A hand grabs me

From behind

The darkened streets

Fear has me frozen

Survival has me scream

Pushed against

A red brick wall

Feeling my knees buckle

I grasp lapels and cringe

Trapped between

Tears run down my skin

I hiss and squirm

And receive a laugh

Adrenaline making

My blood sing

I stomp, bite and scream

Slow kisses on my skin

Descend trying to coax me

To a place for the dead

I strain my neck

Desperate to get away

Will you not make this easy?

It will be over soon?

My head shakes

The voice of defeat away

And again I push

Receiving a split lip

Later broken arms

Ripping sounds in my ears

I thrash against the wall

Please stop. Will you not give in?

The voice is pleading

Desperately grieving

As I am torn open

Screams wasting

Into the mocking stars

Never give in

Another screams

And my broken self

Awakes and bites

A solid pulling

The monster screams

Laughing

Blood and fouls tasting

Run

It sounds

Not knowing

Not caring

Running

Cracking

Pain not registering

Faster

Farther

A light! A hope!

I scream

And everything

Goes into a blur

Voices changing

Sympathetic and angry

Lights flashing

For some reason

I’m crying

Years later

Still trying

Cringing at mirrors

When passing a stranger

A monster I picture

I cower and move faster

Hold myself closer

Hearing the uncovered

Whispers

‘What a poor scared little thing”

“A pretty thing she must have been”

Yes

A voice sounds bitterly

A pretty thing

She was

A pretty thing

I was

Now I shudder at the thought

Never again do I want to be

Such a pretty little thing