Melody stood by the roadside, her heart racing as she bit her lip in frustration.
Countless attempts to start her car had yielded nothing but silence; it seemed her vehicle had chosen this very night to betray her, refusing to carry her home.
The night was thick with tension, shadows lengthening as the headlights of passing cars sliced through the darkness, each one a reminder of her isolation.
Worry etched deep lines across her forehead as she scanned the speeding vehicles.
It felt as though an invisible barrier surrounded her, every driver ignored and raced past her.
She was in a sea of indifference, and despair tinged her thoughts.
With a sigh, she reached for her phone, but panic washed over her when she realized she had no one to call for help.
Just then, her phone vibrated with a call from her aunt. Relief mingled with anxiety as she answered, hearing the elderly woman's voice dripping with concern.
"Melody, what are you up to? Why haven't you reached home yet?" Her aunt's voice was a lifeline, filled with worry as she paced her apartment, anxious for her niece's safe return.
Melody tucked a strand of her dark hair behind her ear, her fingers trembling. "I'm sorry, Aunt. I didn't mean to worry you, but my car broke down, and I can't find a ride anywhere."
Her aunt's frown deepened. "You know how dangerous it is to be wandering the streets at night, young woman. I'll send someone to get you, and you best ensure your safety. I cannot bear the thought of something happening to you."
"I understand, Aunt," Melody replied, glancing anxiously at the distance to her home. "I'm by the bridge—it's quite far."
"Stay in the car and lock all the doors," her aunt instructed firmly. "Don't move around alone; even two people can be unsafe. You're not just anyone; you're my precious niece." The call ended abruptly as her aunt hurriedly dialed for help, leaving Melody to her anxiety.
With a heavy sigh, Melody noticed the ominous glow of her phone's battery icon—red and dwindling. "Really? Now, of all times?" she muttered in exasperation, frustration tinging her voice.
Determined to follow her aunt's advice, she squeezed into the back of the car, locking the doors with a firm click and pulling her knees to her chest.
The night seemed to stretch endlessly as she waited, her heart pounding in her chest with every passing car that whizzed by, indifferent to her plight.
"Why tonight?" she wondered, her thoughts spiraling.
Why any night at all?
This car had always been dependable; it was as if fate mocked her, choosing this night to throw her into chaos.
Lost in her worry, a sudden burst of laughter pierced the stillness, yanking her from her thoughts.
Turning cautiously, she caught sight of a group of men ambling carelessly along the sidewalk.
They were not teenagers, their rough demeanor and slurred banter hinting at too many drinks. One of them clutched a glass bottle, the moonlight glinting off its surface.
An ominous bell rung in her head, an instinctive response to the looming threat. If they discovered her hiding here, there was no doubt they would stop by and harass her.
Sure, she considered herself brave, but eight of them? That was a fight she couldn't win.
To her relief, none seemed to have noticed her yet. She huddled low, drawing her knees tight to her chest, her breath hitching as she silently hoped for their immediate departure.
Each heartbeat echoed in her ears, a constant reminder of the urgency of her situation.
"Who could have left their car here?" one of them mused with a mocking tone.
"They must be either rich or reckless—this car won't be here tomorrow morning." He laughed, a cruel sound, as he casually thumped the bumper, jolting her heart as though he'd struck a physical blow.
"Or maybe it just broke down, and they rushed off for help," another voice chimed in.
"Either way," the first one challenged, "let's search it first. We should grab the valuables before the real thief arrives. Consider us doing a good deed by lightening their load." Their laughter rang out, sinister in the dim twilight, piercing through her last shred of hope.
"Shit," Melody muttered under her breath, a surge of frustration coursing through her as she banged her forehead against her knees. This country felt cursed; this city was a hellhole.
Was there not a single decent person among them? Why couldn't they simply mind their own business rather than resorting to theft and disdain?
Biting her lip in irritation, she felt the weight of despair settle in her chest. The crime rate was spiraling upward, day by day, and the people had begun to operate without a shred of fear or regard for consequences.
"The doors are locked," one of the thugs announced, his voice tinged with disappointment after trying the car handles.
"Of course it would be locked, are you dumb?" His friend hit him on the head.
"Then break the windows; we don't have time to waste!" came the impatient command, full of audacity.
Panic surged through her as she clenched her phone tightly in her palm, glancing around for anything she could wield as a defense if things turned violent. There was nothing.
Just when her mind raced with desperate thoughts, a deafening bang echoed against the window directly facing her.
With a harsh crack, the glass shattered on the third strike, sending shards spiraling. Melody blocked her head with her hands to avoid getting cut.
A figure thrust their head through the gaping hole, eyes locking onto Melody's wide gaze as she crouched, trapped inside the car.
She didn't scream, a stark contrast to the tension crackling in the air.
His lips curled into a sly smirk, "There's a beauty in here," he said, his voice dripping with mischief as he leaned in to pull open the car door.
"Where?" the other men asked, their voices echoing with curiosity as they rushed toward him.
But just as he reached for the handle, Melody's finger pressed down on the lock from the inside and from her side.
With a swift push, she swung the door open, stepping out into the dimly lit night while clutching her purse. She found herself face to face with one of the men, his predatory gaze fixated on her.
"There's no need to run, darling. We already outnumber you," he taunted, reaching a hand out toward her. In a split second, she reacted instinctively, striking his neck with the edge of her phone.
He gasped in pain, his expression shifting from arrogance to surprise as he clutched the spot.
"You evil—" he cursed, his anger evident across his features.
Seizing the moment, Melody turned and raced away, adrenaline surging through her veins.
Stopping to confront them was out of the question; she shuddered at the thought of being overpowered and facing the horrors they would inflict.
They chased after her, abandoning their original plan to rob her car, her heart pounding a frantic rhythm in her chest. With every desperate stride, her hair flew behind her like a dark banner, as the streets lay empty, leaving her alone to face these wicked men.
"Where is the help Aunt Nina promised to send?" she questioned internally, panic creeping in as she sprinted.
The answer eluded her; time felt suspended, and she cursed the delay.
They were closing in on her. "I swear, if I get hold of you, you'd wish you were never born!" one of them bellowed, his voice filled with malice.
"You wish," Melody muttered to herself. The very last thing she would do was allow them to catch her.
In her frantic glance back, she missed a stone on the ground. Her foot caught, and she tumbled forward, hitting the unforgiving pavement hard. Gritting her teeth against the pain, she struggled to rise, but blood began to seep from grazed skin on her leg, and her elbows throbbed from the impact.
"Oh, come on!" she grunted, cursing her misfortune on this wretched night.
Every attempt to stand felt like a battle. One of her pursuers closed in, panting heavily, a twisted grin stretching across his face. "I told you I'd get you!" he shouted, stepping toward her as the others caught up.
Frantic, she forced herself to her feet, breathing heavily, panic curling tightly in her chest.
"There's no use running now," he sneered, inching closer, the wicked satisfaction oozing from his words.
Just then, the roar of a motorcycle pierced the air, its headlights cutting through the darkness like a beacon of hope. The bike raced toward them with a reckless speed.
Is this help from Aunt Nina? she wondered, shielding her eyes from the blinding light.
The bike sped into view, positioning itself protectively in front of her. "Hop on" the rider commanded, his voice muffled but urgent.
"Who are you, and what do you want?" The man who planned to harass her shouted, his bravado faltering as he attempted to charge. But the biker acted swiftly, gripping the aggressor by the collar and throwing him aside like a rag doll, sending him flipping to the ground.
Without thinking, Melody obeyed, climbing onto the bike without a second glance. The rider's face remained obscured beneath the mask.
She could only try to convince herself that it was the help her aunt had sent.
Melody failed to notice the significant similarities between this bike and the one she saw at the bank the other day.
He was here and he had found her, but she didn't know.