Today had been a rather productive day for one, Reyna Lacross a productive day she was pleasantly surprised went so well. She was afriad the snow from late last night would hinder her art group's progress on a wall mural they had been working on. Luckily, the wall hadn't iced over, and the snow was shallow enough that it wouldn't interfere with any part of the piece. They were actually able to finish the mural, and for that, Reyna was thrilled.
With a pleased smile gracing her lips, she walked casually with the crowd of people moving in single file down the street, marvelling at the beauty of the city's night life as it emerged with the setting sun. Being the art student that she was, Reyna had an acute taste for most everything visual and found that the things around her had their own unique style and allure. It was something she had learned on her own growing up in a part of town that wasn't the best place for anyone to live. With the help of her older brother, she was able to hone that skill and was now doing the things she had only dreamed about as a child.
She really needed to call her brother. His birthday was coming up soon, and he had said something last time about coming down for a week.
Reyna continued walking toward a slightly more rural area of town, the crowd thinning until only a small handful of others remained. She recognized a couple she had seen around the housing complex she lived in and struck up a conversation with them until it was time to turn separate ways. Apparently, every Friday was their date night, and tonight they had tried that new sushi bar out on Glendale Street. Despite their mixed reviews, Reyna promised to give it a try before heading toward her more isolated home.
The trees that separated her house from the others in the roomy suburb usually provided a private alcove of sorts from her neighbors, at least in the summer months. It was convenient for when the twin college students on the right decided to have a party or when she decided to have her art group over for a session in her yard. For now, they were just jagged branches that tended to create otherworldly shadows in the right light.
Reyna reached in her shoulder bag for her keys, pausing suddenly when she heard the snap of a branch. She looked around, but was unable to see anything. It was probably a stray cat; she knew of at least one that roamed the complex and jumped around in and out of the trees. She turned once again to her shoulder bag, pulling it up closer to gaze inside. When she pulled out the lanyard that held her keys, one of her cans of spray paint came with it and fell to the concrete slab just before the door, its cap popping off and rolling away.
"Oh! Now how did I manage that?" she questioned herself as she leaned over and picked up the can of paint. The cap would have to be found in the morning; it was too dark and far too cold to stage a search for it now.
As she righted herself, Reyna had the unsettling sense that something was amiss, the hairs on her coat-covered arms raising in alert.
She turned to face her door and reach for the separate lock piece with her keys, instead having a large hand come out and grab her arm roughly. The scream that followed was quickly cut off by an arm covering her mouth, almost effectively pinning her to the man's -she assumed it was a man by the cologne he wore- chest. He was using his strength to keep her locked up, his arm wrapped around her head effectively keeping her from reaching his own to dislodge him.
Instinct took over Reyna then, and with her can of spray paint still in-hand, she maneuvered her arm just so to aim behind her and pushed down on the nozzle hard. The sound of the pressurized product was familiar, though the agonized yelp was more of a comfort at the moment. She twisted hard enough to escape, though it came with the consequence of throwing herself too far to the side. She landed hard on the ground, scrabbling to get up.
She had to get away!
