Second Story: In The Nick of Time

Chapter 6

24 September 2021

As the deadly blade descended towards her, Mai managed to dodge the blow, but the mysterious criminal shoved her onto the ground and tried to attack her again. The girl desperately tried to defend herself by holding the assailant's arms, violently scratching them in the hands and the neck in the process. Letting out a painful cry, the attacker attempted to aim at her throat and plunge his knife. His right hand had covered the girl's mouth, stifling any sound coming from her.

However, the fragile girl had quickly taken out something from her handbag and sprayed the assailant with it. It was a bottle of pepper spray which proved to be effective. The dagger was dropped hastily onto the concrete floor, making a metallic ring in the dark alley. The girl whom Mai was watching turned her head to the origin of the sound but soon dismissed it as stray cats making a mess in the neighbourhood. The attacker hastily got away and melted into the darkness as quickly as he had appeared behind her.

"Son of a b----!," Mai cursed as she was assessing the damage to her clothes and checking for bruises and cuts. "I have to thank big sis after this whole ordeal. Right, what about the girl?"

Mai turned around to reconnoitre the street again and saw the girl safely entering her house.

"Thank the stars for that, one person left."

On the way home, Mai was sitting quietly inside the underground train, contemplating what could have happened to her if she were only a bit slower. It was unlike the encounter before: that criminal seriously intended to kill her, she would have been the first murder victim, and no one would be able to stop the killing spree afterwards. Such a thought sent a chill down her spine.

She could not bear to take a taxi even though it was approaching midnight because she could not trust her safety to any strangers anymore. At least for now.

"Welcome home, little one," greeted Phương in a half-joking manner. "How was your so-called investigation tonight?"

"The second girl's safe for now," replied Mai lazily, not bothered to employ her verbal switchblade and counter the little jab her elder sister had just made. "Thanks, sis, for everything you've done for me so far."

"Don't mention it. What about the third girl? Need my help again?"

"No thanks, I can pull my own strings this time. I'll remember to do two weeks of chores, so fret not."

"What a good girl you are," Phương flashed a thousand-watt grin that could have powered the entire Hanoi. "Go have dinner then take a shower. Rest well."

The eventful night ended, and the next day had dawned upon the city again.

"Yes! It's the 25th today!" Mai cheered. She was jumping around so jovially on her bed such that her sister barged into her room and scolded her for making a ruckus.

At school, during lunchtime, Mai was thinking about her next moves while absent-mindedly stabbing some frankfurters with her chopsticks. Châu Anh and Thảo looked at one another for a brief moment, then simultaneously turned to their best friend.

"What are you up to recently?" asked Châu Anh.

"Nothing much, except for going to cram school."

"Your grades don't warrant extra classes,' remarked Thảo.

Mai felt that she was slowly being driven into a corner. One could fool Châu Anh because she was a natural airhead, but Thảo was quick to connect the dots. Mai had to make sure she did not slip up and only divulged what was needed to be said.

"My friend from junior high at another school is interested in a girl in Grade 10. Her name is... The two of you are acquainted with her?" Mai changed the subject, in order to steer away from dangerous territory.