Victoria glanced over at her name. Movement in the dumpster’s shadow drew her attention. The world seemed to go in slow motion as the hideous, skull-like face of a creature lunged out from the shadow itself, bony, clawed fingers reaching for her.
	Her scream stuck in her throat, and she tried to throw herself away, but it was too close, and, in the split second it took to register the grotesque face coming at her, she knew it.
	But then Alex was standing there between her and it, the monster’s claws slashing him instead of her as she landed on the concrete. She pushed herself away until her back hit the wall as the beast shied away from him. It bore its mouthful of fangs, then fled.
	Victoria let out a heavy, squeaky breath. She gasped at the blood soaking into the tears in Alex’s shirt. 
	Part of her wanted to help him, to thank him, but the other, louder part urged her to take advantage of the situation and run. She got to her feet, one hand gripping her bottle pendant as tightly as she dared, and inched down the alley, but the weakness in her knees made at least part of that decision for her. No matter how badly she wanted to leave, she doubted she would get far.
	“A... [i]what?[/i]” she breathed, taking another couple steps away, her hand sliding along the rough bricks. She glanced between Alex and the shadow the dumpster cast.