you are my heroine

*Chapter 1: The Man In Black* *At Lisa's House* "No! Let go of me! Help! Help! Somebody help me!" Lisa woke up fast with a loud scream, her whole body shaking. Her shirt was completely wet with cold sweat and sticking to her skin. Her chest was moving up and down very fast, like she had just run a very long distance in the dark. "You're having that nightmare again, my child," Ma Rose said softly. She was already sitting on the edge of the bed, rubbing Lisa's back gently with her wrinkled hand to calm her down. "It felt so real, Ma, it felt too real," Lisa whispered. Her voice was shaking badly and her eyes were full of fear. "He is back. The man in black is back. I could smell his cigarettes. I felt his rough hands grabbing me again." She held the thin blanket tight against her chest like it could protect her. Ma Rose pulled her into a warm, tight hug. "It's okay, my child. He is gone. He will never come back again. Calm down, my love. I am here with you. No one will ever hurt you while I am still breathing in this house." Lisa nodded slowly, but her eyes were still big with fear and her heart was still beating fast. The dream felt too real to be just a dream. After a few painful minutes, she wiped her sweaty face and forced herself to stand up. "I have to get up now, Ma. I need to go for my night shift at the station," she said. Ma Rose frowned with deep worry. "You only slept three hours again, Lisa? Just three hours? You will make yourself sick." "I have to, Ma. The bills will not pay themselves," Lisa tried to force a tired smile while putting on her firefighter jacket. "And honestly, saving other people's lives is the only thing that helps me forget my own nightmares for a little while." *At Eat Well Restaurant* The kitchen light was dim and yellow. Chairs were already turned upside down on top of the tables. The day was over. "Lucky, close fast please! Close quickly!" Alice called from the counter while tying her apron. "I want to go home now. It's very late and I don't want to see the man in black again. He is always standing at that dark corner near the taxi rank. I get scared just thinking about him, my heart beats fast." Lucky laughed a little while cleaning the last table with a cloth. "Girl, you see that man everywhere. You are too scared. Okay, okay, I am closing now, don't worry." Alice did not laugh at all. Her face was serious. She checked her phone quickly. 11:47 pm. It was very late. Her little brother Ed and little sister Angelica were waiting for her at home alone, and she needed to get back to them. *At Lisa's House* Lisa took her small bag and her heavy jacket. "Ma, I am leaving now. Is my princess Alexis sleeping peacefully?" "Yes, she slept long ago," Ma Rose said from the couch where she was knitting a small jersey. "She asked for you before bed, she wanted you to kiss her goodnight." Lisa smiled softly, her eyes full of love for her daughter. "Then I will see her in the morning when I come back. Goodnight, Ma, I love you." "Go and save lives, my brave firefighter," Ma Rose smiled, but her old eyes were full of deep worry as she watched her daughter leave. The door closed softly and the small house fell completely quiet. *On The Street* Alice got off the crowded taxi at the corner. The street was too quiet and too dark tonight. Only one streetlight was buzzing loudly and flickering. And he was there, exactly where he always was. The man in black. Sitting at the dark corner. Like always. Watching. Her heart fell deep into her stomach. Her hands became cold. She pretended not to see him. She quickly put on her earphones and played loud music to be brave. She started walking faster and faster toward her house. But then she heard heavy footsteps behind her, following her. Then a rough hand tapped her back hard. She turned around and completely froze with fear. The man in black was right behind her. He was very tall. He was wearing a big, dirty black jacket. His eyes were sharp and scary. He smiled at her with yellow teeth. "Hello, pretty lady," he said in a low, rough voice. "It took me a lot of time to get courage to come and talk to you. You are very beautiful." Alice said nothing. Her throat was completely dry and she could not speak. Her legs were shaking. He brought out a broken, old phone and pushed it toward her face. "Put your number here, now. Put it here." "Sorry brother, I don't know you, I cannot give you my number," she said in a small voice, moving back slowly. She tried to turn and run away fast. He grabbed her small wrist very fast and pulled her hard. She fell against his big chest. He smelled strongly like cheap cigarettes and sweat, and she felt like vomiting. "I said put your number in the damn phone! Are you deaf!" he shouted angrily, his face close to hers. Alice's eyes filled with hot tears. Her hands were shaking badly. She tried to take the phone with fear just to make him leave her. Then bright headlights suddenly came from behind and lit up the whole dark street. A beautiful white Rolls Royce Cullinan stopped slowly right next to them. The black tinted window went down smoothly. A woman's voice came out, calm but very strong and commanding: "Let her go. Let the girl go right now." The man laughed loudly and did not move. "Hey lady, mind your own business! This is not your problem! Go away!" "I said let her go," the woman said again, her voice colder and more serious this time. "Or what? What will you do, pretty lady?" he said arrogantly, pulling Alice even closer to him to show power. The car door opened slowly. The lady came out. She was wearing high heels that clicked on the tar road. She wore a simple but very expensive looking dress. She walked straight toward them without any fear at all. Before the man could even move or understand what was happening, she quickly pulled Alice behind her back to protect her. The man became angry and tried to hit her with his fist. She dodged his punch easily, like she had fought many times before. One hard punch landed straight in his stomach. He bent over in serious pain, holding his belly. Another punch. And another punch. She did not scream at all. She fought like a professional fighter who knew exactly what she was doing. When he tried to stand up again, her sharp, expensive heel stepped hard on his throat and pressed him to the ground. "If I ever see you troubling this girl again in this street, I will slit your throat myself. Do you hear me clearly?" she said coldly, looking directly into his fearful eyes. The man got up quickly, coughing and scared, and ran away into the dark night, limping and holding his stomach. Alice was still shaking badly and could not believe what she had just seen. She kept thinking in her head: _Can a woman beat a man like that and make him run away like a coward? Who is this woman?_ The lady turned to her, her face now soft and kind. "Let me take you home, my dear. Where do you stay? You should not be walking alone this late." Alice blinked, still in shock. "W-what? Where..." "Where do you live? Tell me, I will drive you," the lady asked more softly and gently. "Oh... I stay in that street over there, the second house," Alice pointed with a shaking finger. The lady nodded and opened the expensive car door for her. Inside, the car smelled beautifully like sweet vanilla and expensive leather, and it was very clean. When they got to Alice's small house, Ed and Angelica were already waiting anxiously at the gate for their sister. "Good evening, kids," the lady smiled a little at them. "Good evening, Miss," they both said together, their eyes big and wide from seeing the huge white car that had never come to their street before. "Do you want to come inside for a minute? Please?" Alice asked shyly. "No, thank you, my dear, I am late for my work at the fire station," the lady said, going back to her car quickly. "Take care of yourself, okay? Be safe. Don't walk alone late at night again." "Thank you so much, Miss, thank you for saving me," Alice said, bowing her head a little with gratitude. "Don't worry about it at all, it's my duty to help," the lady winked at her and drove off very fast, disappearing into the night. As soon as she left, Ed shouted loudly with excitement, "Sis! Who is that beautiful lady? Did you see her car? That's a Rolls Royce Cullinan! Do you know how much that car costs? It's millions!" "I don't know anything about cars, Ed," Alice said, still shocked and trembling. "But you won't believe what she did for me just now." "Tell us! Don't make us wait, tell us now!" Angelica pulled her inside the house quickly. "First give me food, I am so hungry and tired," Alice said, falling down heavily on the small couch. "Big foodie as always," Angelica laughed and ran to the kitchen to warm up food. Ed gave her a plate of food while Alice started talking with a stronger voice. "You know that scary man at the corner? The one that always scares me when I come home late?" "Yes! That dirty man in black!" they both said together. "Today he harassed me, Ed. He blocked my way and forced me to give him my number. He grabbed my wrist very hard and shouted at me." "What! He touched you!" Ed shouted angrily. "Listen to me," Alice continued, her voice stronger now with pride. "I was so scared, I wanted to just put my number in his dirty phone so he would leave me. I was crying inside. Then that lady came out of nowhere. Guys, she beat him so badly with her fists, like a real fighter. He ran away like a small boy. I still can't believe a lady in a beautiful dress did that." Ed shook his head in disbelief. "So a lady in a beautiful dress and high heels beat the man that you fear the most? Unbelievable! That is like a movie!" "I think he even peed in his pants when she stepped on his throat," Alice said with a small, proud smile. "I think YOU peed in your pants when he grabbed you, sis," Angelica joked playfully to make her sister laugh. "You little rascal, come here!" Alice threw a small pillow at her, laughing for the first time that night. And for the first time that night, all three of them laughed together loudly in the small living room, feeling happy and safe. But outside, in the dark and cold street, hidden in the shadows near the gate, someone was standing and watching their house quietly, watching them laugh through the small window.