Never Again

(tw: mentions of rape)

Laughter and music rose up from the bars lining both sides of the street. The sidewalk lamps blocked out the stars and moon above to illuminate the party-goers and bar-hoppers once more celebrated the temporary relief and freedom of the weekend. Sherry was one of these people, out with her friends for a night on the town - what better way to relax than to be amongst friends and booze? Well, just the friends for her - Sherry wouldn’t be drinking tonight. She had managed to stay sober since college, and wasn’t about to break her record now, but that wouldn’t stop her from hanging out with her girlfriends for a bit of fun. She sat back in the booth, sipping her virgin strawberry daiquiri, as she watched Jenn and Lily completely butchered the karaoke song. She laughed as Annie regaled the group with her latest relationship drama. She even sang her heart out when Rachel pulled her up on the karaoke stage. All in all, a pretty wonderful night.

It was nearing 1 am by the time the group was ready to wrap the evening up.Between the alcohol and heels, most of the girls weren’t even standing. Sherry helped each of her friends to their respective taxis, bidding them all goodnight. After the last one, she started making her way over to the parking garage. As the only sober one, she always drove to these things, preferring to not waste more money on a taxi when the parking was so much cheaper. She had offered the others a ride with the same logic, but knowing she lived in the opposite direction, they had all refused. Shaking her head, she started humming a little tune to herself as the passed the remaining bars, whose lively music and noisy clamour had mellowed out as the patrons left. The streets each became emptier as she got closer, though she still looked both ways while crossing the street. 

She finally made it to the parking garage and hopped in the elevator. She pressed the button for the top floor as she finally stopped humming. As the elevator rose, she watched from the glass sides as the city skyline sprawled out, still illuminated even in the dead of night. She hadn’t always been a fan of cities, but sights like this were part of the reason she had stayed, and eventually come to enjoy it. Steady beep of the elevator faded into the background as she thought back to her first night spent on the town. It had taken the girls ages to convince her to come, that she would enjoy herself if she just gave it a chance. They had each promised to stick by her side the whole night as a guarantee that she would have fun. And they were right. It was her first real night out since college, and while she hadn’t had any alcohol, it was one of the best nights of her life. She would forever be thankful that her friends had dragged her, albeit a bit forcefully, out of her shell. At this point, she wouldn’t have it any other way.

The elevator dinged for the rooftop floor, breaking Shelly out of her reverie. The doors opened and she stepped out, taking a deep breath of fresh air. She immediately spotted her car, one of the few ones left, especially at this time of night on the top floor. She had parked it directly under the light, a little trick picked up from the internet that supposedly dissuaded break-ins. The night was cool and quiet as she started making her way over. The only sound was the clicking of her heels against the pavement. So she was surprised when she didn’t hear anything. But she certainly felt it. An arm snaked around her chest, effectively trapping her arms. Before she even had a chance to scream, she felt a cloth being forcefully pressed against her face, covering her nose and mouth. She tried not to breath, but she caught the faintest whiff and froze. The faint notes of sweet and chemical mixed in her nose, and she could already feel the tickle at her brain, calling her to dizziness. It could only be one thing - chloroform. Unable to help it, her mind transported her back to college. To that one night. To that party.

It was her senior year and what a wild ride it had been! Exams were coming up, but she had just finished her thesis. Alcohol had been her go-to nearly every weekend. She was studious, but a party girl at heart, and that night was no different. Everyone had decided to go into town to hit up one of the premiere bars in celebration for end of thesis season. It had been crazy, but wonderful. It should have been perfect. What she didn’t realize was that other patrons had been watching her, that they had started to follow her when she left, or that she was really too drunk to be walking alone, which became very apparent when she took a few wrong turns and ended up in an empty ally far from the bar. The men had jumped her like a pack of wolves intent on their prey. They had pressed the rag to her face to calm her down, keep her compliant. Normally, chloroform takes around 5 minutes to knock you out, though you can feel the effects immediately, and alcohol just makes everything worse - a couple of facts she had learned in the aftermath. She had forgotten most of it, but the event broke her. She may not remember but she knew what happened. And she knew what came next - the doctor visits, police statements, therapy session. She ended up being excused from her exams, and as soon as the timeline for moving for her job came around, she booked it as fast as she could away from that college town and away from her memories and emotions. She couldn’t really escape though, so she was forced to confront it. Therapy finally helped her process her situation. She cut her hair as short as she dared, so no one could ever grab her that way again. She always wore pants with a belt, to make it that much harder. She had started taking self-defense classes, though she told the people at work that it was to help get in better shape. And she vowed to never drink alcohol again. She was able to move forward, but there was one thing she would never, ever forget - the sickly sweet smell that now taunted her.

The arm around her chest tightened, and she broke from her memories. She came back to the reality of her situation. Without a second though, her training kicked in and she reacted on instinct. She brought her leg up before slamming her heel down on his town, cracking a smile at his howl of pain. Slamming her head backwards, she heard a satisfying crack - must be his nose. His grip loosened the slightest, and Sherry moved to strike. She worked her arm between her body and his arm and with the other, grabbed the shoulder of his jacket. With a sweep of the leg and a mighty heave, she threw it to the ground, the force almost toppling her over. The training paid off and she kept her balance, taking a breath as the cloth no longer pressed against her. She quickly grabbed the pepper spray out of her purse that had fallen to the ground, and sprayed the man’s eyes directly. She started sprinting to her card, and finally made it inside. Locking the door, she kept an eye on the man as she took her phone out and called the police. He was still rolling on the ground, rubbing his eyes. A minute later and she heard the wail of sirens. Certainly not how she planned her night, but at least this man wouldn’t target anyone else. Sherry smiled to herself - she had done it. She was safe tonight.