my body,
Resisting the urge to shield myself
Or reveal discomfort.

With each turn of the bus, I involuntarily tense up,
Swaying back and forth,
Nearly propelling me toward the leering man,
Akin to unwittingly inviting the wolf in sheep's clothing.

Clutching the handrails with clammy hands,
I hold on as if turned to stone,
My arm raised causing a portion of my hoodie to lift,
Exposing a vulnerable sliver of my torso.

I swiftly release it and grasp the metal bar instead,
Determined to close off any opportunity
For unwelcome advances.
My queasy stomach makes the decision for me.

The bitter cold air hits my collarbones,
And even the little exposure of my skin
Feels like an offering for him to snatch,
Prompting me to squirm with discomfort.

My eyes flit around the people on the bus,
Seeking refuge in the crowd.
However, my eyes narrow, heart quickening,
As I realize only men populate the bus.

Male students with backpacks,
Elderly men carrying shopping bags,
And others dozing off –
My gaze darts from one man to the next in a frenzy.

As the bus makes a sharp turn,
The men sway with the motion until the abrupt stop
Jolts me forward,
Stopping just short of colliding with a man's broad back.

Glancing outside through the large windows,
I am met with darkness looming beyond.
I stare blankly,
Finding solace in the comforting glow of the interior lights.

A soft swoosh, then a hiss.
A moment of eerie silence precedes the opening of the doors.
I hold my gaze on the man,
Anticipating his departure.

The perverse man exits the bus,
and I breathe a sigh of relief.
The remainder of the journey is uneventful.
I casually observe the surroundings,

I note each streetlight as they cast
A comforting ring of glowing yellow light on the pavement,
Providing a sense of security.
When the bus reaches my stop near my destination, I quickly disembark.

My heart then leaps into my throat
Upon spotting a man's silhouette beneath a streetlight,
The path I must take to reach home.
The alternative route is shrouded in impenetrable darkness.

The man's form is bulky and massive,
Outlined by an eerie yellow glow
That casts a menacing aura around him,
Marking him as a potential threat.

Though I try to reassure myself of their innocence,
Their demeanor exudes malevolence.
With shoulders squared and a rigid stance,
Every step I take forward feels burdened by fear.

There's an ugly quivering crawling up my chest
As my eyes adjust to the dimness.
A sharp gasp escapes me
As I discern a faintly perverse grin on his face.

My eyes flit everywhere in a frenzy
As I was now stuck
Between the light and the darkness,
Both withholding immense disadvantages.

My heart pounds in my ears,
My breath coming in quick, heavy gasps.
Despite the muggy heat,
My body feels feverish with fear.

I alternate between running straight to the circle of light
Not so far away,
Yet in this situation, the passage narrows and elongates,
And the obscurity while I'm running there causes me equal fear.

As the man chuckles and steps forward,
I pivot and dash away,
The gravel crunching under my swift footsteps,
My heart thundering in my throat.

The desperate sounds escaping me
Oscillate between sobs and wheezes
As the approaching, uncoordinated footsteps
Grow louder and louder.

In my frantic state, a grime realization dawns on me:
Even if I resist with all my strength, if he grabs me,
He will have what he desires,
And that has another level of helplessness sink in.

Approaching the circle of light, something occurs to me.
Standing beneath the light won't shield me;
It will only make me a conspicuous target,
Akin to adorning myself with Christmas lights.

Suppressing the lump of fear in my throat,
I beeline it to the darkness,
My limbs trembling,
My ribcage a numb, quivering cage.

The man jerks back in surprise,
Caught off guard by my retreat into the shadows. Not laying a hand on the darkness,
He remains within the light.

His expression a mix of
Conflict, anger, and frustration.
It becomes evident that leading me into the light
Was his sinister intent all along.

I slump in relief as he departs, his jaw clenched.
To him, those lights fostered a deceptive sense of safety,
Knowing that people trusted their glow
To reveal the hidden horrors within.

His facade of deception,
Drawing unsuspecting individuals like moths to a flame,
Only for the light to lower their defenses,
And ensnare them toward their inner demise.

Light.
It's not as secure as many assume.
Its exposure
Conceals far more than darkness ever could.