Destitute Desires

1

Just keep walking Clara, he'll go away soon.

I'd been telling myself that for the past three lengthy minutes, yet the shifty man a few paces behind me hadn't turned off his path since.

I'd gone to the local corner shop after Louise's birthday do, and grabbed a bottle of vino before heading home. And this guy had followed me since then.
I turned onto Bennet St., which was only a few minutes away from my homely flat, where I could lock all my doors and windows, and relax with my bottle and 27 Dresses.
The temperature suddenly seemed to drop a few degrees, and I yanked my coat tighter around me, reminding me that I wasn't safe yet. I was far from safe, and far enough from home.

The man behind me sniggered at my action.
"You won't need to pull it tighter darlin'... it'll be off you soon anyway."

I stopped, my pathetic heart palpitating in my chest. This had never happened before. I could practically smell the hunger radiating from him.
It was my fault anyway; I shouldn't have dressed like this this late at night, I was practically asking for it, in their eyes. Horrible, greedy eyes, scouring over you like you're a peice of meat on a deli counter.

My body went rigid. All the background noise of the city died down, and in that moment I knew that I was completely alone, and that no one would know about what was going to happen.

I closed my eyes, and held my breath. I considered running, but in these ridiculously high shoes, I'd probably fall and make it easier for him.

I turned to look at my pursuer, and was shoved roughly to the concrete, my head hitting the callous brick wall. All I could see was darkness, due to the cloth he'd shoved over my eyes and mouth to stop me screaming.
It began to rain, and a wave of hopelessness washed over me, as my bottle was thrown to the side and my skirt was torn.
This is it. This is how it's gonna end.

I was breathing heavier now; my arms and legs were flailing in an attempt to break free of his hold, but he kept one arm firmly pressed against my abdomen, elbow digging in and hand now crushing my throat.
I felt the cool night air as my legs became exposed, and then my attacker was pulled off of me in one quick move.
Rolling onto my side, I gasped for the air I had been starved of. My lungs burned, and my heart began to hammer in time with my shallow breaths.

Behind me lay the attacker, on his back. And straddling him was someone who no one ever noticed. The life was being slowly beaten out of my attacker, and before I could register what my legs were doing, I had grabbed my skirt and bottle, and broken into a sprint back down the street, back home.