Jenna, the beginning

Jenna rushed through the small back alleys that make up most of the outer city neighbourhoods. "Got to get to the queen and tell her how to deal with this Maigoth." she thought, using it as a way to keep herself moving as fast as she could. The sun was already setting when Jenna was halfway through the outer city. When she made it out of those neighbourhoods, she would be able to take the main road straight to the capital.

But there was something that felt wrong, like a bad omen that followed her around. Whatever she did, she should not linger around in these parts. The normally friendly and cozy back alleys felt suffocating and hostile. "Move, Jenna. Move. Get out of here, quick." her senses told her, though the more she thought about it, the further the inner city seemed to move away from her.

Suddenly she felt a huge presence behind her and she quickly turned around. Nothing. She looked left, right and up, but there was nothing. Did she imagine it? Was she that tense? She reluctantly turned around as if she was turning her back to a hungry predator, then resumed her way. Sometimes looking back over her shoulder suspiciously. Two corners later she abruptly stopped and looked up. Was there a shadow of something overhead just now? Or did she just imagine that too? Was she going crazy?

She shook herself out of her haze and carried on. Three blocks further though she heard a whoosh behind her back and a flower pot fell down, breaking on the street tiles. "Ok, you weren't imagining things, Jenna. You are being stalked. Move! Quick!" she said to herself and following her own advice, she now really got a move on.

Only a few blocks to go. Left, right, small alley, looking back, "Don't look, walk!", another right, down a ramp, around the corner, 3 blocks, left. Damn, a dead end! She quickly looked around as her heart raced. Nothing. "Don't freeze, Jen. Keep on moving, almost made it to the safety of the crowd.". Ok, back, to the right then, past the gate, squeezing past the rubble, looking up and back. "Don't attack now, don't attack now, don't attack now!", and past the rubble! 2 Blocks, can hear the main street, turning right, just one more block, can see the lights! Almost there! The euphoric feeling of safety rushing through her body. Only a few meter to go, Jenna almost cried from relief "I have made it! I have m…".

Her eyes grew big like breakfast plates and the air got pushed out of her lungs when multiple dark tentacles wrapped themselves around her from the back, pulled her away from the exit of the alley and up into the air. Some people walking past the alley entrance looked into it, thinking the might've seen something move, but then probably thought by themselves they made a mistake and turned their heads back forward.