Darkness.
The streetlamps flickered inauspiciously. A woman turned the corner, heading south. Heading away from the crowds. Heading into the darkness. In the strobing illumination one could just make out the fiery red of her long wavy hair. A small crowd of around seven men darted out from a derelict building, blocking off the road in front of her. Surveying her options, she turned tail and ran before they could advance on her. She shouldn't have come out tonight. She shouldn't have passed by that pub. She shouldn't have stopped when she heard the click of a gun being loaded. And she most certainly shouldn't have stopped to listen to the conversation these criminals were having. Because that's what they were - criminals. Owning a gun is illegal in England and of course the capital city was no exception. The pinging of gunfire echoed in the hushed night air and she was harshly shaken out of her thoughts and into the present. She should have just called the police. They would have sorted it out. Instead she got caught and was now being chased by crazy gun-wielding delinquents. Stupid, Irene, stupid. Stupid, stupid, stupid. Seeing an intersection up ahead she turned right and swung into the first alleyway, not moving in the darkness so as not to draw attention to herself.
Darkness.
