Average Joe (2018)

Prologue

April 8th, 2018

East Harlem

A streak of lightning cracked against the dark sky, illuminating everything in the city in a blue glow. Somewhere in East Harlem was El Paso. The restaurant was closed. The glass doors were locked and curtains were pulled over the windows.

It felt as if Lexington Avenue split open when a shrill scream pierced the air. Lights in nearby apartments flicked on, and other yells, along with dog barks rang out.

Below the restaurant, a girl ran forward, rushing towards the window. The gray floor was painted in a crimson red that would never be removed. The girl hissed in pain, as the window lock slit her fingers several times. She fumbled with it some more, as a cold and dark, yet smooth, laugh came from the darkness.

"Samantha?" the voice sang. "Where do you think you're going?"

Finally, the lock snapped, just as the screws in the window frame came loose. Samantha jumped backward, her bare feet scraping the floor, as the window fell forward and broke against the hard floor, shards of glass flying in every direction.

Click, click, click...

As the sounds of the footsteps quickened, Samantha turned, just in time to see a shiny object in the darkness; a knife. Samantha ran to the left, just as her arm was slashed. She fell to the opposite wall, her arm ringing out in pain. She groaned as more of her blood hit the ground.

Samantha ran forward, her feet slapping the floor. A gloved hand grabbed her injured arm and squeezed a thumb into her cut. She screamed and the man threw her against the rough ground. A sickening crack could be heard the second her head connected to the floor. Her skull throbbing and vision blurred, she crawled backward, eventually finding the wall.

Samantha remained motionless, as the gloved hand gripped her jaw. The world around her faded to black, as the sharp, shiny blade ripped her skin.