I bit down on my hand to stifle a sob, tears streaming down in silence.

"Come out, come out, wherever you are," Adrian sang, taunting as he barged into the bedroom.

He tore through the room, flinging open drawers and slamming closet doors, each bang resonating like a drumbeat.

Thud!

His foot crashed onto the mattress, sending a shower of dust into the air, stinging my eyes.

I held back a cough, the terror so intense I felt disembodied.

A hand, hairy and rough, suddenly appeared inches from my face, hovering at the edge of the bed.

He was peering under the bed!

I froze, my heart pounding in my chest like it was trying to escape.

However, he just snatched a pair of slippers from the floor, never once lifting the bedsheet.

"Blast it! Did she vanish into thin air?"

Adrian was spewing curses when suddenly, my phone in my pocket buzzed to life.

Buzz…

It was a group text from the property management, nagging about the water and electric bill.

I had silenced it, but in the eerie quiet under the bed, the floor amplified the vibration, making it sound like a clap of thunder.

'I'm done for,' I thought.

My mind went completely blank.

Adrian froze in his tracks.

He bent over slowly, and with a swift yank, the bedsheet was gone.

There he was, his face a greasy, chubby mess, looming over me.

His mouth twisted into a grin, his yellow teeth bared, and his eyes alight with the thrill of the hunt.

"Heh, heh, gotcha!

"Turns out, you're just a little mouse in a hole."

Before I could even process the situation, a rough hand clamped around my ankle and yanked me out from under the bed.

"Argh!"

I let out a blood-curdling scream, my nails leaving trails of red on the floor.

"Jeffrey! Save me! Jeffrey!"

I thrashed wildly, hoping to stir some shred of decency in the man outside.

However, Jeffrey's voice came through the door, chilling and detached, saying, "Adrian, that lady's got a set of lungs on her. Go easy, will you?

"Just keep it clean and enjoy yourself!"

My heart felt like it had sunk into an abyss.

Caroline stood off to the side, an indifferent spectator, even pulling the curtains closed for us.

"That's it, Adrian. She's a wild one. Don't let her get away."

Adrian snickered, his hands working at his belt.

"Now, it gets interesting."

Adrian leaned in, and the foul stench of him filled my senses.

In my desperation, my hand found something at my waist.

It was the scissors I had slipped into my yoga pants pocket when I fled my house.

They were meant for protection, but I never imagined they would be that necessary.

With a swift motion, I drew the scissors, pressing them to my throat.

The edge of the scissors bit into my skin, and blood welled up instantly.

"Stay back!"

My voice was a roar, eyes blazing with fury. "One step closer, and I'll be a corpse on your conscience! You'll all be behind bars if I die!"

Adrian froze, uncertainty flickering in his movements.

"Feisty, aren't you? I like that."

However, even as he played it cool, he took a step back, his gaze tinged with caution.

Caroline jumped, her voice tinged with alarm as she said, "Hey, don't do anything crazy. A scarred face won't fetch a dime!"

In their moment of shock, I snatched a hefty vase from the nearby coffee table.

Channeling all my strength, I hurled it at Adrian's head.

Thud!

The vase exploded on impact.

Adrian clutched his head, screaming as blood seeped through his fingers.

"Argh! You witch! I'm going to end you!"

He stumbled toward me.

I brandished the scissors, slashing in a frenzy. "Back off! Everyone, just back off!"

The scissors sliced Caroline's arm as she tried to intervene, and she let out a sharp cry, recoiling.

Barefoot, I stepped through the shards, unlocked the chain, and bolted into the hallway.

Adrian's enraged shouts chased after me. "Catch her! Don't let her get away! I'm going to kill her!"

Jeffrey, crouching by the door for a smoke, was taken aback by my bloodied figure bolting out.

He reached out, trying to reason with me. "Ella, just hear me out..."

"Get lost!"

I did not give him a chance, driving my knee into his groin.

He doubled over with a groan, collapsing to the ground.

I seized the moment, sprinted down the stairs, and disappeared into the night.

I did not stop until I was out of the urban village, where I flagged down a cab.

The driver, eyeing my disheveled look and the bloody scissors in my grip, hesitated, nearly too scared to take me.

"Please, take me to Sunnyvale Residences! I'm begging you! Someone's after me!"

Tears streamed down my face as I blurted out the address of my best friend, Yara Walker.

Yara was a college friend of mine, living in a swanky downtown complex known for its tight security.

I made it to Yara's front door and buzzed the bell.

She greeted me in her silky pajamas, concern etched on her face.

"Oh, my God! What happened to you? Get inside! Quickly!"

She yanked me inside, fetched me fresh clothes, and heated up a comforting cup of milk.

"Drink this. It'll help you settle down," she said.

Trembling, I clutched the warm mug and spilled the story of the horror I had just escaped.

Yara listened, her face twisting with anger as she spat out curses at Jeffrey.

"That monster! He's inhuman! We need to call the cops!"

Right then, my phone lit up with an alert from some shady underground live stream.

There was Jeffrey, broadcasting live!

The headline was like a punch to the gut.

[Wanted! Runaway fitness coach! $5000 reward for tips.]

I tapped into the stream.

There was Jeffrey, clutching his belly, his face a swollen mess, waving my ID card.

"Listen up, folks! This lady is on the run for attacking me.

"Spot her, and let me know. Catch her, and I'll let you keep her for three days."

The chat went wild with messages.

Then, a chilling comment appeared.

[Isn't she the one who just ducked into Sunnyvale Residences?]

[Totally, she went into Building B, apartment 1202!]

My heart sank. Yara's place was out in the open.

I snapped my gaze to Yara.

She was holding her phone, the same live stream playing.

However, instead of panic, there was a sly, unsettling smile creeping across her face.

"Ella, who knew you were worth a fortune?"

Yara waved her phone with a grin. "Five grand for a tip? Perfect for that new purse I've been eyeing."

Suddenly, the door echoed with frantic, angry pounding.

Peering through the peephole, I saw Jeffrey, his head smeared with blood, Adrian in tow, and a bunch of bat-wielding punks crowding the hallway.

Yara, still smiling, sauntered to the door, her hand reaching for the knob.

"Don't open it!"

I yelled, diving to stop her.