He never thought of one scenario..

She walked home from school that sunny Saturday afternoon. Nothing out of the ordinary, really; she thought about what she learned today and the homework her teachers had assigned her. Lost in her little world, she turned into the desolate alley that led towards her home. Not a soul in sight, everyone seemed to be enjoying their afternoon siestas.

Pat pat pat, she heard another set of footsteps behind her. She stiffened. ‘Please don’t be him, please don’t be him’, she chanted over and over in her head. A quick glance in the direction she came from confirmed her suspicions and the pit in her stomach sank deeper.

Now walking quicker, she hoped she’d make it home before he caught up to her. The look on his face made her want to vomit. ‘It’s okay, I just have to stay strong till I reach home. It’s not that far, just a few more minutes.’

Patpatpatpatpat. He’s running now, running behind her, trying to grab her in his venomous grasp. She runs too. An attempt at screaming is futile, for just as her mouth opens, his slimy hand encases her in a vice-like grip.

She struggles, writhes like a worm in salt. ‘Nothing’s working!’, she thinks as she tires out. She gives up her struggle. He relaxes his grip; the rest is just easy now.

Then it hits him like a ton of bricks. A swift elbow to his solar plexus and then a dangerous heel to his groin, powerful enough to knock the breath out of him and make him double over in pain. She takes her chance, and pins down her attacker, twisting his arms tightly behind his back. ‘Not today,’ she thought, ‘not today.’

As she ran and got help, he realised he never factored in one possible scenario: one where she would fight back.

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