Teaser…

“Get your grimy hands off of me!” I scream.

Dust kicks up under my feet as I spin around, yanking my oversized messenger bag down from my shoulder. I turn to face one of my attackers, an almost beastly snarl on my face as I glare at him. It frustrates me to no end that he’s wearing a ski mask— they all are for some reason— because I want to see his face. I want to know exactly what this man looks like so I can have a before and after in my mind once I beat his face in with my bag. I have never been so grateful for the overly ambitious load of classes in my university schedule as I am right now, because my messenger bag is stuffed full of heavy textbooks, notebooks packed with intricate notes, and a bulging case of pens and pencils. The bag must weigh at least fifteen pounds, more than my little dog, Henry.

As soon as his precious, sweet little face pops into my mind, I’m filled with a renewed sense of vengeance. These fuckers think they are going to capture me and take me away from Henry. They think they can just show up in my busy, tightly-wound microcosm of a world and shake it all up so easily, like I’m made of papier-mache. Like I’m some wimpy little waif just waiting to be scooped up and stowed away in a castle.

I’m no princess. I’m no damsel. Nobody is going to Rapunzel me.

There are three of them and one of me, but all of my attackers are regarding me more like a wild animal with rabies than a slender, petite co-ed. That’s good. I want them to fear me. I want to keep them on their toes.

“Go on! Do your worst!” I hurl at them, spitting on the ground with rage. “Just try and take me, you filthy cowards! You have no idea who you’re messing with.”

“Calm down,” one of them hisses, glancing around furtively.

It’s still dark here on campus, the sun just starting to crown over the horizon. The sky is still that anemic shade of pale gray, the light barely illuminating the fluffy clouds above. Every tree and bush is shrouded in darkness, a hulking, mysterious shadow in the low light. The thought occurs to me that time is on my side. If I can just keep these guys at a safe enough distance for long enough, people will start showing up on campus. Students will start rolling in, half-asleep and bleary-eyed, for their early morning math classes. Professors will march across the grassy paths to their offices to prepare for a long day of teaching. The custodial staff will turn up to keep things clean and gleaming. After all, this is the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. This is an important place, filled with important, brilliant people. Overachievers like me who show up before the sun rises and don’t leave until after the sun disappears back over the horizon. Surely, sometime soon, backup will get here and I’ll be saved.

In the meantime, though, I have to fight.

All three of my masked assailants have their hands up, their tall, muscular frames carefully circling me as I wield my heavy messenger bag like a flail. I feel strangely powerful. Adrenaline pumps through my veins, but my heart is beating calmly and evenly. I never miss a beat. I never falter for even a moment. I am in total control here.

Finally, one of the masked men takes a dive toward me, but I’m prepared for him. With a throaty growl, I swing my bag at him and hit him hard in the shoulder. He cries out in agony, stumbling clumsily to the ground. His cohorts are so stunned by my attack that they hesitate— and their failure is my victory. I can clearly see the window of opportunity, and I take it.

I drop my bag and bolt in the opposite direction, the keys to my BMW roadster jangling reassuringly in my pocket. I’m running as fast as I can, breathing hard, never daring to look back. There is no need. I smile to myself, knowing that safety is just a few bounds away. I press the unlock button on my key fob over and over again as I run up to the driver’s side door. I fling it open and slide behind the wheel, my hands trembling slightly as I jab the key into the ignition and give it a violent turn. But to my horror, I turn it too hard— and the key snaps in half.

I cry out, my eyes wide as I gaze at the shattered key in my palm. A moment later, the windshield shatters with an ear-splitting crack, and as the shards of glass pierce my face, I am jolted awake.

My eyes round and wide open, I sit there slumped against the muddy wall, my chest heaving as I gasp for breath. I look around myself, my heart sinking as reality comes trickling back in. I’m not on campus in my car. I didn’t defend myself against my attacker.

He won the battle.

He captured me, and now I’m still sitting in this disgusting, dank hole waiting for him to carry out whatever sick punishment he has in mind for me.