Alley Predator



Rain had stopped, but the city never really dried.
Neon bled into the puddles, turning the alley into a mirror of broken colors and broken promises.
Most people hurried past this street without looking.
 The smart ones felt the eyes watching and walked faster.
 The unlucky ones never noticed at all.
She waited low to the ground, breath slow, tail still—
 a shadow wearing a smile sharp enough to cut through the night.
 Not hunting for food. Not tonight.
Just hunting for someone who deserved to be found.
Somewhere at the mouth of the alley, footsteps echoed.
 Her amber eyes flickered brighter.
And the city, for a moment, held its breath.