Page 15 of Ash

"You spend a little time with me. I give you a little spending money. If you really treat me good, I'll give you more."

His hand was sweaty on her wrist.

Or maybe she was sweating.

She certainly didn't like the feeling of him touching her.

Suzannah tugged her arm, trying to get rid of his grip. "I'm going to scream."

She hated that her voice was barely a whisper. She couldn't quite manage any more. Fear was stealing her air.

For a moment, he had his eyes locked on hers and then with a grin that looked like one of those hyenas in The Lion King, toothy and slavering.

Then he let go and she stumbled, almost falling.

She braced a hand on a table and quickly made her way toward the back of the diner, slipping into the hallway leading to the bathroom.

She smiled when she saw the sign that was the ladies room. Suzannah grabbed the handle on the door and pulled it open, stopping after a few inches as the cold air conditioning touched her face, and her nose filled with the tart lemon smell of a cleaner.

Lemons had never smelled so good.

Suzannah picked up her foot to step inside and felt her breath catch in her chest as an arm reached around her waist.

"Hey there, Blondie."

Fear.

It felt like ice water in her veins and every muscle in her body tensed up.

"I told you I wanted to have a little fun."

She tried to shake her head but couldn't seem to move.

Her heart thundering against her ribs.

"So let's go inside the bathroom and... have some fun."

She felt him press against her back, pushing her toward the cold chill of the bathroom.

Do something!

Her brain was screaming at her, but her limbs were frozen.

DO SOMETHING!

So she opened her mouth to scream.

And his hand cut off that scream.

His hand covered her mouth and nose and all she could smell was him.

There was no description for that... smell.

Sweat? Stench?

Nothing she could identify.

But she felt... fear.

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