My legs burned, each stride a desperate plea for escape. The car was my only refuge, a metal cocoon against the unseen predators I knew were close. I sped through the city, every shadow a potential threat, every passing car a chilling reminder of theirs. My breath hitched, a sob tearing through me as my eyes fell to the blood staining my clothes, my hands.

Instinct took over. My phone, a digital tether to a life I had to sever, was silenced, its app deleted. I had a plan, a place far away, but the tremor in my hands was a testament to the fear that still clung to me. Two hours later, I parked, a safe distance from my new sanctuary. The apartment block loomed, number twelve awaiting. A man, 'Trixie?' he'd called, held out the keys. His eyes, too sharp, too quick, caught the blood.

He left. I scanned the empty rooms, the cheap, stained furniture a stark contrast to the life I'd fled. Only when I was sure, did I collapse beneath the window, the tears finally flowing freely. I couldn't tell my dad. This was my mistake, my burden.