She broke into the house

Allison thought back to the thrill she felt when she found an unlocked window, the apprehension just after crawling inside and the increasing curiosity as she started going through the house and picking up what she could find that would fetch a decent price through a fence. She had gathered up what silverware she could- a few easy bucks and easy to move- and was heading to the living room when she was suddenly tackled from behind.

She had started trying to struggle to roll over and push her attacker off, but after receiving a punch to the ribs she changed tactics to begging.

“Please let me go, I won’t take anything, just let me leave!” she had shouted.

“Shut the hell up,” was the only answer Allison got, realizing that she had been caught by a woman, not a man as she had thought.

And then the woman had started yanking and tearing Allison’s clothes off.

She reverted back to struggling, trying to get away, even begging, but the homeowner had her pinned down too well. It was only a matter of minutes before she found herself stripped naked. She began fearing the worst was about to happen when the woman grabbed Allison’s hair and pulled her to her feet.

Allison shuddered at the humiliating memory and looked towards the gas station in the distance. It was just too well-lit and she didn’t trust that the other side of the street would be dark enough to get past. Her luck had already run poorly tonight so she played it safe.

She crossed the intersection, taking the longer but safer way home. She jogged across the street and starting making her way down the sidewalk.

It wasn’t long before she heard the sound of a car approaching. She glanced behind her and saw headlights in the distance. There were several places where the car might turn, but Allison didn’t feel like she could take that chance. She moved quickly and reached a car parked in a house’s driveway. Quickly ducking down behind it, she looked through the windows to watch the oncoming car.

The car didn’t slow and turn at any intersection, and within a moment it drove right by where Allison waited. Hiding had been the right choice. Feeling well secluded in the dark, she watched it pass and waited until it was a good distance down the road before she stood up and continued walking.

When she reached the next intersection, Allison took a right. This would take her in the right direction, and she wouldn’t have to worry about the gas station’s bright lights giving her away.

After crossing several blocks without seeing or hearing anyone, she began to relax slightly. Allison let her arm drop down so she could walk more naturally, though still at a brisk pace. The left side of the street was a long line of houses, with a three-store strip mall on the right, all of the businesses past their closing hour and completely dark. She kept glancing around, hoping that if anyone was out and about she would see them before they saw her and she could hide or find another way around.

Moving beyond the end of the strip mall and into an intersection, Allison glanced down the street to her right. She could see the edge of the gas station property. She was now past it but the gas station’s lights illuminated part of this street as well.

One more block and I can get back over to that street, she thought, back on the route home.

As she finished crossing the street Allison stopped dead in her tracks. She heard something up ahead, hard to tell exactly what. She hunkered down and moved out of the range of any street lights before slowly creeping forward.

Voices. She could now clearly make out two distinct voices. She moved ahead further, looking for the source of the noise.

Who is out this late at night? She asked herself.

Peering ahead, she located the source of the sound- two men standing outside of an open garage door. Light pouring from the garage silhouetted them, both standing next to each other quietly talking.

Allison spent a split second wondering why they were out before realizing that knowing that wouldn’t help her situation. She had to work out how to get home.

Looking back over her shoulder, Allison knew she could return to that intersection and hazard getting past the gas station. The lights would illuminate a part of her, but if she could run past while no one was outside of the store or driving by, then she would be back on the road home. She also realized she could go the other way down the intersection- that would take her further away from home but might be a safer direction of travel. Finally she could go straight- if she could make it across the street unseen she might be able to sneak up close to the houses and stay well out of sight, away from the street lights periodically illuminating the sidewalk. Given tonight’s track record Allison wasn’t sure she trusted her sneaking skills, but couldn’t avoid considering the benefits of both avoiding the gas station and not getting further away from her house.

Her mind raced with the pros and cons of the options, while at the same time she thought back to why she’d broken into that house in the first place.