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Description
She was still coughing when she walked back into the grocery store. She took careful steps out of the darkness and into the fluorescent lights. Her expression was worried, but her body language said otherwise.

There was a scratch under her eye and blood on her lip, but she didn't seem to notice. Everyone else did though. The few employees left in the store noticed that she should have been long gone by now. When they saw the blood they could only scratch their heads and gasp.

She stopped at the water fountain, but she didn't take a drink, or wipe the blood from her lip, or even lean against it to catch her breath. No one approached her, maybe from fear, or just maybe they were confused. Then the red-head turned the corner and almost collided with her. He held her shoulders at arms length and was the first to say anything to her.

"What happened?"

She looked up at him -- he bent down to look her in the eye but he was still rather tall -- and struggled to answer him. She wasn't sure what she could say, or if he would believe her. His gaze did not falter, and she finally stammered, "I think I was attacked."

He led her back around the corner from which he had just emerged and through a door to a storage room. Off the side was a desk and chair, which he brought her to and suggested she sit.

"Tell me again," he said. "What happened?"

She stammered and stuttered as she spoke. "I was attacked, o-outside. He wanted money, which I don't bring to work." Part of her knew she had started to shake, but she ignored it.

"Is he still out there?"

She shook her head as she said, "yes." She stopped and said, "no." Then she said, "I don't know. I just got away and ran in here." She started to cough. "If I wasn't sick... maybe I wouldn't have gotten jumped. I would have realized..."

He looked at her hard and then grabbed a tissue from the desk. He tried to dab at the blood on her lip, but she winced. "Are you okay?" he asked.

"Not really," she sniffed. She didn't even realize she was crying.

It wasn't until nearly twenty minutes later that anyone suggested she go home. "No one's there," she said. "My dad is gone on business." And no one thought she was in any condition to drive.

The tall red-head said, "I'll drive you home."

"But my car."

"I'll drive it. I've got a buddy who can pick me up."

"Are you sure?"

The look on his face showed he couldn't be any more serious.

The car ride was silent. She was still shaking, and he kept looking over at her and biting his lip. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"I'll be fine."

"But home alone?"

"I'll be fine. Once the doors are locked."

He pulled into the driveway and stopped the car. She didn't get out right away. She stared at her scraped up hands in her lap, and at the dashboard, and then at him.

The overhead light was dim and coppery, but she could see him clear enough in it. She could see the freckles on his face, and the short red hair, and the look in his eyes she never thought she'd see. She saw him looking at her, not just the girl he worked with, but at a girl worth looking at.

"Thank you," she said. She wanted to say more, but the words were caught in her throat.

"No problem." He cleared his throat. "I'm just a little uneasy leaving you here."

"I'll be fine. I have a dog. More than I had in the parking lot."

"What if they guy followed you here?"

"Thanks for putting that thought in my head again." She coughed. "The cameras showed he left."

"Right." He stalled. "Well, let me give you my number. You can call me if you need anything."

Her heart fluttered, and blood rushed to her face. She hoped he didn't notice.

She watched him leave through her bedroom window, and checked several times that every window and door was locked. She stayed up late, keeping more lights on in the house than necessary, and then finally crawled into bed. Darkness smothered her into unconsciousness.

The slightest sound awoke her. The slightest sound she couldn't be sure was real clicked in the dark space before her. She reached for the table lamp and switched it on.

Light reflected against a silver gun. The name sat on her tongue, heavy and horrifying. She couldn't spit it out as she watched him tilt the gun.

He grinned. "Thanks for showing me where you live."

Description
She was still coughing when she walked back into the grocery store. She took careful steps out of the darkness and into the fluorescent lights. Her expression was worried, but her body language said otherwise.

There was a scratch under her eye and blood on her lip, but she didn't seem to notice. Everyone else did though. The few employees left in the store noticed that she should have been long gone by now. When they saw the blood they could only scratch their heads and gasp.

She stopped at the water fountain, but she didn't take a drink, or wipe the blood from her lip, or even lean against it to catch her breath. No one approached her, maybe from fear, or just maybe they were confused. Then the red-head turned the corner and almost collided with her. He held her shoulders at arms length and was the first to say anything to her.

"What happened?"

She looked up at him -- he bent down to look her in the eye but he was still rather tall -- and struggled to answer him. She wasn't sure what she could say, or if he would believe her. His gaze did not falter, and she finally stammered, "I think I was attacked."

He led her back around the corner from which he had just emerged and through a door to a storage room. Off the side was a desk and chair, which he brought her to and suggested she sit.

"Tell me again," he said. "What happened?"

She stammered and stuttered as she spoke. "I was attacked, o-outside. He wanted money, which I don't bring to work." Part of her knew she had started to shake, but she ignored it.

"Is he still out there?"

She shook her head as she said, "yes." She stopped and said, "no." Then she said, "I don't know. I just got away and ran in here." She started to cough. "If I wasn't sick... maybe I wouldn't have gotten jumped. I would have realized..."

He looked at her hard and then grabbed a tissue from the desk. He tried to dab at the blood on her lip, but she winced. "Are you okay?" he asked.

"Not really," she sniffed. She didn't even realize she was crying.

It wasn't until nearly twenty minutes later that anyone suggested she go home. "No one's there," she said. "My dad is gone on business." And no one thought she was in any condition to drive.

The tall red-head said, "I'll drive you home."

"But my car."

"I'll drive it. I've got a buddy who can pick me up."

"Are you sure?"

The look on his face showed he couldn't be any more serious.

The car ride was silent. She was still shaking, and he kept looking over at her and biting his lip. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"I'll be fine."

"But home alone?"

"I'll be fine. Once the doors are locked."

He pulled into the driveway and stopped the car. She didn't get out right away. She stared at her scraped up hands in her lap, and at the dashboard, and then at him.

The overhead light was dim and coppery, but she could see him clear enough in it. She could see the freckles on his face, and the short red hair, and the look in his eyes she never thought she'd see. She saw him looking at her, not just the girl he worked with, but at a girl worth looking at.

"Thank you," she said. She wanted to say more, but the words were caught in her throat.

"No problem." He cleared his throat. "I'm just a little uneasy leaving you here."

"I'll be fine. I have a dog. More than I had in the parking lot."

"What if they guy followed you here?"

"Thanks for putting that thought in my head again." She coughed. "The cameras showed he left."

"Right." He stalled. "Well, let me give you my number. You can call me if you need anything."

Her heart fluttered, and blood rushed to her face. She hoped he didn't notice.

She watched him leave through her bedroom window, and checked several times that every window and door was locked. She stayed up late, keeping more lights on in the house than necessary, and then finally crawled into bed. Darkness smothered her into unconsciousness.

The slightest sound awoke her. The slightest sound she couldn't be sure was real clicked in the dark space before her. She reached for the table lamp and switched it on.

Light reflected against a silver gun. The name sat on her tongue, heavy and horrifying. She couldn't spit it out as she watched him tilt the gun.

He grinned. "Thanks for showing me where you live."