Now as Isensi walked through the nearly vacant marketplace, her peace began to be replaced by a slight unease.

The gray mud squished slightly under her black slippers as she moved. The buildings with their white walls and black trim stood silently, lined up on either side of her.

It�s always so quiet this early she thought, I should be used to it, but today it feels so intrusive, for some reason . . .

Suddenly, she did hear a noise. A slight rustling behind her. Turning, she saw a man standing at the entrance to an ally.

Isensi didn�t recognize him, which was quite strange considering how small the town was.

Perhaps he�s just come here recently . . .

Being a friendly sort, Isensi smiled and walked towards him.

He was a sept, like Isensi, and he had pale skin with shoulder length, bleached hair. He wore a silk, black business shirt and black slacks.

Now that she was closer, Isensi noticed that he was fidgeting a bit. He nervously averted his gaze from her rather persistently.

"Hello," Isensi greeted him. He was kind of handsome, too, and Isensi liked shy boys. Already, she began fantasizing about what his nervousness implied.

Maybe he�s a poet, or something Isensi wrote quite a lot of poetry herself. Her respect for him went up another notch.

She also noticed that he was fairly well built. And now she felt a further physical attraction.

". . . Hi," he replied hesitantly.

"Are you new here in town?"

He coughed slightly, "Yeah," he glanced around quickly.

Isensi glanced around herself. No one around, "What are you so nervous about?"

He shook his head, "Nothing," he bit his lower lip and starred at her, squinting slightly.

". . . what?" Isensi asked, perplexed by his scrutiny.

He didn�t answer.

Then, he abruptly grabbed her arm and yanked her roughly back into the ally.

"What are you doing?!"

He threw her on the ground. Before she could get back up, he brought his weight down on top of her. His powerful hands clasping her arms down.

Isensi screamed.

His heavy body smelled like old sweat, and his hot breath was rancid meat in her face.

His harsh lips kissed her now roughly, almost more of a bite.

She tried to move her arms, but he was hard as stone.

Isensi had never known such fear. The stone walls of the building swirled around her relentlessly. The sound of her skirt ripping was the sound of her screams.

But her screams stopped when he slammed his hand into her mouth. Now she choked on blood.

Her legs.

They were pried apart by meaty arms.

But nothing prepared her for the shock of him inside her.

She wanted it out instantly. It was a foreign thing, an insect under her skin.

But she couldn�t do anything.

She stared to cry. It was low, moaning, and choked with blood. It was sobbing in empty chaos.

She was still crying when he disappeared.

She rolled over slowly, giving choked gasps as she did so.

The buildings were impartial as ever. She squeezed her eyes shut, willing the world to go away, or kill. Her every desire was gone, and now replaced by only a desire for void, and nothingness.

And, with her eyes clenched as they were, for a moment she almost had it.

Then she heard the caw of the cloth bird.