I turn and dash back to the pipe, ducking beneath it as the person emerges from the dark alleyway. I assume they were also looking for a shortcut between the streets instead of walking around the entire block.
“Crap. I can’t let them see me.”
All I need to do is hide here and wait for them to pass. There's no danger so long as I stay hidden. When in the presence of a potentially hostile biggo, do not make yourself known. Smallness is an advantage here. Some deep breaths later and I'm calm as can be. My hiding spot will work, I keep telling myself. Out of pure curiosity I peek out to look at the giant as they pass. I’m careful to remain in the cover of the evening darkness.
“Is this better now?” A feminine voice asks. “The noise in the building was dreadful. Hello? Lara, dear? I’m on my way home now, it shouldn’t be long.”
This alley is dim, but a nearby streetlight saves it from total darkness. The person emerges, and it becomes clear that it's a woman. I realize now that she’s talking on her phone. She's tall, even for a Gulli. I'd put her at least 400 feet tall, maybe even 430 at this angle. She's wearing a black, knee-length fur coat that's been left unbuttoned. Beneath it, I see a very expensive looking purple dress that's intentionally showing off her chest. She's very well endowed, and she seems to be flaunting it with all that exposed cleavage. Various jewelry adorns her hands and neck, giving her that 'upper-class' bordering on 'trophy wife' look. If I were to guess her age, I would say thirty, give or take a few years. Not too much younger than me, actually. I have to crane my neck to see, but way up there her face has been made picturesque with the makeup she's wearing. It's not excessive, mainly accentuating her already-attractive features. She's got an equally expensive-looking purse dangling over her arm that sways with each of her steps. Thankfully she doesn't see me down here. Of all the Gulliverans out there, I definitely hate the rich ones most of all.
They're the only ones who can afford to hurt us and avoid the law. It makes me sick.
Suddenly, I hear a shuffling coming from the other street. There's someone there, but I can't see them yet. Are they hiding? I'm not sure. They are shifting a lot from what I can hear. They seem anxious, to say the least. Once the woman passes me, the other person comes out of hiding. He walks out and I get a better look at him.
He's a giant like her but the similarities end there. This man is filthy. He’s wearing ripped, baggy sweats and a filthy, ragged, gray hoodie. His hands stay buried in his pockets and he seems anything but friendly. No, it's worse than that. He seems hostile. The target is not me, though; I can tell by his gaze. Without so much as a sound, I continue to watch the two of them.
"Um...m-may I help you...sir?" The woman stammers.
The man approaches her, and she takes a shaky step back. He's bigger than her, and clearly much stronger. If he decides to jump her, I doubt she'll be able to resist him.
"The purse. And any jewelry you've got on you." He commands, in a raspy voice.
"O-Ok...just a moment."
She digs into her purse and pulls out some money. It seems like a large sum, but I can't be sure. All I know is that it's not what the man asked for.
"Huh? Are you deaf, bitch? Hand over the money, or things get ugly."
His hand leaves his pocket, revealing a knife. He's clutching it tightly, and his hand seems to be twitching. I wonder if the mugger is on something right now. He probably is. Maybe even a bunch of substances at once? The look in his eye is not one of a sober man.
She sees the knife and panics, her phone falling from her hand. The mere sight of it steals any courage she might’ve had.
"S-Stay away!" The woman yells, accidentally dropping her phone on the ground. “Take another step and I-I’ll scream!”
In my mind, I hope that she will simply comply and escape with her life. This kind of resistance is so obviously a terrible idea, but she’s not thinking straight. Whatever plan she had in mind was never going to work. I just know it. This guy looks confident. He's done this kind of thing multiple times, I'm sure. He's not even concerned that she's yelling. Nobody’s going to come for her at this time of night, even if they hear her cries for help. She’s trapped and they both know it.
The man steps forward just as the woman turns to run. He's too fast, catching her by the shoulder and throwing her into the wall near me. Their shoes stomp down dangerously close to me, shaking the very ground I stand on. I stifle a scream as they struggle so close to me. The woman squirms some more, prompting the mugger to pin her arms against the wall, over her head. Her high heel is dangerously close but I choose to stay where I am. If I move now, who knows what could happen. A guy like him might just stomp me like a bug. Lillis can be witnesses in court, after all.
"P-P-Please! Why are y-you doing this?!" She cries. Her fear is palpable.
He leans in close and sniffs the woman. It's so creepy that I can hardly watch. He keeps one hand pinning her arms up and moves his free hand to her chest to feel her up. The woman starts to sob and I can tell where this is going. As much as I hate Brobs, no one deserves this. If I were bigger, I might have even stepped in to help. Sadly, I don't have that kind of power. His hand moves lower, pulling up her dress and trying to sneak under it. At this point she’s had enough. The woman fights back, kneeing the would-be rapist in the crotch as hard as she can. It's not a direct hit but he keels over in pain.
"You fucking bitch!"
The woman should have run. That window she had created for herself would have allowed her to get away. She could have gone home tonight with nothing but a scare and some bruises. It would have been so easy.
But in heat of the moment, few manage to take the best course of action. The terror and doubt in her eyes are visible, even from all the way down here. She hesitated and it cost her. The man stands back up and plunges the knife into her gut. She cries out in pain and his expression suddenly changes. He pulls the knife out, leaving the woman to clutch the wound with her hands. Blood begins to seep through her clothes and a drop even lands near me.
"See what you made me do?! This...it's your fault, you bitch! Now I'm a killer! Fuck, fuck!"
He snatches her gold necklace before running for his life. The woman is clearly too weak to speak, let alone resist. I notice her legs buckle and run away as fast as I can. She falls over, landing with a loud thud. The ground beneath my feet shakes again, causing me to trip and fall. I hear a weak moan as she turns onto her back, staring up at the night sky. Once I confirm that she isn't going to move again, I approach her, walking by her arm. Her breaths are ragged, and tears are streaming down her face. Her makeup, which was so immaculate before, is now ruined.
As I gaze at her, I feel a sense of guilt. This is not my fault but it's no less sad. Yes, I loathe Gulliverans with all my being, but seeing someone in so much pain is...difficult. Despite her enormous size, I'm viewing her as I would a patient in the ER. I feel an urge to help, but even if I was willing to, what would I do? We're not at a hospital, and I've only ever operated on Lilli patients. Most of the injuries my people sustain come from encounters with her kind.
On second thought, does she even deserve to be saved? What if she goes on to step on a school or purchase us as slaves? She certainly seems wealthy enough to do so.
A part of me feels like I'm projecting. I don't know this woman, nor do I claim to. I probably won’t ever see her again, assuming she survives this. By the look of her I wouldn't bet on it. Help doesn't seem to be coming and I know for a fact that a stabbing such as this will be fatal if not treated immediately. Maybe...I was meant to be here? What are the chances that an ER doctor ends up being right next to you when you need them the most? It's funny, in a sick, twisted way. Someone up there really wants to ruin my night.
Fuck.
What should I do?