Chapter Twenty-Two

My heart pounded in my chest and I swallowed hard. I took deep breaths, forcing myself not to panic.

I felt myself being pushed forward. The intruder did not loosen his grip on me. When we reached the foot of my bed, I found myself being pushed roughly to the mattress.

I struggled to pull myself up and put a distance between myself and my assailant. Two strong hands held me by the arms and whirled me around so I was lying on my back against the mattress.

For the first time, I saw a glimpse of the intruder. I could make out his face in the little light that came from my windows.

I saw a rough-looking man who hadn’t shaved in more than a week. He was big, almost twice my tiny frame. He loomed over me, wearing a vile expression on his face. He pressed his body against mine, pinning me to the bed.

“Why, aren’t you a pretty sight?” he asked with a lustful smile on his face.

I felt panic slowly creeping through me as I realized his intention, which was clearly visible on his face.

“W-what d