Alaina awoke to the bustle of feet and the rhythmic beeping of machinery nearby. Opening a very groggy set of eyes, she looked around. She was in a hospital room somewhere. A sudden migraine hit her and she reached up to hold her head. Bringing her hand down to rub her face, she tried to recall what led her here.

There was a guy in the alley by Kinkybean. He had a woman with him... there was someone else. She wished she had a better look at him. But why was she in the alley? She asked herself. She followed them there, or she followed something there. She was at the auction...THE AUCTION! Panicking, she lept out of bed and searched the room for her things. Locating her personal effects in a cupboard, she grabbed her phone. It was stowed in the bust of her dress. Oh that poor dress... it had God knows what on it now. Letting out a small whimper, she shut the cupboard and checked her messages. Dozens of texts from Sophie asking where she was, voice mails from Josie, this couldn't get worse. At some point they got wind she was in the hospital because their initial messages of fear and anger turned to concern. Alaina decided to listen to the most recent voice mail from her boss. " Hi Alaina, hope you are feeling better. When you come back to work, please come see me. We need to talk about last night."

Alainas heart sank. No way she kept her job after ditching halfway through. She shot a quick text to Sophie, asking her to bring her a change of clothes and laid back down. She was fully absorbing the shame of the backless hospital gown and grippy socks. For the next hour and a half she spoke to police about what she remembered and tried not to freak out again. How she wondered what had happened to the guy that helped her. "Ive got coffee, can I breach the perimeter?" Sophie extended the drink carrier into the doorway while concealing herself behind the curtains. Alaina chuckled. "Permission granted, Dork." Her petite friend entered her room and set down the beverages as she gave Alaina a hug. Seating herself on the corner of the bed, Sophie asked the one question she had. "What the hell happened to you." Knowing Sophie to never be one to hold a punch or her tongue, Alaina retrieved her cup from its cardboard confinement and began sipping.

“Coffee, 4 sweet n lows, and enough french vanilla creamer to make it khaki.” Proud of her friend’s memory, she sat up straight to tell her what she remembered. "I saw something run past the doors last night so thinking it was a late patron, I went to check it out. Then I heard what sounded like someone banging around in the alley and…" Sophie smacked her friend’s arm with the bed remote. "What did I tell you? You never go down an alley! It’s murder central!" Rubbing her arm Alaina continued. "Anyway….” She continued, “There was this guy there and a woman on the ground. He went to hit her so I ran at him." Thwack! Another hit. "You are not a super hero, you are not Rambo! You call the cops woman! You could have died!" Taking the remote from her friend, she finished her story. " Anyway! Next thing I know, I'm thrown into a wall and the rest is kinda fuzzy from there. The doctor says I'm fine, just a concussion. They kept me overnight for observation. Did you bring me clothes?"

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Sophie handed her a bag. In it were tennis shoes, fuzzy socks, her big hoodie, and Mario pajama bottoms. Holding her bag close, she leaned to hug her friend again. She knew she did the right thing by giving Sophie a key to her place. "Marry me?" She laughed. "Sure but if you plan on pulling a disappearing act like this again, I'm taking out a hefty insurance policy. Now come on, I don't feel like spending any more of my holiday in the hospital". The two pals laughed. Not long after, Alaina got dressed, the doctor came with her discharge papers and they headed to the parking garage for her car. Sophie drove a small, very very small hybrid. In it Alaina looked like a giraffe.

When they reached her car, Sophie issued one more alley warning as Alaina shut her car door. Checking the time, she cursed. 6:47. Almost a complete day wasted. And Christmas day at that. Glad the ordeal was over, she got in her car and drove home. With the lack of traffic, it only took about 25 minutes. Pulling into her drive way, she noticed her Lite Brite neighbors had already started taking down their festive monstrosity. Thanking God, she grabbed her bag, went inside and locked the door. Grabbing her phone and her comforter, she made a straight shot upstairs to her bed. She never really did the whole presents thing at Christmas. At least not since her parents died. Her aunt was always traveling and she wasn't exactly a social butterfly. Alaina grabbed her blanket and stared forming what Sophie called a human burrito. Ready to get some real rest, she plopped into bed and tried to forget the whole ordeal.

Just as she was getting some really heavy sleep, she awoke with a start. Glancing at her alarm clock on the bedside, she groaned. 1:35 AM. She rolled over and stuffed her head under the covers. Maybe she could suffocate herself to the point of passing out. Suddenly, she heard a large boom from downstairs. Her eyes went wide and she froze. Someone or something broke in. Certain she had checked her locks, Alaina carefully attempted to slide out from under her comforter and down the side of the bed by the window. Since she was still wrapped up in the safety of her blanket, she ended up flopping to the floor instead. Cursing her luck and praying whoever was downstairs didn't hear, she reached under her bed and grabbed a hidden aluminum Louisville Slugger. She slowly stood and walked toward the door in a stance that could only be described as Elmer Fudd inspired. Pressing her beck against the wall next to it, she prepared to turn the knob. Cracking the door open, she checked to see if the coast was clear. Whatever it was, they weren't in the hallway.

She knew that morning went way too good. She tiptoed past the bathroom and guest room, and paused at the stairs. At the top of the staircase, she paused again to listen. Slowly she turned and put her back to the wall. Trying to hear over her own heartbeat, she tried to gauge how many people were there. One or two thugs she could probably take. Taking a few deep breaths, she prepared for a fight.