The rain came down hard, drumming against the cracked pavement like a warning. The neon sign of the diner flickered weakly behind Amelia as she tightened her thin jacket around her shoulders. Midnight shifts had left her numb before—but not tonight. Her boots splashed into a puddle… and then she froze. A girl lay sprawled on the sidewalk, half in shadow. Her pale arm twitched weakly against the rain-soaked concrete. Amelia’s voice shook. “Hey—hey, are you okay?” She knelt down, brushing wet strands of hair from the girl’s face. Blood streaked from a small cut near her temple. Bruises wrapped her wrists like someone had grabbed her hard. “God… what happened to you?” The girl didn’t respond. Her breathing was shallow. Somewhere down the empty street, a black car idled silently, engine humming like a predator in the dark. Amelia swallowed hard. “Okay. Okay, don’t panic, Amelia. She just needs help.” She pressed trembling fingers to the girl’s neck. A weak pulse. Relief flickered—but it didn’t last. Her phone was dead. She glanced toward the diner’s locked doors. Nobody around. “Come on, wake up,” Amelia whispered, shaking her gently. “Please.”