I woke up with a start, curled around my guitar case on a park bench. The street lamp right above me had gone out.

There was a person standing over me, backlit by the other street lamps, his face in shadow.

He said, “give me the guitar.”

I sat up, the neck of my guitar case tightly hugged to my chest and my legs wrapping protectively around its body. “No fucking way.”

Something flashed in the man’s left hand, “give me the guitar and all your money too,” he spoke slowly.

“I said no fucking-”

My voice was cut off. His left fist was against my neck. He moved his fist and I saw the knife in his hand dripping blood.

I tried to speak again but couldn’t... I could only watch with wide eyes as he raised his arm to stab again.