The protagonist called "Paul" is attacked by two antagonists wielding switchblades in a washroom. It's a story about the power of a bad reputation, and being senselessly committed to one's actions.
Two young women armed with switchblades lay in wait in the men’s washroom. As Paul entered the washroom he noted that there seemed to be someone else already present. Strange as the washroom lights were out. He flicked the lights on. To his surprise he realized it was a young lady. For a moment he fantasized about clandestine meetings with attractive young women but then Paul got a glimpse of a knife. He saw it just in time before it hit it’s mark. He grabbed the young lady’s wrist as she swung her arm, and slammed it against the steel door of a washroom stall in order to disarm her. Still holding onto her wrist he then spun her around between himself and a second assailant, just as a second assailant swung a blade. Paul began yelling for help immediately. He didn’t think there was a way he could hold off two assailants armed with knives for very long. The second assailant took another a swing at Paul missed and instead sliced open her friend’s abdomen. Blood sprayed everywhere.
Paul wondered if anyone heard his cries for help, it seemed to take an eternity. He thought his prayers were answered a few moments later when a large security agent rushed into the washroom. Unfortunately the security agent was temporarily misled by the screams of a young lady. As a ploy, she had screamed for help when she saw the security agent enter the room. Her leather body armour was covered in blood and she was holding a knife. The security agent immediately punched Paul’s light’s out. Paul had been trying to hide from his assailants behind a wash basin, hoping to be able to make a run for the door. Paul’s last thoughts before passing out were if he would survive the night. Paul was surprised to find himself regaining consciousness in the washroom a few minutes later, just before medics arrived. Security agents had things under control by that time.
Paul had used the one assailant as a body shield against the other. Her friend stabbed the body shield to death, stabbing her about 20 times or so, trying to stab her target. All the time Paul was trying to talk her out of it, and yelling for help. The security agent later apologized to the young man after he found out the attack was the other way around. The reason the one young lady gave for attacking Paul was that she thought he had killed her friend a short time before, so she wanted to get even. She had relied on hearsay to pick target to vent her revenge on. Paul had a bad reputation for being a violent person; he wasn’t really violent, he was just a survivor. Paul tried to convince her that she had it wrong, by telling her he could prove it wasn’t himself. But she wouldn’t listen. She’d committed to a course of action, and kept trying to stab Paul, disregarding the fact her friend was in serious need of medical attention. She killed her friend in the process. At the police station, the young lady eventually confessed to trying to kill Paul.