There is something about walking through the city at night that sets your pulse racing. Your friends have always warned you not to venture into this area after dark, but the feeling of living dangerously just keeps you coming back. You revel in the fact that the clicking of your high heels on the pavement causes everyone to look up at you as you pass. As you stride away, you can feel them looking you up and down. You sense those eyes burning into the backs of your thighs, up towards your bare shoulders and mentally mapping every point in between. Your curves are barely concealed under that light summer dress, which is hardly keeping you warm in the cooling night air.
As you descend the steps leading to the underpass, the clicking of your heels begins to echo. The increased volume makes you highly aware of your surroundings. The sound of voices and vehicles begins to disappear as you drop below street level. The steps lead you down to the tunnel running under the road, as as you reach the bottom of the steps, your eyes begin to adjust to the dim lighting. The smell hit your nostrils as you turn the corner, and can't help feeling that you've walked into a huge public toilet. Your footsteps falter as you attempt to avoid the puddles on the rough concrete floor. Not wanting to spoil your favourite shoes walking through carelessly discarded urine, your concentration focuses downwards, and you pay no attention to the man standing near the other end of the underpass.
You smile as you manage to successfully navigate the pools of piss, congratulating yourself for keeping your feet dry. As you look up to see your walk ahead, the unnoticed man is now right in front of you, causing your walk to pause. "You have a beautiful smile" he murmurs softly. "Whatever could be making you smile in a place like this?" You can't quite hear his words properly, causing you to lean closer to hear. There is something about his manner that seems unusual, but you are curious to know what he..."Oh" you gasp, as he takes hold of your throat, and slams you into the underpass wall. You begin to struggle against his hold, but the cold steel against your cheek makes you freeze immediately.
The smile falls away as you realise that the pressure against your face is a knife. The man sees the change in your demeanour and his face brightens as much as yours has fallen. The cold concrete wall feels rough against your shoulders. As you take stock of your situation, the cold spreads right through your body.
You take a deep breath, ready to scream in the hope of attracting some attention. There were enough people who noticed you walking this way. The swell of your chest gives you away, and before you can make a sound, the edge of the knife presses harder against your cheek. "Don't be stupid!" hisses your assailant. "I could cut your throat and be gone before you hit the ground!" With a long sigh, the air flows away along with your hope that you might get away from this man who holds your very life in his hands.