Chapter 1 I'm So Sorry

“Excuse me?” Hana barked. She just took a few feet down the alley to protect herself from the light rain when she noticed three drunk men blocking her way home. One of the men grinned, flashing her his yellow teeth. Hana almost threw up. His breath smelt of cheap beer and weed. “How much for the lady?” He pulled out two hundred-dollar bills from his tattered brown leather jacket and drawled out in a voice heavily slurred from drinking. She was not for sale, even if her father thought so! Hana hurried her steps, but the men seemed to do the same. From the corner of her eyes, she saw one of them slip a hand into his pocket, and her heart sank to her stomach. Her blue eyes scanned the alley for the nearest escape, but there was none. If she could get to the other end of the alley, she might get help or an Uber. Her arm shook as she tried to remove her phone from her purse. Their footsteps closed in on her. She turned to them briefly to yell, “Fuck off! Leave me alone.” They laughed but didn’t stop walking. Hana hadn’t expected them to stop, given how shaky her voice had sounded, but she had hoped that for once something would work in her favour. “We will leave you once we get a taste,” one of them said. The voice was louder above the rain. Fear tattooed a sharp line in her chest, and she almost missed a step. “What do you think about that, Arnold?” Arnold, or whoever it was, answered, “I concur.” The rain was pouring harder, making navigating in the dark or seeing beyond a few yards hard. The water dripping down her phone’s screen made it difficult to type in her password. Her heart raced. If she didn’t find an escape, the men might rape or kill her. Hana could not let either of that happen to her. She would not let it happen. Walking and typing became hard for her to do. Hana stopped thinking of a way out. She acted. Without warning, she bolted. Her legs moved faster than they had ever done in her entire life. Even quicker than it did the first time she heard her father hit her mother. She was close to the end of the alley when a force from behind knocked into her. She gasped out a sharp breath as her elbows and head scraped the hard, slippery floor. The rain blinded her for a minute, slowing down her reaction. Intense pain spread through her scalp. Hana touched the side of her head, and something red and sticky clung to her fingertips. For a moment, her mind went blank. Hana saw nothing but felt the strong arms on her wrists, pinning her to the ground. She smelt him again. Beer and weed. Something tugged at the hem of her dress, and an unwanted hand sneaked between her thighs to fondle her panties. Hana’s thoughts flooded her mind. Her body jumped into alert mode, and she kicked the hand trying to steal her innocence. No. No. Please. Her father would kill her. More muscular arms wrapped around her ankles, and a sob caught in her throat. Hana was helpless against the caress, the touching, the unwanted kisses. One of the men flashed a pen knife, and chills ran across her arms. Hana gulped down her cries. They were touching her in places no one had ever done before. She needed help. “Please,” she whispered. “You should have answered when I asked,” the man twirled a lock of her hair around his finger and licked his cracked lips. She was surprised she didn’t throw up. “Now you wish you did.” “I’m sorry,” she whispered. The man held a hand to his friends, and the other slipped his knife into his pocket. “I have money.” Her heart was in her throat, but Hana continued, “Check my wallet. Take it.” “We don’t need money,” the second one screamed, and tears fell down her cheeks. The rain had subsided to a manageable drizzle, but Hana wasn’t sure anyone would hear her. Fate must have been on her side. Someone stumbled to the far end of the alley to smoke a cigarette, and she screamed, “Help.” Her voice was a faint whisper, and she yelled harder, “Help!” A callused palm closed over her mouth before Hana could make more noise. The smoker was not moving. He was watching. Hana had to do something. She had to get his attention. If the man left, she would be utterly alone. The three men must have been thinking the same thing she did because the hand on her mouth never left. When one of her assaulters stood to meet the smoker, Hana felt all hopes of escaping this situation evaporate. If they hurt that new guy, it would be her fault. Her mind was in a turmoil as the man approached the smoker. No one moved as the two of them conversed. Whatever he said to the smoker must have satisfied him. He blew out his cigarette, stomped it, and walked away. She was alone again. She was alone with them. The hand on her mouth dropped, but she didn’t have the strength to fight them. They pulled her to her feet, and one of them whispered in her ear, “We will finish this in a better place.” He pressed something to her back. It cut through her dress, and the cold end of the blade pricked her back. “Move, sweetheart. And smile for us.” Fear stopped her from doing the opposite. She moved. They burst out of the alley and onto a busy road, making sure to stick to the sidewalk. Hana was drenched. So were they. She wasn’t sure who offered her a wet coat, but she found one in her arm. The stern eyes directed at her told her not to do anything silly, so she reluctantly wore the coat. They pushed Hana towards the road and stopped. What was happening? Would she let them do this to her? They could kill her after they had gotten what they wanted. But if she tried to leave now, they could stab her. No, they wouldn’t stab her to avoid calling attention to themselves. She could try to run. What were the chances of surviving a stab wound to her lower back? Hana’s mind was working fast. She put on her best ‘help me’ face, willing the people passing by to notice her. No one did. Everyone seemed to be minding their business, and for the first time, she understood why this state was called the city of the uncaring. No one saw the fear on her face. No one heard her silent plea for help. Her heart beat faster. She had to do something, and she had to do it now. “Is the car coming?” someone asked. A car honked in the distance, and Hana gulped. If they found a car, it would be truly over for her. “Don’t even think about it,” was harshly whispered into her ear when she opened her lips. “Put a fucking smile on your face. Smile for your fucking daddies, sweetheart.” As if hearing Hana’s quiet cry for help, a couple moved close to them. They stared at Hana, and she tried to call their attention without moving her lips, but the knife dug deeper into her back. Hana faked a smile at the couple, and the lady grinned. Tears rushed to her eyes, and she prayed for them to take it as a sign, but they didn’t. The hope in her chest burned out when the couple flagged down a cab, leaving her with these evil men. Life was moving, but she wasn’t. She had to save herself. She had to act or die trying. Her phone vibrated in her pocket, and the ringtone blasted through the air. Hana looked up. A tall man typing on his phone was on the opposite side of the road. His face was familiar, but her brain was too clogged for her to remember. He plugged the phone to his ear and drummed his foot to the floor. Her phone was still ringing. The men were arguing about their next step, but she was no longer listening. Her mind was on overdrive. There might be a way out. A dangerous one. Ten seconds later, the man across the street hadn’t spoken. If Hana had to make a guess, she would assume he was on a call or was waiting for the call to connect. But she hoped it was the latter. She did the only thing on her mind. She curved her hands around her mouth and screamed like her life depended on it because it did. “Baby.” Everything stood still. The man’s head jerked in her direction, and the men moved an inch away from her. That was a smooth move on their part. The hand holding the phone to the man’s ear dropped, and she nodded. It was working. This could work. Her eyes watered again. “Over here, baby. I’m here,” she said in a loud voice. The man stared at her, so confused. She had his rapt attention. That was all she cared about. But she needed to do more to make this more believable. Hana waved frantically. “I’m coming over to you.” Hana didn’t look left or right. Her gaze was on the man who could save her from these rapists. Ignoring the car honks and screams thrown her way, she crossed over to him. Her life was on the line, and she would do anything to save herself. The tall stranger was still stunned, so she took advantage of it. Hana palmed his cheeks, but he didn’t move. She might regret this later, but it was the only way out. “I’m so sorry,” was the only thing Hana muttered before kissing him.