It wasnât like her to travel at night, let alone in this end of town. However, it was the shortest distance between work and home, that was without having to wait around for the bus to get there and take its off course route to a few blocks away from her apartment complex. Thus Clarice was taking the short route and it was already getting dark, which made her nervous as it was. Slender arms grasped her bag closely to her torso as she shoved her messy blonde locks out of her face. It didnât help really, the mass that was her hair just fell right back into her pale eyes as they darted from each shadow to the next. Already it was getting dark but not entirely, there was still a light hue that was coming from the sinking sun and Clarice knew that soon it would be dark, that alone quickened her pace as she glanced over her shoulder.Â
Unsure and always paranoid for reasons that many did not know, the witch muttered to herself and wrung at the strap of her bag, doing a three sixty to be sure no one was following her. For the most part the street was empty, of people anyways, there were cars that had been driving past and for that Clarice was thankful but it did not help to put her at ease. Most people would say she was a very paranoid and frightened individual but she had a secret that they did not know of, a shadow that had been following, haunting her since she was an infant so her hesitation was justified in her own mind.Â
She had been so busy being paranoid someone was going to be following her that Clarice hadnât noticed the man that walked out of a doorway just to stop in front of her before it was almost too late and she had nearly ran into him. A small noise of âohâ brushed past her lips as she gripped her bag tighter, pale eyes widening as the man smiled menacingly at her. Eyelashes fluttered as the movement of another individual caught her attention. Oh god, oh noâ please no. Her mind was running a mile a minute and everything in her just wished that these men would leave her alone, she didnât know what would happen if they were to attack her. Sometimes her magic took over and defended her on its own, other times she hurt people without even meaning to.Â
            âNoâ No, please go away..  Just leave me be.â
The blonde woman begged, backing up a few steps before she hissed a soft gasp as a third man joined the group. Pale eyes flicked from one man then to the other before the first took his chance to grab at her. Clarice acted as quickly as she could and kicked swiftly at his shin, backing into the third man before she screamed, throwing a few jabs with her elbow to get away from the man but to no avail. After all of her surviving and making it on her own, away from the people who were actually trying to kill her and now this. Another scream left her lips, high and in complete horror before it was muffled to silence by the man behind her.Â
Usually, Alex wasnât one to do these kinds of things. He would go around at night, trying to find someone he could help, but never had he ever been in a situation like this.Â
It had started with him getting ready. Dark clothes, a brush of his fingers to his hair to tame it, blonde strands turning black under his fingertips. He hummed as he stepped outside, checking the newsfeed on his phone. Nothing too interesting tonight, it seemed.
The phone found its way back in his pocket as he put his hand there, the other loosely hanging down as he walked, eyes trained on alleys and the darker parts of the roads. His eyes shifted within a blink, into one of a cat, dark green and able to see everything he needed to, better than a human could.
He knew it would have something positive - he just hadnât known until a few nights ago. So now, he could see everything he wouldâve missed, while staying unseen, thanks to his clothing and the night.
The first hour was plain boring. Drunk people, stumbling over their own feet as they tried to get a taxi, or their friends trying to help them stay upright.
Nothing interesting to him.
When he did hear a scream though, his head turned into the direction, before he started jogging towards it. The second scream was even louder, and it made him speed up.Â
When he saw the alley it came out from, he glanced around the corner, only to see men standing around what he supposed was a woman. And this would never have a happy ending, as far as he could think.
He sighed, with another blink his eyes changed back to normal, and with a small sigh, he turned around the corner. âHey! Leave her alone!â he yelled and one of the men turned his head, looked him over and grinned.
Sure, Alex didnât look menacing. He had a normal body, nothing big and muscly, but he didnât have to. He looked at them with determination, and if they wouldnât hear, maybe theyâd listen to the roar of a tiger - which he would change into if there was no way of him getting them away from her.
