My hands trembled as I reached up and felt wildly for the seatbelt buckle. My vision was tinted red from the blood that trickled down my face, but I couldn’t—wouldn’t take my eyes off those boots.

I must’ve made some sort of sound when the stranger took a step forward, because suddenly they started sprinting. The glass crunched beneath their feet, the sound grinding against my teeth as they got closer and closer.

I knew how to keep a level head as my fear turned into full-blown panic, but no amount of thrashing or struggling helped free me from the car. My fingers were slick with blood, making it impossible to find the button that would free me. Spots danced in my vision and every breath took much more of an effort than it should. I knew I had punctured something when the remaining air in my lungs crackled.

Something gave beneath my fingers. The click of the seatbelt was the last thing I heard before I slid from the seat and land