#Chapter 109: The Missing Ingredient

Abby A sudden jolt of fear seizes me as I lock eyes with the man at the far end of the alley. “You there!” he repeats, taking another step closer. “What are you—” “Um… Karl? John?” I call out, mainly out of instinct. If there’s one thing that living in the city over the past few years has taught me, it’s not to trust strange men, especially not in the middle of the night. “Wait, I—” The back door slams open before the man can finish, spilling yellow light from the kitchen out into the alley. John and Karl burst outside, alarmed by the commotion. “What’s going on? Are you okay?” John asks, his eyes widening as he spots the stranger. Karl, not waiting for an answer, storms toward the man, his face twisted in anger. “Hey, what do you think you’re doing here, bothering a woman in the middle of the night?” he growls, grabbing the man by his tattered jacket and pulling him away from me. The man doesn’t resist, but he does point a trembling finger at t