When I woke up, my body felt like stone. I couldn't move. My arms… my legs… nothing. Only my head could turn slightly.
My throat burned like a desert. My wrists and ankles were tied up, and a towel was stuffed over my mouth. At least I could still breathe through my nose. My vision blurred, spinning slowly.
Then I saw her. A girl's silhouette, slowly approaching. My head spun. Everything felt distant.
"Ahh… sh*t. Another boring day. Wish I had a girlfriend to skip class with." I muttered, forcing myself to think about something normal.
The rooftop door was locked from the outside. Typical. Luckily, I knew this kind of door could be forced open if I pushed hard enough.
BANG! The door slammed open. A pair of malicious eyes locked onto mine. The glare sent a chill down my spine. I slammed the door shut and pressed my back against it, breathing hard.
Then I noticed something under my foot. A single black girl's shoe. I picked it up, frowning. I'd seen the same kind of shoe just now—on the rooftop… next to that guy.
Oh. Ohhh. I see what's going on. A couple, huh? Messing around on the rooftop… Guess I interrupted them. No wonder he looked pissed. Lucky bastard.
My thoughts wandered for a second—definitely not innocent ones. Argh… should I check? Part of me wanted to leave. The other part… curiosity won.
Then I heard it. A cry. Shaking, desperate. Begging for help.
My body froze. That didn't sound like roleplay. Slowly, carefully, I pushed the door open a crack. He hadn't noticed me… yet.
I scanned the rooftop. He wasn't just crouching. He was pinning her down. My grip tightened on the shoe. Heart pounding, I stepped forward.
And then I saw her face. Mouth covered by his hand. Eyes filled with tears. They locked onto mine. She was begging for help.
He grabbed her jaw, forcing her to look at him. She struggled, but he overpowered her easily. This wasn't a couple. This was something else. Something bad.
Before I could think, I threw the shoe. Hard. THUD! It hit his face. His head snapped toward me. His eyes—full of anger—locked onto mine. My legs trembled. So did my hands.
"WHO THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?!" His voice was rough, violent. Every instinct screamed at me to run. But I couldn't. I couldn't move.
He was big. Way bigger than me. Even crouching earlier, he looked like he could bench me for fun.
"Y-you…!" My voice shook. "W-what do you think you're doing to her…?"
He laughed, humorless. "This girl? She's my girlfriend. Got a problem with a couple spending some quality time?" Girlfriend…? Yeah… right.
"Why don't you leave? Or what—you wanna stay and watch while we have fun?"
My stomach twisted. For a split second, my brain processed what he said. Disgust hit me like a truck. That's… messed up. I glanced at the girl again. Tears. Fear. Definitely not roleplaying.
I clenched my fists, forcing them to stop shaking. Legs trembling, I stepped forward anyway. Damn it… why am I like this…?
"What a tempting offer…" I forced a smirk. "…but hell nah."
His smile didn't fade. If anything—it widened. "Oh?"
He slowly stood up. Tall. Solid build. At least 5'11… maybe 6 feet. Meanwhile, I was just… me. 5'7. Great.
"You think I'm scared of you…?" My voice dropped slightly, even though my heart was racing.
"I think you are."
He stepped closer. Slow. Deliberate. Predator eyes locked on mine. I couldn't move. Couldn't run. My body froze.
Then I looked at her. Tear-filled eyes. Still begging.
Damn it.
And that's when I realized… I had no idea how to save her.