Night fell. She tried to walk home, but footsteps echoed behind her.
"Need a ride?" he asked, emerging from the shadows.
"Why do you care?" she asked, voice trembling.
"Because I do," he said. His eyes glimmered with darkness, obsession, and desire.
A scream pierced the night, a shadow darted past. He stepped in front of her, protective, dangerous.
Her chest heaved. Her heart raced. She should run—but she couldn't. She was already trapped.