Stray

A bottle tripped him up as he rounded the corner. Before he could fully catch his balance, something big and hard smashed into him. J staggered back into the brick wall, smacking the back of his head.

Stars from the blow clouded his already impaired vision for a moment. When his eyesight cleared, he saw what—or rather who—had run into him. A shaggy, confused-looking man in stained green scrubs stood staring at him. He rubbed the back of his head, suddenly very irritated. "Ow! Watch where you're going."

The man shook his overlong dark hair out of his face, revealing eerie eyes, which almost seemed to glow yellow in the poorly lit alley. Instead of replying, he bared his teeth in a silent snarl.

What's wrong with this guy? Nervous, J edged backward. The need to flee overwhelmed him. Before he could put his thoughts into action, he heard the sound of running feet and sirens in the distance. The weird guy's eyes widened, panicked. He grabbed J's arm, yanking him closer.

J yelped. "What the hell, man?"

Any further protest died as the dim light glinted off the bloody scalpel the man clutched in his right hand. Oh, shit! The stains on his scrubs are blood! I'm going to die.