It didn't happen

Shock slammed into Melissa. Had someone seen her, exposed and **** in the hallway? With a **** gasp, she spun around, her eyes darting wildly across the deserted corridor. But the hallway remained empty, a sterile expanse mocking her fear. Relief flooded her, a cold wave that did little to quell the tremor in her hands. Had she been too paranoid, or had a witness truly slipped by unnoticed? The uncertainty gnawed at her, a seed of doubt planted in the fertile ground of her anxiety.

“Wanna hit the town tonight?”, that voice sounded again.

A voice, sharp and unexpected, sliced through the silence. It originated from the corner of the hallway, just out of sight. Melissa's breath hitched in her throat. At the same time, a rhythmic thudding echoed down the corridor – footsteps, approaching with a relentless certainty. Each beat resonated in her chest, a drumbeat of impending doom. Panic clawed at her throat. Was it who she feared? There was nowhere to hide, nowhere to run.

Panic tightened its icy grip around Melissa's heart. The voice, laced with a hint of amusement, echoed from around the corner. Flight or fight – the primal question screamed in her head. A **** glance down the hallway offered no solace. It stretched out before her, a sterile expanse devoid of hiding places. Escape in that direction was a suicide mission – the approaching footsteps were gaining ground with every beat. Trapped, Melissa's mind raced. There had to be another way. Her eyes darted around the meager shelter of the vending machine, searching for a last-ditch solution.

A frantic idea sparked in Melissa's mind, a **** gamble fueled by sheer terror. The vending machine, her temporary haven, transformed into a flimsy shield. With a surge of adrenaline, she abandoned the dropped soda can and scrambled to her feet. In a heartbeat, she pressed herself against the side of the machine, her back scraping against the cold metal. Every muscle screamed in protest as she contorted her body, praying the meager space would be enough to conceal her trembling form. The sound of approaching footsteps hammered in her ears, a relentless rhythm counting down the seconds until discovery.

A heartbeat later, a figure rounded the corner. It was a boy, oblivious to the drama unfolding mere inches away. His eyes glued to his phone, he shuffled past, humming absentmindedly. Relief flooded Melissa, so intense it almost choked her. She held her breath, afraid even the slightest exhale might betray her presence. The boy seemed like an eternity passing, the hallway stretching into a never-ending corridor.

“It will be very interesting”, the boy said.

A heartbeat later, a figure rounded the corner. Relief washed over Melissa as she recognized a student, oblivious to the drama unfolding just out of sight. Head bent, deeply engrossed in a phone conversation, the boy shuffled past, humming under his breath. Melissa held her breath, the silence thick enough to **** on. Every rustle of his clothes, every shift of his weight sent fresh waves of terror through her.

An eternity seemed to pass as the boy continued his phone call, his form a looming silhouette against the harsh fluorescent lights. Finally, with a muttered goodbye, he disappeared around the corner. Melissa slumped against the vending machine, the tension draining from her like a deflating balloon. She snatched up the forgotten soda can, the cold metal a welcome comfort against her clammy skin. As she popped the top, a shaky breath escaped her lips, the sound barely audible in the echoing silence of the hallway. The danger had passed, for now, but the taste of fear lingered, a metallic tang on her tongue.

Melissa's eyes darted to the corner where the oblivious student had vanished. The hallway there angled sharply, leading away from the sterile confines of the school building and towards the back of the campus. A sliver of hope flickered in her chest. That stretch, shrouded in the dappled shadows of countless trees, offered a potential sanctuary. It was a gamble, a **** leap into the unknown, but it was her only option.

Mustering the last vestiges of her courage, Melissa straightened, her body still buzzing with the adrenaline surge of her close call. Grasping the forgotten soda can tightly, she took a deep breath, the metallic tang a grim reminder of her vulnerability. With a determined glint in her eye, she pushed away from the vending machine and started towards the beckoning shadows, the deserted path a potential path to freedom or a perilous unknown.