16

Rachel Connell ran home as quickly as she could in heels. In hindsight, her choice of shoe was not a good one. She almost tripped over the uneven pavement, steadied herself against a wall and glanced about to see if anyone had witnessed her trip.

Luckily, Kai and his gang had not caught up to her.

But they would.

Every night this week they had followed her home. At first, they just loitered outside being loud and annoying.

Then, last night, things had taken a more sinister turn.

One of them had thrown a brick through the window while the others tried the doors, rattling the door knobs and banging.

What will they do tonight?' she wondered.

If things got too bad, she would have to call the police and risk Kai leaking the video. What else could she do?

She fumbled with her keys, dropping them to the ground with a clatter before retrieving them and managing to unlock her front door. Inside, the house was cold and dark. Before now, her home had always felt welcoming. A relief after an a