Silently, she walked down the dark street. A lonely silhouette against a cement backdrop. The air was cooler then normal tonight. She didn't notice the chill, yet she hugged her coat against her chest. She listened intently for any sound, any footsteps, any movement.

Her eyes scanned the darkness ahead. There wasn't much light from the night sky, and only occasionally did the moonlight break through, but when it did it would quickly vanish again as if it, too, was afraid of the night.

She turned the corner and slowed her step briefly, turning her head to listen. Nothing, no sound. Her own footfalls were eerily quiet in the unnatural hush of the night.

Then, she heard it, the quiet tap of a shoe against pavement. She turned her head to the side again, listening behind her, her head tilted slightly like an animal listening for danger. Her heart beat faster as she heard the quiet steps turn the corner behind her. She quickened her pace again.

Her eyes searched for a doorway or alley, anywhere she could get off the sidewalk and out of view. She kept her eyes ahead, scanning as she listened to the quiet footfalls behind her. Finally she spotted a dark opening between two equally dark buildings.

A flash of moonlight broke through the clouds making her feel exposed. Quickly she ducked into the alley way and after moving several yards in she stopped and pressed her back against the wall. Thankfully moonlight vanished again.

Her blood pumped faster as the adrenaline coursed through her body. She listened intently. Would the footsteps pass the alley or would they follow her? She wondered which way her luck would go tonight.

She held her breath as the footstep drew near. She could make out a male shape as it stopped outside of the alley.

She could hear a quiet chuckle as he turned and entered the alley way. He walked slowly, and she could see his eyes scanning, trying to see through the veil of darkness.

He stopped, listening. A quiet breath left her lips as she loosened her grip on her coat, letting it fall from her neck. Her eyes were wide as he started to move towards her, slowly getting closer.

Again the moon broke through, lighting the alley and betraying her position. An involuntary noise escaped from her throat.

His head swung in her direction, and he chuckled. Deep and evil. The chuckle of someone who's won the game. Quickly he closed the gap between them.

The clouds closed in again as he reached her. His hand slid over her mouth as he imprisoned her against the wall. She could feel his hot breath against her face as he laughed quietly.

She didn't move, didn't struggle. She was felt herself being pinned between the wall and the man.

"Keep quiet, and I'll take it easy on you." His breath hit her face again. "Okay?"

She nodded her head once, and his hand slowly slid free.

"Now you do as I say, honey, and keep quiet." His hand moved quickly as it stung across her face, the slap was a sharp and lonely sound in the dark alley. Her head thumped sharply into the wall.

"You behave and maybe I'll take it easy on you." He growled, his face inches from hers now as his fingers closed around her throat.

She laughed. It sounded out of place, and it surprised him. He stopped, confused.

"Maybe I'll take it easy on you." She whispered coldly.

A bright flash of moonlight flooded across her face. Her eyes were hard as steel and black as hell itself, and her smile revealed long sharp teeth.

His scream stuck in his throat as her hand took it's turn at his throat. The clouds once again shut out the moon as her bared teeth came down on his warm soft throat.

She would never be any man's victim, ever again!

My head hurt, again. I rubbed my temples as the noise buzzed in my ears. I groaned out loud. Why was everyone so loud today? I squeezed my eyes shut. I needed to get away from the chatter and noise.

Grabbing my purse from my desk drawer, I left the room. No one even noticed. Figures.

I wish I could get rid of this headache, I moaned to herself. I burst out the doorway and into the street. Aspirin, that's what I needed.

I stopped at the nearest magazine stand. "Aspirin?" I asked, almost a plead.

"Sorry Lady, all out." I turned away without a thank you, heading further down the street. Ah, another vendor.

"Aspirin? Please say yes!"

"Of course, I have just the thing for you, dear." The lady handed me a packet and a bottle of water. I opened them without really seeing them.

"Not well today dear?"

"I just wish this headache would go away!" I swallowed the pills, my eyes closing.

"It won't take long, dear. You'll be just fine."

"How much do I owe you?" I opened my eyes.

"For what?" asked the man behind the stand.

"Ah," confused, I looked around. "I just bought aspirin and water from that lady."

"No lady here, ma'am. Can I get you something?"

"No, I'm fine," I mumbled and turned and walked away. Then stopped and turned back to look at the magazine stand again. No lady, just the man collecting money for magazines and gum.

Weird! Hey! My headache was gone. I smiled and turned my face up to the sun. I was feeling better then I had in days! Weeks even. All thoughts of the lady left my head.

I walked on, smiling. I bought a bouquet of flowers. I felt good, and the flowers would help lift my mood even more as I went through my dreary work day. I hope that headache doesn't come back!

I was still smiling as I arranged the flowers in a makeshift vase on my desk.

"Hey, you look like you feel better," my friend Jessica came to sit on the edge of my desk, fingering the flower arrangement. Jessica was about the only one she could stand at work. She didn't whine or gossip, or kiss any one's ass.

"I do, it's amazing. I haven't felt this good in, well, forever."

"That's good. Maybe I can get you to come have a couple drinks with me soon. Since you don't have an excuse anymore!" Jessica teased me. And I laughed, for the first time in a long time.

Suddenly a loud voice boomed across the room, "Jessica!"

"I'm next, wish me luck," Jessica stood and smoothed her dress. She'd applied for the editors job. She was good, and she deserved it. But would she beat out the others who were a little better at shoving their noses up the boss's ass?

"Good luck," I said, my fingers crossed as I held them up.

---

I was absorbed in my work when Jessica came over and sat on my desk again.

"How'd it go?"

"Not sure. I usually don't get flustered, but he's so god damn rude, he doesn't even try to look like he's paying attention. I think he's just going through the motions. He's already got someone in mind. I need to look for another job." Jessica sighed.

"Oh god, if you leave me I'll die! But I don't blame you one bit. Well, you were last on the list, so we should be hearing soon."

The boss's voice boomed again. "Can I have your attention. I'd like to announce that Wallace will be the new Editor in Chief. You can see him about your submitted articles." And with that, he turned his back on the room and walked into the office, shutting the door.

Jessica's shoulders slumped slightly as everyone congratulated Wallace. Wallace was, well, Wallace was Wallace. The biggest ass kisser in the office.

"I wish you'd have gotten the job. You're the one who's qualified, not him!" I snarled in dislike.

"Yeah, well, we'll need a miracle now." Jessica sighed.

"Then I wish for a miracle!"

---

It was another beautiful day, the sun was shining again and no headache! And I was smiling again as I walked into the office. Everyone was buzzing and whispering. But it was different this time. There was tension, and something else.

I sat at my desk, looking around. Since I worked the late shift I missed out on whatever was going on. But I didn't want to ask anyone but Jessica. I'd wait.

"Did you hear?" a voice startled me from behind, I jumped a mile high, and spun my chair around.

"My God, Nina, you scared the crap out of me!"

"Wallace had a heart attack last night. Didn't make it! So sad, and with his new promotion. The cleaning crew found him early this morning." Nina rattle on, but I no longer heard her.

The noises faded as I stared over at Wallace's desk in stunned silence.

I jumped again as that booming voice spouted off again.

"People, Jessica will be taking over the editor's position now that Wallace is no longer with us. You know the routine. Now get back to work."

Very heart felt, as usual, I thought.

Nina's voice started coming back into focus. Had she even shut up during the announcement? God, I wish she'd shut up! I rested my head in my hands, trying to ignore Nina.

Suddenly, Nina made a strange noise. Then there was a thump. I turned to see her sitting on the floor. Was she choking?

"Oh my god, Nina's choking. Who knows CPR? HELP!" I turned to see everyone staring. No one was even moving. My mouth dropped open in disbelief.

I turned back to see Jessica running over. "Help me get her up," Jessica ordered.

Everything was a blur. Jessica tried the Heimlich, without success, and I was panic stricken. Please, let her be alright! I wish I could help!

Finally Nina coughed and was able to breath. She sobbed in panic as she gasped for breath.

"Sit here, Nina. Calm down. I'll call you a cab, and you go home for the day, and rest. You're okay, you're okay. You want to go see a doctor?" Jessica's words seemed to sooth her.

Nina declined with a head shake. She still couldn't talk.

"Don't just stand there, someone call a cab!" Jessica yelled as she spun around and glared at everyone standing, staring with their mouths open. Immediately everyone started to move. Someone picked up a phone, and that was all you could hear in the oddly quiet room.

Nina was in the cab and everyone was back at work. I grabbed Jessica's arm.

"I need to talk to you." I proceeded to drag her into the lady's room.

"What's going on. Are you okay? Nina will be fine, you know."

"It has nothing to do with Nina. Well it does, but there's more. Listen-yesterday I had a raging headache and went for a walk. I bought some aspirin from some lady at a magazine stand, only she wasn't there!"

"You're not making any sense." Jessica's eyebrows furrowed.

"I know! So I wished my headache was gone. Suddenly it was. I wished you'd have gotten the promotion-Wallace ends up having a heart attack. I wanted Nina to shut the hell up, and she sure did. Don't you see?"

"No, I don't, " she looked at me like I was nuts. I think there's just been too much excitement.

"Oh, I wish...." I froze.

"What do you wish?" Jessica looked like she was daring me.

"No," I yelled, "what do you wish? Then you will believe me. No, never mind, because the consequences don't seem to be worth it."

"Well, if what you say is true, then let's think this through," Jessica started to pace, a look of humor on her face as she started thinking out loud. "What would make our lives less miserable, or maybe even quite happy. If something adverse were to happen, who could we live without?"

"No one, this isn't funny, Jessica. No one deserves to get hurt to benefit us."

"Really? Are you sure? Who's been making our lives miserable for the last five years? Who's been hounding us and belittling us, and not giving us what we deserve?"

"You got the job today, isn't that enough?" I growled the words out.

"Maybe, but if you want to prove this, you need to make me believe you. So come on. Who?"

"No one!" I screamed.

"Do it!" she screamed back.

"No, I won't."

"Do it!"

"NO! I wish I'd never gone out yesterday, I wish I'd stayed here, I wish none of this had ever happened!" My eyes squeezed shut as my hands pressed at my temples.

---

Quiet...

No, not quiet. Buzzing, white noise buzzing in my ears, slowly getting louder. I could hear the office hum going on around me.

Slowly I opened my eyes. I was at my desk with my head between my hands. And it hurt, my head hurt.

I heard a noise and looked to see Jessica sitting on the corner of my desk.

"Headache again? You should go see the doctor."

"No," I snapped.

"Sorry, just worried about you. Didn't mean to make you mad."

I jumped as the loud voice of my boss yelled out, "Jessica!"

"What's that all about," I groaned.

"My interview for the editor job. Did you forget that was today?"

"I thought that was..." I stopped. "Yeah, I guess I did."

"I'm next, wish me luck," Jessica stood and smoothed her dress.

"Yeah, good luck," I mumbled as Jessica walked away.

I stared at my desk. No flowers. No flowers and my head was pounding.

I reached into the drawer for my purse. I needed aspirin. As I lifted my purse, I saw it-in the drawer. A small flower, a fresh flower, one of the same flowers that was in my bouquet from yesterday!