CHAPTER 6

The morning is quiet, the kind that makes Vera uneasy.

She steps out of her apartment early, pulling the door shut behind her. One lock. Two. Three. Four. She tests the handle once more before turning away. Her bag is tight against her side as she walks down the hallway. Her steps are steady. Anyone watching would think she’s calm.

She isn’t.

The street outside is busy enough to feel safe. Cars passing. A woman arguing on her phone. Someone laughing too loud near a food stand. Vera keeps her eyes forward and her pace normal. She tells herself the same thing she always does.

Just get to work.

She reaches the side street she takes every morning. It’s shorter. Quieter. She hates it, but it saves time.

That’s when a hand grabs her arm and yanks her back.

Her breath leaves her in a sharp gasp. Her back hits the wall hard enough to make her teeth click. Before she can scream, something cold presses against her neck.

“Don’t,” a voice says softly. Male. Calm.

Too calm.

Her body freezes.

The knife isn’t shaking. The hand holding it is steady. Experienced.

She swallows. Slowly.

“I told you,” the man continues, his voice close to her ear, “running doesn’t make you free.”

Her heart slams against her ribs. She keeps her face blank. She has practiced this. Fear stays inside. Fear never shows.

“I don’t know you,” she says.

The man chuckles, low and unpleasant. “Still lying. Even now.”

The knife presses harder. Not enough to draw blood, - just a thin line enough to mark her.

“You really thought we lost you,” he says. “New city. New name. New life.” He leans closer. “Cute idea.”

Her fingers curl inside her sleeve. She doesn’t fight. Fighting makes things worse.

I don't know you” she replies.

He laughs again. This time louder. “You always say that.”

He tightens his grip on her wrist. Pain shoots up her arm as his fingers dig in. She feels something strain. She clenches her jaw.

“You disappear,” he says. “You change everything. And you think that’s the end of it?”

She doesn’t answer.

“Look at me.”

She doesn’t.

His hand moves fast.

The first hit lands on her ribs. Sharp. Controlled. She gasps before she can stop herself.

“That,” he says, “is for pretending.”

She forces herself upright, breathing shallow now.

Then the second hit comes. Harder. Lower. Pain spreads through her side, hot and deep. Her knees almost give, but she stays standing.

“I said look at me.”

She turns her head just enough to see him from the corner of her eye. He’s wearing a cap pulled low. His face is ordinary. That scares her more than anything.

“Good,” he says. “You remember now.”

She forces her voice steady. “What do you want?”

He pauses. The knife lowers just a little, then rises again. Testing her.

“To remind you,” he says. “You don’t get to decide when it’s over.”

Her chest feels tight. She focuses on breathing. In. Out.

“I’m not going back,” she says quietly.

The man sighs, like she’s tiring him. “No one said anything about going back. Not yet.”

His hand moves suddenly. A sharp hit to her face, Pain blooms fast and deep. She gasps, folding slightly before forcing herself upright again.

“That,” he says calmly, “was for forgetting.”

Her vision blurs for a second. She bites down hard to keep from making a sound.

“You keep acting like you’re safe,” he continues. “Like we’re not watching.”

The knife slides away from her neck, trailing just enough to make her skin burn. He steps back.

“For now,” he adds, “we’re being nice.”

Nice.

He straightens his jacket and adjusts his cap.

“Next time,” he says, “we won’t be.”

Then he’s gone. Just like that. Walking away like he didn’t just turn her world upside down.

Vera stands there, shaking now that she’s alone. Her legs feel weak, but she doesn’t sit.

She touches her neck carefully. Her fingers come back warm. Just a line. Just enough.

Her wrist already aches. Her ribs scream when she breathe too deep. Her face hurts.

She bends, picks up her bag, and fixes her clothes.

To anyone watching, she looks fine.

Only she knows the truth.

They’ve found her.

And next time, they won’t leave marks meant to heal.