@ castle.
Charlotte had gone about her usual daily routine that day,
dressing in something warm so that the cool fall weather wouldn't be a problem, before heading to the university's library to work on her research. She'd graduated early and at the top of her class from her undergrad with a degree in history, and had been accepted into a prestigious graduate program that allowed her to conduct her own research while she wrote her dissertation, and they gave her a healthy stipend to live off of. By 6:30pm, she had decided it was best to leave the library for the day so that she would have time to stop by the grocery store on her way back to her apartment. However, as she neared the grocery store she found her path blocked by two tall men, who didn't step aside despite her polite "Excuse me." When she looked up to ask why they were blocking her path, she saw their glowing eyes, and when one of them reached out to grab her she turned and quickly ran the other way.
She ducked into the first open shop she saw, which happened to be a bar, quickly shutting the door and leaning her weight back against it to make sure it was closed as she took a shaky breath, glancing out the window to see if they were still behind her before quickly making her way through the crowd to speak with the bartender, begging him to let her use the phone so that she could call the police.
"Please, these two men are following me, my phone isn't charged and I need to call the police." She pleaded, opening her mouth to say more, although her voice caught in her throat when she heard the door open and close, slowly turning to look at the men who had been chasing her, who were now standing in the doorway staring at her. Her eyes quickly scanned the room, looking for an escape route, although when Antonio spoke her eyes snapped to him, giving a little nod as she took a seat at the bar when he told her to, pushing aside her urge to run.
"Um.. Wine, please?" She responded softly when he asked her what she wanted to drink, keeping her eyes focused on the counter in front of her, convinced that if she looked back at the men who had been chasing her she would find them right behind her and ready to grab her. She hadn't been much of a drinker ever, but she had enjoyed having the occasional glass of wine with her friends in college, and she knew for certain that she could use a glass now.