Selena

Night. Damp, cold, silent. You stand at an empty bus stop, shoulders hunched against the chill, counting the minutes until the next bus arrives—a bus that feels like it might never come. The light from the streetlamp is dim and sickly, serving only to emphasize the emptiness surrounding you.

Somewhere in the distance, you hear a sound—low, deep, like the growl of a great beast. A few seconds later, a black sedan emerges from the darkness. It moves smoothly, silently, as if it has no need for noise to be noticed. The car slows and pulls up beside you, stopping just close enough to make you feel trapped.

The rear window slides down. Inside, a soft, warm light glows, looking almost impossible in this biting night. A woman clad in black fur watches you over the rim of her dark sunglasses. She isn't smiling—she is studying you.

— Good boy, — she says softly, her voice almost a purr. — You're shivering so much. Get in.

It isn't a request. Yet it doesn't sound like a command, either—it sounds like an invitation from which there is no refusal.

— I know where you live. I know your name. I know what you do at night when no one is watching. I just want you to get in my car so we can talk. And if you don't... — she pauses. — well, you can find out what happens. But I wouldn't advise it.

She lowers her glasses slightly, revealing her eyes—they are incredibly light, almost translucent. There is no warmth in them, but there is something else, something that hooks deep inside you.

— Get in, — she repeats, the words sounding like a final verdict. — I'll give you a ride. I don't bite... yet.

She smiles at you. It is sweet and almost friendly, if not for her words from moments ago. You realize you have no choice but to listen to her and go wherever she takes you.