Page 54 of Rules of Association

Minutes blended together as I walked and walked, the bright city streets turned darker as I made it closer to the beach. I didn't realize how far I actually parked, but it was still okay. When I got tired of my own voice in my head, I popped a headphone in and listened to music as I made the rest of the trek down to my car, being sure to leave one ear open just in case.

I was finally turning onto the cobblestone street of the market district when it occurred to me that my car might not be there anymore. I had been gone for hours and the parking register was only meant for two. Quickly, I fished out my keys and double pressed the lock button almost whimpering in relief as the car beeped its response.

Thank God. A tow was the last thing I wanted to deal with tonight.

“Hey!”

I jumped at the sound of the deep voice coming from behind me. Turning one way and then the other I looked for someone but didn’t see anything. So I kept walking, a little faster this time.

“Hey, I’m fucking talking to you,” the voice came closer now.

Well shit. What do I do? Turn around and confront this person or rush to my car and risk him getting in with me? I didn’t know, and I didn’t have time to decide because the next thing I knew an unfamiliar hand was gripping my shoulder and turning me around.

Suddenly I was face to face with an average height man with shaggy blonde hair, tattered old clothes, and no visible weapon. One look at his expression told me all I needed to know. Shoving him, I tried to move away. With quicker reflexes than I gave him credit for, he grabbed hold of one of my arms and yanked me back to him.

Without my permission, I let out a squeak of pain. He was holding my hurt wrist.Damn. I tried to jerk it back, but it didn’t budge.

Damn, damn, damn.

“Just give me your money, bitch, and I’ll be on my way,” the guy said.

“Fuck off,” I spat as I continued trying to free myself.

He yanked me closer, his clammy hand squeezing around my wrist so hard it felt like it could pop. In my face he said again, “Give me your fucking money.You don’t have to make this hard.”

“I don’t have any money,” I said. Which was true. My wallet was in my car.

He scoffed, “Yeah, right. This is a thirteen hundred dollar watch you have on, easy. Matter of fact, give me that too.”

“Take it,” I said, hoping he’d let go of me long enough for me to break loose.

He laughed, “No, no.Youtake it off.”

I tried to move again. Move back, move up, kick my legs,something. But I was sluggish, my heart rate starting to spike and fear starting to kick in. I hadn’t been ready for this. He’d sprung out of nowhere and I was at a loss on what to do. I was trapped, my only reaction to fight. But this guy had inches on me and strength, and the fighting just wasn’t working.

“You’re not going anywhere, bitch. Not until you give me this watch and all your goddamn money. And then maybe your pretty little ass can come with me afterward,” he sneered, ugly crooked teeth visible underneath his dirty smile.

“Fuck. You.” I grit out, but my voice was husky and I could hear a wavering ripple course through it.

This is not the time to go soft, Ceci.

“Maybe later, nowtake it off!” he yelled, using his grip on my wrist to twist my hands in front of me, allowing me access to the clasp of my watch.

Having no other choice, I obeyed. My heart was racing out of control and my hands were starting to shake even in the restraint of this asshole's grasp. But I did what he said. Moving to unclasp the watchslowly. Slow enough to buy myself time to think of a next move.

My body was telling me to kick, thrash, fight. But my brain was clearly saying that we were not going to win. He had my arms, so I couldn’t reach my phone. My keys were crushed in one of my palms, digging deep into the skin as I tried to conceal them. The street was dark, no one else visible in the dim light of the moon and this guy seemed like he was going to see this whole robbery thing out to the end.

Fuck, fuck, fuck.

“Take the damn watch offtoday,” he said, looking around himself agitatedly, like he was realizing he could get caught at any moment.

I did as he said. I unclasped the watch and jiggled my wrist enough that it dropped to the ground, hitting my shoe and then his before rolling to the cobblestone.

“Bitch,” he hissed. If he wanted to get the watch from the ground, he’d have to let me go. The obstacle didn’t deter him, he just continued with his plan. “Now the money.”

“It’s in my car.”

“Where’s that?”

---