Oculus | J. Todd ✔

[04]

Her white cane struck against the stones as she walked carefully through the darkened streets that led to her home. She had gotten late and she knew it wasn't safe for her to be out in the city at night for there was no knowing what evil was waiting in the alleys for a prey.

The slight pattering of raindrops had started and she felt the drops glide down her skin, her head arching up to the sky momentarily. She knew she had to be twice more cautious because puddles would form due to the rain which she should avoid in order to prevent any risk to herself.

Evelyn always took the disconnected routes to her place instead of the main city streets because the traffic and the incomprehensible glare of lights made her anxious. For her, every place in Gotham reeked of danger be it the alleys she was walking through or the central square or even the parks.

But she had always managed to look past her fears and deal with life the best she could.

Keeping her other senses sharp, she cautiously walked through the alley, the countdown of her own steps resonating in her head. But all of a sudden she tensed, feeling the movement behind her.

Her grip on her cane tightened and a shiver went down her spine but she did not slow her pace down, in fact her steps quickened wanting to reach the destination as soon as possible. The count she was keeping in her head got disrupted when she felt that she wasn't alone in fact there were more than two other people who seemed to be following her.

The footsteps edged closer and her heart sank as various terrifying thoughts of what could happen to her just then swam inside her. A hand snaked round her waist and she spun around quickly, her cane hitting the person behind her straight in the eye.

A howl of pain escaped him as he let go of her but she knew well that he wasn't the only one in the alley. Her cane had been snatched from her and the snap sounding shortly afterwards indicated that it had been broken. 

Evelyn stumbled back and broke into a run desperately, not knowing whether she would bump into anything on the way or not, for her mind had blacked out and she couldn't even recall where she was exactly.

All she could think of was to somehow get away from the men who had ganged up on her. But luck wasn't with her as she slipped in a puddle, falling face first on the ground. Laughter pierced the stillness of the atmosphere, sending shivers up and down her frail body as she tried to get up.

And even though she couldn't see the men, she could feel their presence and she knew she couldn't escape. One of them held her wrists as she was yanked up roughly, another tried to stop her thrashing form and the third had clamped a hand over her mouth, stifling her screams.

"All we wanted was to have fun with you, darling," a raspy voice sounded as the man who had been hit in the eye spoke up, "but what you did deserves punishment instead."

Her eyes were wide in fear yet devoid of any light as she struggled to break free from their grip but one against four wasn't a very fair situation.

They had held her hands at her back, a man gripping her delicate wrists forcefully and holding her against him so that she wouldn't escape. While the others seemed to be rather amused by the whole situation, aiming to take turns in breaking her like a precarious little glass doll.

She writhed against him, a scream for help ripping apart from her but the cries died down immediately as she felt the sharp edge of a switchblade graze against her throat.

"If you scream, I'll cut through."

A tear rolled down her cheek and her breath hitched in her throat as the blade pressed slightly, drops of red tainting the pale white skin as a thin cut was left in its wake.