Please don’t do this to me. – Liana
Liana
The afternoon was slow, quiet. The kind that felt like nothing bad could possibly happen.
I was on my second class of the day, sipping lukewarm tea, Miso snoring softly at my feet. Every now and then, his tail would flick like he was dreaming about chasing something.
When I wrapped up, I stretched, glanced at the time.
Still hours before Elias would be home. He was out on a task force shift today, longer than usual.
I decided to walk to the market. Just a few blocks away. I wanted to make dinner.
Miso perked up the second I grabbed his leash.
We headed out, the sky overcast but warm, the air smelling faintly of blooming citrus.
I remember thinking: This is nice.
We were almost home. Just one block away.
We passed the alley behind the bakery, the one I always avoided at night.
Miso suddenly stopped. Ears up. Body tense.
His head turned sharply toward the alley.
“Miso? What is it, baby?”
Then I heard it. Tires.
Fast. Too fast.
A black van screeched into view from the side street.
Doors slammed open.
I didn’t even have time to scream.
Two men rushed me. Miso lunged, snarling, teeth flashing. He sank into one man’s arm, tearing through cloth and skin.
The second man pulled something from his pocket, a shock baton.
There was a crackling sound.
Then Miso yelped. And crumpled.
I screamed his name. Clawed at the man holding me. Kicked. Bit. Tried everything.
But there were too many hands. Too much force.
The last thing I saw before they shoved a bag over my head was Miso’s body lying still on the ground.
Elias
The alert hit my phone just as I stood up from the table.
MISO: Location error. No GPS signal.
I froze.
Checked the timestamp. 27 minutes ago.
Damn it. The alert must’ve been delayed when the signal dropped.
I pulled up the tracker history.
Last ping: Corner of Melrose and 8th.
Right near the market.
My chest went cold.
I opened the home surveillance app. Skipped back to earlier.
There she was. Liana.
Smiling. Locking the door. Leash in hand.
Walking away. And then nothing.
No return.
I grabbed my keys.
Didn’t breathe until I was behind the wheel.
Please. No. Please, no.
Miso
The alley was quiet again.
The van long gone.
The scent of burnt ozone lingered.
A metallic leash lay on the concrete, slick with blood.
Then a twitch.
A paw dragged forward. Then another.
Miso groaned, eyes barely open, one leg dragging uselessly.
But he moved.
He pushed himself to his feet.
Shaky. Bleeding. But alive.
And he ran. Limping. Weak.
Straight toward the only man who could save her.
