Take a careful, safe route

Penny was not about to risk another attack. She decided to take a little extra time and go through the area with high hedges and hiding spots.

The path she chose was a lower-income neighborhood that bordered her own. It was still nice, but there was more clutter and less conformity. She wouldn't stand out quite as horribly as she would in the open areas of the other direction.

After three blocks, she knew she had made a good choice. Her cardigan was on the ground, blown up against a tree. It wasn't warm enough by itself but she was glad to have it on this cold early-morning trek. It had a pocket for her phone, too.

After six blocks, she felt silly. She probably hadn't been seen but she would have looked completely absurd if she was. A frigid, shivering, mostly-naked girl darting between spots of darkness or cover like a secret agent in a low-budget stealth game--she could almost laugh at herself between moments of panic and pain.

She could have been home already if she had taken the dangerous path, but this still seemed better.

After eight blocks, she found a nice hiding place near a bus stop. It was similar to the blind spot where the men had been sitting, but this one had broken lights. It had a good view of the surrounding area, which did not have broken lights. It would be hard for anyone to sneak up on this position.

Penny tried to "call" Emma, but it wasn't like there was a phone number. Speaking out loud to the phone didn't help. There was some sort of weird signal error, and Penny didn't spend long fighting with it before she moved on.