Page 3 of Darkest Descent

“No thank you,” I replied, smiling through my discomfort. “I’ll get my own.”

The handsome man gave an amicable nod, but I noticed more tension in his jaw as we both looked away to flag down the bartender’s attention.

I was looking in the opposite direction from the man, deciding whether to have a small or large wine, when hot breath ghosted over my ear, and a heavy hand landed on my ass, squeezing hard. “If you let me buy you a drink, I’ll let you suck my cock in the bathroom,” the scumbag of a man — no longer handsome — whispered, licking his tongue into my ear. I balked, recoiling away as my instincts proved correct. Creep. Never far from a creep.

Turning to him with shock on my face, I shoved him off me with all my might. “Get the fuck off me, you ass,” I shouted, incredulous that I’d run into yet another lowlife in such fast succession. Something must be in the damn water tonight. All my instincts were firing, confused.

“Ah, it’ll be nice!” he yelled as I weaved my way through the crowd, shoving and fighting against sweaty bodies until I was clear away from him. My heart was pounding as I settled right at the end of the bar and got the bartenders’ attention, ordering an extra large red wine.

Panic tickled at me. It felt as if all eyes were on me, like the world was closing in as I tried to just move through life. For a long time now, I’d felt watched. I’d grown used to the sensation of it, so much so it was almost a comfort. Like I was never really alone. When I spoke to Asher about it, or my friends, they told me I was nuts.

But in that moment, it grew more intense, like there was a monster at my back.

Or one with his hands on my ass.

As a hand squeezed my backside, I saw red.

2

Alice

Oh, it was damn satisfying when the scarlet liquid splashed all over the asshole’s face.Even, or maybe especially, because he yelled and gasped, stumbling back.The man who grabbed my ass for the second fucking time tonight fell into the person behind him with a crash.

Screaming, hollering, and big-boy bellows from angry men sounded like a cacophony of sheer chaos as they all wobbled about in the confusion of who’d started it.

Was I regretful? A little. But I’d batted him away once already, and he was just getting closer, pushing himself into my space, squeezing like he had no choice, or like I didn’t.It made me sick.

But seeing the mayhem now, I backed up, ready to escape the club.

“Hey!” the groper yelled at me, catching my eye when I was almost out of the vicinity of the bar.Shit, he looked fucking pissed.His bulbous, blood-shot eyes leered at me, the red wine dripping down his face and onto his crumpled white shirt.It made him look even more of a mess.How had I ever thought he was attractive?Beer goggles working overtime.

As the bar fight picked up, I turned and ran, fleeing the scene with a hint of fear and excitement rolling through my body.My friends cheered for me as I darted past them, a giggle falling from my mouth.They yelled their goodnights and love yous as I poured myself out into the street.

Cold air slammed into me as I fell through the door, alcohol still warming my blood, and I gasped the chill into my lungs, pausing for a moment to catch my bearings.The street was so quiet, eerily so.Moving from the busy, warm and vibrant bar into this icy, gloomy open air disorientated me and I had to blink it away, trudging towards the dorms and taking calming breaths.Something in the air was creeping me out, even without all the people crushing into me.Or maybe because they weren’t anymore.I was alone.

But I never felt quite alone anymore.And it was heightened in the dark, with the fuzz of booze messing with my instincts.It was a shiver at my back, but one I’d grown to ignore.

I pulled my cell from my pocket and fired off a text to a guy I sometimes hooked up with, letting him know I was leaving and that he could find me in my dorm if he wanted later.I saw that he’d read it, but when a response didn’t come through right away, I put my phone back in my pocket and focused on the shadowy streets.

This was a pretty safe college town with many initiatives from the police and the campus watch, but none the less, a shiver ran down my spine, and not just from the cold.That sense of being watched prickled at my back more than usual, tingling over my skin.

I turned to look behind me, expecting to see no one, but there was a shadow.A man, moving towards me at speed.Hood up, hands in pockets, face down.Striding fast.

My stomach damn near fell out of my asshole at the sight of the man, the way he was approaching, closing the gap with each large step.With my heart pounding, I crossed the road.It was a coincidence. He was a speedy walker, hurrying to get home, and I was just along his path.He’d carry on right by me and feel sheepish about scaring a woman.That’s all. He was a good man.Most of them were.

But being a lone female out at night was never the time to have a sense of security.Even in a safe town.

As I walked, moving in and out of the streetlights, I realized he had never passed me by on the other side of the road, but I wasn’t about to turn and check.Tension had me wanting to freeze, but I kept putting one foot in front of the other, wishing I’d stuck with my friends in the warm bar.

Footsteps that sounded too close echoed, still moving fast, still creeping me the fuck out.He was behind me, and he’d crossed the road too.Because this was the way home for him?Or something else? I didn’t want to find out.

With racing breaths, my feet carried me, turning from a brisk walk to a run.Never mind concern about looking stupid, fear had me now.Choking at me. I spent a significant amount of time feeling like prey now, so long with the unsettling sensation of being watched by something unseen, I just got used to it.But this was another matter altogether.

A cry fell from me as I turned a corner and caught sight of the figure looming in my periphery.He looked so intense, focused on getting closer.I was sure he could have already, if he wanted, so I had to think it was intentional.He was toying with me now.

And it was working.

A tear dripped onto my cheek when I saw the dorm, just across a grassy area with some benches, all lit up with small lights, a group of college kids smoking, sitting half on the ground,half on the seats, relaxed and happy.A laugh drifted through the air at the same moment I opened my mouth to shout for help.

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