I work a service job while studying and after work or days off I like to go into the local forest (it's more like a nature reserve/park that's connected to a forestry area) to just jog or sit and drink in peace.

A few weeks ago I was walking down one of the paths again but suddenly I saw two figures coming down the same way. 95% of nights I don't see anyone so I thought I'd just say "hi" and walk on, they were probably coming back from a nearby concert hall but had gone the wrong way.

I didn't have a light on because the moon was amlost full and I knew my way around the forest but I still thought they had seen me so I didn't bother speaking up until they were only a few meters ahead of me.

I tried saying "hi, can I pass" but before I could even finish one of them shrieked and I heard and felt myself getting sprayed. You don't feel pepper spray for the first few seconds and luckly I had my glasses on so none of it got into my eyes. I just stood there in disbelief while they ran away from me back the way they came.

Only after they ran and it started burning I realized that it was pepper spray and I was so pissed. I turned back to get to my scooter and go home, it was luckly a windy day so it didn't hurt as much as it could have but it was still probably one of the top 5 most painful things I've felt.

I can not fucking understand how someone can be so careless, stupid and cruel to randomly attack a stranger like that. No one comes into desolate forests to mug/kill people, I am literally a skinny 165cm 22 year old and both of them were taller than me.

I didn't go to the police because I basically had nothing to use against them and even if I somehow managed to find and drag them to the police they could just claim I attacked them.

I'm often bullied/taken advantage of so this sort of stuff really gets to me, I'm carrying my own pepper spray now in case something like this happens again