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His slender fingers danced across the keyboard, the laptop's glaring brightness obscured his eyes. Glasses reflected the flurry of his thoughts as his hands scrolled feverishly. Averi was in a bind, a deep knot of unease looping through his stomach.

Nothing.

It was all showing nothing.

The newcomer who had arrived a month earlier had finally piqued his curiosity. Who was Harah Silverstone? A model whose career had plateaued appeared to have neither a past nor a future.

There were a handful of photographs and magazine articles about Harah's forthcoming events and some old snapshots from fans, yet his life, his legacy, and his very profile were like a tumbleweed in the desert.

Sliding his fingers across a few more keys, Averi decided to look up one last thing before admitting defeat. His body slumped backward, head falling into the seat as a heavy sigh escaped his lips. It was as if Harah, supposedly famous, had nothing to his name. Hadn't anyone at the agency noticed? He had never seen Harah on billboards or as a guest at any important show. There was no trace of his face on television, nor a mention of his name, yet here he was with an identity that no one seemed to question. It was unusual for stars to be so dim, and with Harah's exotic looks, he was sure fame would have supported the ascent he must have made. Asking Harah would be too personal. After the unwelcoming personality and the tough times he had given everyone, it was as nerve-wracking to question him as it would be to stand in a room full of police.

Hara Silverstone.

"Who are you...?" His worn-out, groggy voice echoed in the darkroom of his office. It was 1 a.m., and he was responsible for sorting through all the photos from today's shoots. While they were all lovely, Averi faced the grueling task of deciding which ones to keep and which to delete forever. He would prefer to keep them all, even the subtle movements of the models that made each picture unique. To him, they were as precious as the last. His work, the beauty he could create. If he kept every bit of every moment, every model, every step in life he had taken, then the future would know his life with every breath.

His hands came to his chest, collapsed, fingers intertwined, gathering warmth. For a moment, he had forgotten all about Harah as his mind drifted to the beautiful cascade of colors in today's photos.

A model named Lily, making her debut paid top dollars to sit in front of Averi today. Like his VP would turn such a newbie down. Her family were respected politicians. They are trying to secure a future for their daughter it seems. She's only eight years old, but her attitude and poise were unmatched. More mature than many of the adults.

Then there was a teenager just fresh out of high school. His name was Donavan, but the VP wanted to change it to just Don. It would create more of a flair. He was recently recommended to be the model for a sports magazine. His modeling was funded solely by the company. He was tall, dark, and had the build of a football player. His smile could use a little work, but Averi knew it was because of the atmosphere. Locking yourself behind the pixels of a wall and people telling you how to present yourself. Something new to young adults. He wasn't very confident like Lily.

Two different characters, two different walks of life, and yet both had bright futures.

Averi wished them the best.

The laptop screen had been his only source of light as Averi leaned forward to stand. Pressing on the squeaking seat, he ventured outside of his office, stomach zoning in on the vending machines humming loudly tucked behind a nearby corner.

Hunger had set in and some peanuts were looking to be the best thing his body craved. Honey roasted or siracha? He put his money into the machine and got both. Tearing the bag open with his teeth, his gaze fell upon the dark entrance of his office door and he sighed, returning slowly to the dungeon of a room.

In recent days the air conditioner wasn't working. Not that it didn't save them all from the heat, but it constantly pushed out freezing air. VP said he had someone to fix it; however, money around here wasn't used to fix the office. Everyone received their payments, lavished their lives, and ignored the deterioration of the building that supported them. Averi felt bad, and yet he was of the bunch that neither took care of his work location. Why should he? He was just a photographer.

Pouring nearly half the siracha peanuts into his mouth, he chewed so loud, that the crunching could be heard throughout the hall, but since Averi was the only man here, he didn't care. A few scuffs of his shoes before the threshold of his office and he was back inside the cave, but a moment to rest was far from his mind when his eyes suddenly darted towards an open window. Averi was certain all this time he had the window closed. The storms coming in weren't ideal for the carpet. The smell of mold after a night of rain wasn't something pleasant. Allowing any moisture in these offices and they were all sure to complain. Mixed in with the constant cold the rugs seemed like they never dried.

A slow, unsure walk over to the window, stained the window seal in droplets of rain, he knelt, pouring more peanuts into his mouth before he looked to the streets below. Dead, empty. The only things going were the street lights directing ghost traffic. He had wished he was home, in his bed because when the sun rose, he'd be off work for a day or two. Maybe the break was needed. He was stressed working with Harah after the youngster refused to show up to the last photoshoot. Averi was over it.

He blinked and unknowingly words crossed his lips, digits returning the rain to the outside world. The window clicked shut, but this time he made sure to lock it.

"I hope I never see you again..." Aimed at Harah, Averi swallowed the peanuts, stood upright, and as he took a step backward, his foot locked in place when suddenly he felt a heated wall pressed up against his back.

"Why... would... you say that?" A deep voice echoed in his ear, signaling the man's proximity. A shiver split Averi in two, causing the nuts in his hands to scatter on the ground. Before he could react, a strong grip encircled his neck, yanking him backward and hoisting him off his feet. Panic surged through him, an unfamiliar terror suggesting his life was at risk.

"No!" Averi screamed, his long, slender legs kicking in an attempt to secure his weight, flailing helplessly in the air. The strength of the man behind him held him firmly in place, leading them away from the window. The lights in the dimming glass, drawing him into darkness, were all he could see. Who was this person? The office had been empty just moments before! Averi had ensured everyone had left before settling in. Possessing the only other office key, he was instructed to lock up after finishing his work.

He wouldn't go down without a fight. Before he could react, he was hoisted into the air by his neck, turned, and slammed chest-first into the desk, right in front of his laptop screen. His glasses barely clung to his face as his cheek, pressed against the scroll-down arrow, sent his screen into a never-ending descent. The images flashed before his eyes, the rush of impending doom, and the overwhelming sense of helplessness spread through his limbs. A moment of survival instinct gave way to a jaw-dropping paralysis of fear. Averi froze, his hands splayed out on the desk, the pain in his chest spreading to his back. He realized with the level of strength against him, he might not make it out alive.

Despite his wishful thinking, how could he fight someone who could lift a grown man with such ease?

"Just make it quick," he stuttered, words laced with regret spilling from Averi's lips. A swift cut to the neck, a sudden snap—anything to avoid prolonged suffering was welcome. He hadn't lived long enough, nor was he prepared to die, but perhaps life was full of abrupt twists, and he had dodged death too many times in his youth. With the city's high crime rate, and no one ever paying him any attention, he had remained hidden in plain sight. But that was over now, as a criminal had finally taken notice. While everyone had their tales of terror, the untouched Averi had remained a diamond in the rough.

Why had he chosen to stay here, anyway?

Closing his fists tightly, he shut his eyes to the world, trying desperately to accept his fate. He was aware that many in this small city already knew who he was, bribing this individual with money he was certain wasn't going to work. The moment Averi could get free, the police would be flying over here.

A heavy hand upon his back forces him to focus, the male pressing into his spine, tracing the small of his torso until digits clamped at the belt that secured his tidiness. Without much effort the object snapped, pieces of the belt falling from his pants. Averi gasped, knowing that the only thing that could do such a thing was a knife. So, the killer planned to stab him? The unknown had plagued his mind so much, he began to shiver. The torture as at any moment life would cease to exist didn't allow him solace. Everyone would find him in the office tomorrow unrecognizable.

"Please..." Averi cried once more, this time his voice but a hush. Begging a murderer neither for life nor death.

The heavy hand he felt traveled until the knife cut the button of his pants. It was then upon the cold air now kissing his waistline that Averi knew exactly what was going to happen. This man wasn't just any criminal. A robber, a murderer... no, he was a sexual predator.

"Wait! I--" Averi went to plead, a heaviness as an adult never before felt riddling his body.

The male above him groaned to silence his speech. Averi could feel the heated weight of the individual's chest now morphing into his back. The sound of something that wasn't as human as he had first thought. It was too deep, too monstrous, and growling.

"Why... do you... smell... so-- gooood?" It asked, but this time the perverted undertone forced Averi to try and spin around. Whatever it had been it knew English. It smelled of nothing, but the amount of heat barreling into him forced away the frigid air in the office. This person sounded weak, unsure, and unregretting in the actions he was about to do. Pressed back into position softer than he was manhandled a moment ago, Avery felt the hand slither itself to the band of his undone pants before dipping into the place between his underwear and his pants.

Another shiver racked his body and Averi lifted his hands to try and push himself free, but as he rose his head, he lifted off the keyboard. Only then did the light from the laptop shut off as the device malfunctioned. That's when the reflection on the screen became the image in Averi's lost eyes.

Hovered just over his shoulder, face scrunched, mouth opened, hair glued to his features an unclear but very familiar image. He could barely see the man's eyes as they were closed and half of his face was somehow hidden or transparent. The sense of Deja Vu washed over Averi so hard, that he couldn't ignore his gut screaming for him to call out a name he's been saying too much.

And he did...

To Be ConTinued...