I walked through the halls, not realizing the small grin that I couldn't erase from my face. I kept thinking back to Mateo and his kind actions. Even the amount of homework that I had couldn't ruin how happy I was.
I stayed late for night school to catch up on extra homework that the teacher had given me since I started school late. I look at my watch, gasping at how late it had gotten. I stretch my arms and yawned, satisfied with the amount of work I had completed, and packed my belongings. The thought of the comfortable duvet mattress waiting for me back at the hotel gave me that extra jolt in my step as I walked out of the school gates. As I am about to waive down a cab, I feel around my backpack for my wallet. I feel my heart drop as I can't find it in my backpack. I groan, raising my palm to my forehead. I left it in the hotel room. Letting out an audible sigh, I searched for the walking directions on my phone. I groan even louder when I read that my battery was at 5%. I run my hands through my hair, frustrated at the predicament I had found myself in.
"Gosh, just when I thought I was having a good day." I say to myself, wanting to scream. I try memorizing the directions on my phone before turning it off.
***
'Okay, I know I am supposed to turn somewhere here.' I think to myself as I roam the streets of Seoul. None of the buildings looked familiar compared to the ones I saw this morning. I expected to see the DH Hotel insignia by now, but I found myself in a rundown side of town. I turn around, wanting to retrace my steps, when I see two men standing at the edge of the alley. They were dressed in all black with ski masks to cover their faces. They were far, but I could tell that they were watching me with cold, distant eyes. I hear them laugh and whistle in my direction. I turn back around, wanting to avoid the men at all costs. I silently curse myself for not paying more attention in the taekwondo classes I had taken years ago.
I turn my head towards the men and realize that they are now following me. One of the men was dragging a sharp object across the brick wall, making a screeching sound as they inched closer to me. I quickened my pace as I rounded a few corners and avoided dead ends, trying to lose them. The footsteps I heard had gotten quieter. I turn to see that the second man had disappeared, and now just one was following me. My heart was racing as my mind felt scrambled. If one is behind me, the other is probably trying to trap me from the front.
My senses magnified, trying to figure out how to escape a situation like this safely. I reach into my backpack for my pepper spray bottle and hold it tight in my hand. I didn't have a plan and didn't know where I was. I closed my eyes tightly as I took in a deep breath, trying to calm down. I stopped walking and turned, facing the man behind me. He stops walking and pulls out a lollipop from his pocket, popping it in his mouth. I take one last deep breath as I charge at him. He stumbles back a little, shocked at my sudden change of direction.
I charge at the man, holding my pepper spray at his eye level. Once I am in range, I spray the contents onto his face. He howls in pain as he grips his face, trying to rub the pepper spray out of his eyes. He drops to the floor, knocking over garbage bins, unable to relieve the pain.
"You fucking bitch!" He screams out, "Now you are really going to pay!" I push past him and continue running. I feel the color drain from my face as two other men block the path in front of me. I turn around to run in the opposite direction, to see one more man walking up to me. I try to spray my pepper spray, but one of the men grabs my arm from behind me. He wraps his arms behind me. I thrash my body, trying to escape his grasp.
"What's a fine lady like you doing alone at night outside by herself?" He asks behind me, smelling my hair. I could smell the alcohol in his breath and his rough hands on my body.
One of the men wearing a red shirt approached me in the front. He examined me from head to toe as he walked in circles around me. I tried kicking and biting the man holding onto me but to no avail. I was outnumbered, and he was much stronger than I.
"It won't hurt if you listen to me." He whispered in my ear, using one of his hands to caress my body. I shut my eyes as I quivered from his grotesque touch. I took a deep breath in and used all of my force to throw my head back into the man's nose. I hear a crunch followed by a holler of pain. His arms fall limp, and I use the opportunity to kick the man in front of me in the groin. He grunts from the impact and motions for the others to go after me. I try running past him, but he grabs my ankle, making me crash to the floor. His fingernails dig deep into my skin until I feel blood begin to trickle down into my shoe. He struggles to get up, picks up a sharp object, and holds it to my neck.
One of the men stands above me, putting a napkin to my face. I scream into the man's hand as I try to push him away from me. Black spots begin to appear at the edges of my vision as I struggle in his hands.
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING??!!" An unfamiliar man's voice in the distance yells. His voice sounds muffled as my vision blurs. The man holding the sharp object to my neck pulls back, cutting into my skin as he backed away. The men gathered the others as they tried to run off into the alleyway. My hand shakes as I press down on my neck to stop the bleeding. I tried focusing my eyes on the stranger throwing fists at the men one-on-one, but darkness edged my vision. I rolled onto my back, trying to shake the urge to sleep.
I can barely see the face above me as I fight the urge to fall asleep. I lay on the cold pavement, the cold seeping into my bones as I lay there, each blink my eyelids grew heavier.
I blinked, trying to focus on the blurry face above me, urging me to stay awake. He lifts me and begins to run. I do not know where he is taking me, my body limp in his arms. I look at the sky as I see the lights flashing me by in a blur. I finally fall victim to whatever I inhaled and fall fast asleep.