Annabelle quickly tried to grab the person in her path so she wouldn’t fall.

She reached out instinctively, her hand grabbing the rough material of a coat just as a sharp, burning pain shot through her face.

A slap, hard and unrestrained, cracked across her cheek, sending her sprawling to the cold, unyielding ground.

Her body hit the floor with a sickening thud, and before she could even gather her bearings, a heavy weight bore down on her. A knee pressed into her back, grinding her against the concrete, making her ribs scream in protest.

She gasped for air, every inhale a struggle, as a hand wrenched her head back...