Life had been kind to Charlotte so far. Fresh out of college, she had landed a good job and was living independently in the city. Her days were filled with work, hobbies, and spending time with friends. She cherished these simple pleasures and looked forward to each new day with optimism and hope.

It was still dark outside as Charlotte left her best friend's birthday party late that night. The streets were mostly empty, save for a few stragglers like herself. Feeling tired but content after celebrating, she decided to take a shortcut through a nearby alley to get home quicker. Little did she know, danger lurked around the corner, waiting for an unsuspecting victim.

As Charlotte strolled along calmly, suddenly rough hands grabbed her from behind. Before she could react, she found herself surrounded by a group of menacing figures. They tore at her clothes and accessories, snatching away anything of value. Blows rained down upon her delicate frame, leaving angry red welts and deep purple bruises in their wake. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, they disappeared into the night as quickly as they had appeared, leaving a broken Charlotte crumpled on the filthy ground.

Her once elegant black dress hung off her body in tattered shreds, stained with dirt. Her body was covered with bruises and abrasions. Tears streamed down Charlotte's face as she dragged herself to the nearest wall, collapsing against it in exhaustion and pain. Her whole body hurt and trembled uncontrollably, overwhelmed by shock and fear.

"Why... why me?" Charlotte choked out between sobs, her voice raw with emotion. "What did I do to deserve this? All I wanted was to go home, to see my family, to feel safe again, to wake up from this nightmare and find everything is okay."

She pulled her knees up to her chest, wrapping her arms around them as she rocked back and forth, overwhelmed by the trauma she had just endured. The world around her seemed to spin and blur as shock set in, and her mind struggled to process what had happened. Never in her wildest dreams had she imagined something like this happening to her, and now she was left alone, injured, frightened, and helpless in the darkness, wondering if anyone would find her or if she would ever recover from this terrible ordeal.