The rain fell hard as Julie hurried down the alley. She had just passed the bakery when she noticed it—an umbrella lying flat on the ground, its handle broken. Odd.
She bent to pick it up, then froze. A shoe, barely visible, poked out from beneath a dumpster.
Julie’s chest tightened, her breath quickening.
“Looking for something?” a voice said from behind.
She turned slowly, gripping the broken umbrella like a shield.
The man smiled. “You picked the wrong night for a stroll.”
Julie tightened her grip, realising too late it wasn’t enough.
https://substack.com/profile/218498615-simone-d-casadei-bernardi/note/c-69218596 (Tag: “Umbrella”)