From her awkward position on the ground, it was hard for Sophie to tell what had happened. Maybe her branch connected with something, maybe it was just enough to startle her captor. Either way, she could feel the pressure ease off her shoulder and relaxed. Clearly the woman wasn't totally insane, so there was a chance that she could still fix the situation-

The blow to her stomach promptly ended that thought. Relaxing had been a mistake, but Sophie was too idealistic to realize it. It hurt to know that she had tried everything and still failed to change the situation. Not nearly as much as everything else hurt- her stomach, her back, her arms- but enough to add a heap of insult to a heap of injuries.

Luck hadn't completely deserted her, though. It seemed that her actions had been enough to convince her captor that she was an unwilling target. Even though putting up any further fight would be nearly impossible, Sophie knew, doing a mental inventory of her physical condition. Somehow, knowing that she'd been deemed a too troublesome to deal with didn't make her feel any better.

After she was sure that she was alone, she managed to lurch to her feet. She'd been exhausted before, her work tended to tire her out, but it had never been like this. It took every ounce of discipline, concentration, and what little energy she had to get out of the nearest park entrance. From there, she had to hail a cab to go the few blocks back to the Sovereign Heights dorms, and the driver had to call for assistance in getting her out. It was the most embarrassing thing to happen to her in some time- or it would have been, if she was able to remember anything beyond passing out in the cab.

But there was one thing Sophie learned from her experience. From then on, she avoided the park after dark.