Chapter Two
The Stranger
I didn't know what happened next.
One second, I was clinging to the stranger's leg like my life depended on it.
The next, he was looking down at me.
His face was still mostly hidden by the darkness, but I could see enough to know he was watching me.
His voice came quietly.
Cold.
Calm.
Almost unsettling.
"Let go. I'm not leaving you behind."
I stared at him.
Something inside me told me not to trust him.
Something else told me I had no other choice.
For reasons I couldn't explain, I chose the second voice.
Slowly, I released his leg and dragged myself behind him.
The three men were getting closer.
The moon was unusually bright tonight, giving me just enough light to see their faces.
None of them were wearing masks.
And all three were smiling.
Not friendly smiles.
The kind that made my stomach twist.
I pressed myself farther behind the stranger.
What if they kill him?
The thought struck me immediately.
What if they get past him?
My mind began racing through every possible outcome, and none of them ended well.
My hands started trembling.
Then embarrassment joined the fear when I realized I'd lost control of my bladder.
Of all the times.
I wanted to disappear.
I wanted to cry.
I wanted my mother.
I wanted my old life.
Anything but this.
The men moved closer.
The stranger didn't.
He simply stood there.
Waiting.
One of the men lunged.
Everything happened so quickly that my eyes couldn't keep up.
A blur.
A sharp movement.
A heavy thud.
Then another.
And another.
Suddenly, all three men were on the ground.
Groaning.
I stared.
My mouth fell open.
What just happened?
I hadn't even seen him properly move.
He turned toward me.
For the briefest moment, our eyes met.
Then he looked away.
And walked off.
"Wait!"
My voice cracked.
He didn't stop.
"Please!"
I tried to push myself up, but my injured ankle sent a fresh wave of pain through me.
I watched his figure disappear into the darkness.
He was leaving.
After saving me, he was simply walking away as though nothing had happened.
My vision blurred again.
I didn't know whether it was from exhaustion, fear, or the tears filling my eyes.
I tried calling after him one more time.
Nothing.
My body finally gave up.
The darkness returned.
---
"Ahh…"
My eyes opened.
I stared at the ceiling.
For several seconds, I couldn't remember where I was.
I tried to move.
Every part of my body felt heavy, as though I'd spent the entire night fighting gravity itself.
My head throbbed.
I blinked.
Once.
Twice.
My vision slowly cleared.
And then I forgot about the pain.
I stared around the room.
It was enormous.
Elegant.
Almost unreal.
Soft curtains framed tall windows, delicate light spilling through them. The furniture looked expensive enough to belong in a museum, and every detail seemed carefully chosen.
Where am I?
Then the memories returned.
The footsteps.
The men.
The stranger.
My ankle.
I sat up quickly.
My first instinct was to check myself.
I was okay.
At least physically.
But then I noticed something.
I wasn't wearing the pajamas I'd fallen asleep in.
Someone had changed my clothes.
My stomach tightened.
I looked around the room.
Who?
Someone had cleaned me up and dressed me in fresh pajamas while I was unconscious.
I pulled the blanket closer.
My instincts screamed at me to leave.
But where would I go?
I didn't even know where I was.
Then another thought hit me.
The man.
The stranger who had saved me.
Had he brought me here?
And if he had…
Why?