Her head was throbbing when she finally made her way back to the parking lot, keys in hand, green bills wadded and stuffed into her bra. Her vision was blurred and her hands were shaking from the combination of the pot and the drinks one of the men had bought her.

She wouldn’t allow herself to replay any of the moments of the night in her head. She would go home, make some hot chocolate, then crawl into bed and stay there for several days.

She would forget, and then she would escape.

She shoved the key into the lock of her car and swung the door open. She knew she probably wasn’t safe to drive, but there was no other way, and she had to get out of there, away from that place.

Key in the ignition.
Fasten seatbelt.
Shift to drive.
Check behind.

“What the fuck!” Before she had time to think, she ripped the key out of the ignition and slashed him across the face. The blood dripped slowly down his cheek, and in her altered state it was almost pretty, like strawberry syrup.

He grabbed her wrist. “Cassandra?”