Save Me [Closed]

Closed role-play between RomanSky and Lost Oceans

Heather took a sip of coffee as she looked out the window of the apartment. The apartment. She hadn't gotten used to calling it her apartment yet, and her mind felt conflicted in whether that was good or not. Logically she knew that this was the safest place for her now, but the resentment in her chest refused to listen to reason and longed to go back to her old life. "I can't do this right now," she mumbled to herself, taking a larger drink of the coffee to finish it off and standing up. She had the whole day ahead of her and she knew that if she allowed her mind to wander, the day would be lost. She grabbed her bag, slinging it over her shoulder and leaving the apartment.

Outside the sun was shining bright and the sky was blue, a seemingly perfect day. It helped to chase away the shadows in the back of her mind, even if only temporarily. Heather took a right and began to walk down the street, stopping a couple blocks down to buy a small muffin. Heather had a therapy session today and she would rather not be hungry when she spoke with Dr. Matthews, the therapist that worked closely with the Witness Protection Program so that she could talk freely about her life. The old one and the new one.

She was passing a news stand on her way when she caught sight of a headline that made her stop in her tracks. The Reaper in San Francisco? She grabbed the paper and felt the blood drain from her face, reading through the article that detailed a killing with the same MO as The Reaper that had happened the night before. Heather felt a hand on her shoulder and she jumped, whirling around to face the person who looked surprised at her. "Um, your phone is ringing," the lady said, and Heather looked at her bag before rifling through it for the source of the ringing that had only just now registered in her ears. "Thank you, sorry," she murmured, walking as she dug for the phone. She pulled it out of the bag and saw Mr. Waters name on the screen. "Hello, this is Heather," She answered, trying to sound calm, though currently she was finding it difficult to breathe.

Carter sighed as he looked at the paper in his hands, throwing it down. The Reaper was in town. He had to have been following Heather. Carter had been assigned to keeping her safe and he was going to make sure that it happened. Carter grabbed his cell phone, calling her from his office, “Heather, where are you?” He asked as she answered. “Calm down and listen to me. Go back to your apartment and lock the door. Do not open it until I get there. Can you do that?” He asked. He nodded when he heard her agree. “I will see you soon.” He said as he hung up. He grabbed his gun, putting it in its holster then pulled on his jacket.

Carter walked up to Heather’s door, knocking roughly, “Heather it’s me Detective Waters.” He called to her. He smiled as she opened the door, then stepped in, locking it again. He walked around the room, locking the windows and closing the curtains. Carter looked at the girl who looked terrified, “Heather look at me.” He said as he walked over and touched her shoulders, “Everything is going to be fine. I’m not going to leave your side until he is found. I already talked with my boss and they are putting me in charge of this case and I’m going to be protecting you personally.” He assured her. “Just sit down and relax.” He said. Heather hadn’t really shared many details about her encounter with The Reaper with him. She had told other officers and her counselor, but he never wanted to bother her more than needed. Today was different though, he had to ask her and find out every detail. “Heather I hate to do this to you, but I need you to walk me through that night. I know you have told everyone, but I have to know his moves to get ahead of him.” He said as he pulled his recorder out. “We can go little by little if you want.” He said, “Are you hungry? I can order us food or have one of my officers bring us something. I will get whatever you want.” He explained.

@ Lost Oceans

@ RomanSky

[This got extremely long, I don't expect you to match it at all, it was just to get her story out.]

"I'm downtown, I was on my way to a session when I saw something on the newspaper," she replied, but from his tone she had a feeling he had seen the paper as well. She took a deep breath, listening to Detective Waters telling her to keep calm and go to the apartment. His quick directions registered in her mind and kept her grounded for the moment. Right, one step at a time and get to the apartment. She could do that. "Okay, yeah," she agreed and hung up. She walked briskly and this time the sunshine couldn't chase away the darkness she felt following her. Was he here because of her? If so, how did he find her? She had completely changed her identity and left her old life behind. She shook her head, blonde curls bouncing to and fro. Get to the apartment. Lock the door. Wait for the Detective.

And she did exactly that. When the knock came on the door, she held her breath until she heard Detective Waters' voice and she let him in. She sat on the couch nervously as he secured the apartment. She nodded as he reassured her, and though she was still terrified, it eased her a bit for the time being. Her anxiety rose again as he asked her to retell that night again. He was right, but she hated reliving that nightmare. She knew he was right though and needed the information, so she took a few deep breaths and tried to prepare herself. "No food, not right now, it won't settle well if I eat now," she said, shaking her head.

"I was with two friends for a girl's night out, we were celebrating Tara's promotion at her job," she said, memories flooding back instantly. "We were out for a while but I hadn't drank that much. I wanted to make sure Tara and Jess had fun and keep them safe, they were always teasing me for being so protective of them." Her heart hurt at the thought, missing her friends dearly. "I made sure they got home safely before I headed home myself. I didn't hear anyone following me or see anyone, but someone grabbed me from behind, I think he was able to surprise me from coming from an alleyway. He put a rag over my mouth and everything went dark. I was told later that it was soaked in chloroform. When I woke up, I was cuffed at my wrists and the cuffs were on a hook that was holding me up. I remember... I remember how much it hurt and I could barely reach the ground enough to alleviate some of the strain on my wrists... my mouth was covered with some sort of dirty rag..." Heather had to pause, she was losing herself in the memory. Her fingers felt cold and numb and her breaths were shallow, but she continued on before she couldn't anymore. "It was dark and cold and damp. I didn't know where I was at the time, but it was deep in the basement of a condemned building. I used to walk by it every day on my way to work..." All his previous victims had been down there, and she had walked by without a clue, day after day. She felt a tear run down her cheek. "I-I heard him come in from somewhere and he turned on a couple of those camping lamps, the ones that don't require electricity. It was really bright, but when my eyes adjusted the first thing I did was try and memorize his face, but I couldn't see much, he had a face mask and hairnet, like a doctor. Later when he got closer, I could that he had brown eyes, but that's the only distinctive quality I could find. Incidentally, brown eyes don't really narrow the list of suspects," she laughed suddenly, though there was no humor in her voice. She continued to speak, but she was fully immersed in the memory now.

"I'm so happy to have you, my dear," he said, his voice almost cheerful. "I want to introduce you to someone. Her name is Lily, and she's been keeping me company. Lily has gotten quite dull though, you see. You girls do lose spirit so quickly," he pouted. "Lily is no longer of use to me now that you're here, so I need you to watch very closely. Pay attention, because this is what will happen to you in time, when you too become dull," he said. Heather watched in horror as he stripped the girl naked and strapped her to a table right in front of Heather and brought out a variety of sharp tools. Heather, though Haley was her name at this time, struggled, trying to get loose. She screamed but the sound was muffled by the cloth. On the table, Lily was crying, sobbing and pleading quietly. The man shushed her, picking up a scalpel and inspecting it. He let it trail across Lily's skin lightly before adding pressure to slice into her skin. Lily cried out and began sobbing harder, Heather looked away in horror, not wanting to witness this. She felt a gloved hand grip her chin hard and painfully, forcing her face forward again. "Do. Not. Look. Away," the man growled, holding the scalpel up to her neck. "Watch. Watch closely, or I will put you on this table tonight, do you understand?" Heather nodded, horrified. It felt like hours that Heather was forced to watch him slice and carved and torture Lily. Eventually the girl passed out, and Heather could only hope at that point that the poor girl was dead and didn't have to endure the torture anymore. The man checked her pulse and sighed. "Our time is coming to an end, dear Lily. Goodbye," he said, and slit her throats in absolution. He stood over her for a little while, eyes closed and head hung as though he were grieving, but soon lifted his head and smiled at Heather. "I look forward to our time together, dear... I'm sorry how rude of me. What is your name darling?" He asked, pulling the rag out of her mouth. Heather was shocked, couldn't believe the things she had just witnessed. "Haley," she managed to force out, seeing his expression change to irritation. Her answer satisfied him though, and his smile returned. "Haley. What a lovely name. I will be seeing you soon, Haley," he said, turning off all lights but one, allowing Heather to stare at Lily's lifeless corpse until he returned the next day.

Heather continued, detailing the torture the man had attempted on her. The scars on her body from his tortures stung in response to the memory, though they were healed now. She pushed forward, feeling numbed and drained, and told Detective Waters how exactly she had escaped. Really it was all luck. Had the killer not left the table as close as he had to Heather, she wouldn't have been able to escape. But seeing her only chance, she was able to find the strength to swing her feet onto the table and give herself enough leverage to get the handcuffs off the hook. The door out of the basement had been locked, but luckily the wood was rotted and damp enough that a few good rams had been able to knock the door down and allow her to climb the stairs to freedom. She finished there, but her mind was still distant in the memory, playing every detail over and over again. She jumped when Detective Waters moved to turn off the recorder.

[That's okay. I loved it!]

Carter turned off the recorder and looked at her, “I’m sorry that happened to you. I know you probably have heard that a lot.” He said. Carter had heard and seen a lot of gruesome stuff in his time as a detective. He leaned back in his chair, “I am going to stay here with you if that is okay. Have you noticed anything odd in the past few days?” He asked her. He frowned as his phone started going off. He stood up, “Excuse me.” He said, before walking to her kitchen and answering his phone, “Detective Waters.” He answered, frowning as he listened to the officer on the other side. “Okay I am a little bus right now. Go ahead and take pictures of the scene and I will go over it.” He explained. He hung up and looked at Heather. The Reaper had killed someone else and Carter was worried about telling Heather.

Carter walked over and sat down next to her, “Look I want you to understand that you are safe when I tell you this.” He said as he looked at her. “There was another murder.” He said, “But don’t worry because you are not going to be out of my site. My friend is going to bring over the case file when they get it finished so I can look over it.” He said. “Until then why don’t you go about your day here. I know you had a session today. I could possible get Dr. Kern to stop here if you feel like you need that.” He explained.

@ Lost Oceans

She was actually relieved that he was going to stay, she was afraid what could happen if she were alone. Heather shook her head. "Nothing out of the ordinary. I'm... I'm always looking over my shoulder now, I always feel like there's someone watching me, but I havent actually seen anyone. Dr. Kern said that it was to be expected though, so I can't really say whether or not my paranoia is substantial," she frowned. Was she actually being stalked? Did the Reaper already know where she was and was just waiting for the opportunity to finish what he had started? Or was it just the fear of being caught off guard again? She couldn't say for sure.

She watched as Detective Waters disappeared into her kitchen to take a call and she fiddled with her hands as she waited, tracing her fingers over the healed scars the cuffs had left on her wrists. They were faint now, but sometimes she swore she could still feel the cold metal of the cuffs. "If it's him... he's got another victim already. He doesn't kill until he has someone new to torture for a while." she told him as he confirmed the newspaper's headline. Some poor girl was out there, scared and cuffed, enduring his "games" until he got bored of her. Heather rested her face in her hands and rubbed her temples. She just wanted this all to be over. She forced herself to look up at Detective Waters, trying to be strong. The last thing this guy needed was to be dealing with her in the midst of a breakdown, he had enough work she was sure.

"I can call Dr. Kern," she said, standing up. She didn't want to cause any more trouble for him than necessary. "I'll just reschedule and set up house visits for a while." She began to search for things that a guest would need. Spare blankets and pillows? She could take some off her bed. She could sleep on the couch, it would be rude if she didn't offer him the bed, right? "Um, make yourself at home. If you're going to be staying, you might as well get comfortable," she suggested, trying to remember the last time she had someone stay with her. It had certainly been a while ago, long before any of this had happened. "Can I get you anything?" She asked.

Carter nodded when she said he probably had another guy. He hated to think of another girl getting hurt the way Heather described. He grabbed his phone, letting the officer’s know to check for another girl. Carter looked over at Heather when she asked if she needed anything, “Don’t worry about me. I will be fine. You just go about your day.” He said as he opened his laptop. He had dedicated almost a month of his life now to finding this guy. Carter looked at her, “Do you mind if I smoke in here or do you need me to step outside?” He asked.

[Sorry about the short post. I am getting stuff ready to make dinner]

@ Lost Oceans

[No problem!]

Heather's day had consisted of her session and beginning to search for a job but she guessed that was out of the question for now. She decided she should call Dr. Kern right away, otherwise he might get worried about their missed session. As she walked to the kitchen, she heard the Detective ask a question. "You can in here, just open a window. My neighbors might complain if you don't," she explained. She had a feeling that the mother of three down the hall would be more than happy to come pounding on the door to complain if she found out the smell of smoke was coming from her apartment.

She dialed Dr. Kern and explained the situation and they set up a new schedule to have him come to the apartment for their sessions from now on. "How are you feeling right now?" Dr. Kern asked her. "Scared," she answered, lowering her voice to try and keep the impromptu phone session private. "Stressed, maybe a little defeated. It feels like I left everything behind for nothing. And I can't know for sure if he actually came here for me, or if he just decided to switch locations, but it just seems like too big of a coincidence." She leaned against the counter. They talked for a moment longer before hanging up with a new session schedule set.

Heather fiddled around in the kitchen, making herself another cup of coffee and reheated some leftover Chinese food for a small lunch. When a knock came at the door, Heather remembered that someone was bringing a case file for Detective Waters and she went to go open the door.

Carter frowned when he seen her move to the door. He got to his feet quickly and moved in front of her, “Never open this door unless I check it out first.” He said, looking at her. He looked out the peephole, seeing his fellow officer. He opened the door, letting her in. “Come one in.” He said, letting him in. He shut the door and locked it. Carter took the files from him, then watched as the officer left. Carter walked over to the window, opening it. He sat down on the couch, lighting a cigarette as he opened the file.

He exhaled the smoke, looking over the pictures from the crime scene, sighing as he turned them over so Heather didn’t have to see them. He looked over at her, “Are you sure you are okay with me being here?” He asked. He didn’t want her to feel like she needed to have him there against her will.

@ Lost Oceans

Heather was surprised when Detective Waters moved in front of her so quick. "I'm so sorry," she apologized quickly and stepped back to let him get the door. She was shocked she had been so willing to open the door right up, even if she was used to living alone and she would have checked the peephole first, she knew that with what was going on, she should be more cautious than ever. Evidentially it was the officer anyway, who gave Waters a file and left shortly after. She took her leftover Chinese into the living room and sat on the opposite end of the couch that the Detective was set up at.

She was lost in thought, thinking about her blunder when his voice registered in her ears. "Hmm?" She looked up, confused. "Oh. Oh! Yeah, it's okay," she assured him. "It'll be weird, having someone stay with me, I think. I haven't had someone stay with me in a while, especially recently..." she trailed off, thinking that the last person she remembered staying with her was probably Tara or Jess, and they had been like sisters. "I'm sorry you're stuck with guard duty, I'm sure you have much better things to be doing. But... I really am grateful for it. Thank you for protecting me," she admitted.

Carter smiled when she spoke, “Trust me this is way better than what I would be doing. I mean I usually just sit at my house doing this and eating a tv dinner.” He said, chuckling. Carter bit his bottom lip lightly when he thought about how often he really did spend time alone. Carter closed the file then typed a few things on his computer. “You will be able to have your real life back after we catch this guy.” He assured her. He knew that this was not how she wanted to live.

He leaned back against the couch, “Heather.” He said, getting her attention. “I promise I will catch this guy.” He said. Normally he wouldn’t promise something like that, but Carter really felt like he was onto something. Carter frowned as his phone rang again. He answered it, “Detective Waters.” He answered. He frowned when he heard his captain telling him to bring Heather to the new crime seen so she could point out similarities. “Umm…I don’t know about that. Give me a second.” He said, putting him on hold. He turned to Heather, “My captain wants us to come down to a crime scene to look around.” He said. “You can say no if you want.” He told her.

@ Lost Oceans

[I hope its okay that i involve her in the investigation. Figured it would add some excitement :)]

[That's totally fine, I was going to have her start asking questions about the investigation anyway!]

Heather looked thoughtful for a moment at his promise, before a small smile formed on her lips and she nodded. His phone ringing interrupted the brief moment and she watched his features furrow into a deep frown. She couldn't help but feel fear at the thought of visiting the scene where the Reaper had dumped the body of his latest victim, she didn't know what that was going to do to her mentally. But at the same time, she couldn't help but wonder if maybe there was something there that could lead the police one step closer to catching him. That chance was enough and she nodded. "I can do it," she told Waters.

She threw away the leftovers container and grabbed a jacket and her phone, and waited for Waters. They grabbed a taxi and she fidgeted on the ride there. She knew that they weren't heading to where he did his killing. She knew from experience that he liked to kill his victims in front of his newest victim, but that knowledge didn't stop the shiver from going down her spine as they pulled up to the crime scene. "Do you think he's here because of me?" She asked. If he had followed her here on purpose, didn't that make any deaths here her fault? She knew she shouldn't think like that, but indirectly, these deaths were because of her. Maybe she should have had that session with Dr. Kern after all... She tried to brush off the feelings for now, she could deal with the guilt later, right now she needed to focus. She practiced her breathing, wanting to stay strong in front of the Detective as they got out of the taxi and Waters led her beyond the yellow caution tape.

Carter walked with Heather, lifting the yellow tape for her. He walked towards the scene, staying close to her. He could tell that she was already feeling a little uneasy. Carter frowned as the coroner walked by them, pushing the dead body pass them. Carter frowned as he led Heather the opposite direction, “Sorry I thought they would have already did that.” He said. He frowned at the captain as they approached him. “So what did you need Heather to look at?” He asked. He looked at the place where the body was frowned, then looked up at the wall behind the scene, Haley I’m here is what it said. Carter frowned as he stared at the haunting words.

@ Lost Oceans

Heather cringed seeing the coroner. The body was in a bag but she knew what was inside and it sent a sharp pang through her heart. She swallowed the lump in her throat and followed Waters further. She saw the message before he could even ask his captain what she was needed for. Was the ground spinning faster suddenly? So The Reaper had found her somehow, and he was here for her. This wasn't just coincidence, it had everything to do with her. Her breathing became rapid and shallow and it felt like her body was submerged in ice and lit on fire at the same time. She took a step forward to look and the message closer, close enough to determine what she already knew. The message had been written in blood. She stumbled back, making sure she could actually use her legs before she bolted back the way they had come. She barely made it out of the crime scene in time to hurl her lunch back up. Tears began to flow from her eyes as the reality of the situation set in. She felt Waters' strong hand on her shoulder and she began to sob harder. "I'm sorry, I thought I could handle this, I didn't.. I didn't realize. I'm sorry, I'm sorry," she cried.

Carter frowned as he walked after her. He touched her shoulder, "Heather its okay." He said as he took a bottle of water from one of the other officers. He handed it to her, "Sit down." He said as he walked her over to one of the benches. "Im sorry for bringing you here. I didnt know that was here." He said as he held her on his arms to try to calm her down. "I can take you home if you want." He said

@ Lost Oceans

She allowed herself to be led to a bench and accepted the bottle, quickly taking a drink to wash the taste out of her mouth. She turned into the Detective and wrapped her arms around him as she cried, mumbling out more sorry's and she attempted to calm herself with the techniques Dr. Kern had taught her for these panic attacks. She shook her head and his apology and his question. "No, I have to do this. I have to see if there's anything I can help with. I owe it to that girl and all the girls before," she said. Inside she was breaking down but if she could just hold on a little longer, she could do this and go back to the apartment and break down all she wanted later. She stood up, needing to go back inside and help in some way.

Carter looked at her, "Okay well if you feel like you need to leave then we will." He said as he got to his feet. Carter sighed, "Lets get this over with." He said as he walked her back over to the scene. "So anything look familar?" He asked her. He stood close to her, feeling very protective of her. Once they finished he walked with her, "Do you want to get something to eat to take home?" He asked as he lit a cigarette. "I know you have to be hungry." He said. They had been at the scene for a few hours.

@ Lost Oceans

Heather was pale as she re-entered the crime scene. She forced herself to ignore the message for now, trying to see if there was anything at all that could take them another step closer to the killer. She could overhear some of the other detectives talking and she was right that he hadnt killed the girl here and that her body had been moved here after her death. Out of the corner of her eye, Heather saw a piece of paper. She moved towards it. "Detective Waters? I think this may be something," she said, not wanting to touch it without gloves. It could be nothing, the paper was tucked under other garbage but it seemed to stand out. As Detective Waters pulled it out, it was a picture of a girl. She watched as he turned it over and scrawled in black ink was a message. Catch me if you can. Heather blinked, surprised. "Could that be who he has now?" She asked, though she was fairly certain it was. She wondered why he would leave evidence on purpose but she remembered his eyes and the sick pleasure he got from the mental aspect of his tortures. He was doing this intentionally to torture Heather, so she could see the girl that was suffering from him now.

She continued to look around as Waters gave the picture over to be examined. She found nothing else of use to them though and eventually they left the scene. Surprisingly, she was hungry, only noticing it when Waters asked about food. "Yes please. Just not Chinese," she said, shaking her head. She wouldn't be eating Chinese food for a while after this. They grabbed some burgers nearby and headed back to the apartment, the sun already beginning to set. She quickened her pace. Even though she was with someone, she didn't want to be out past dark. She hurried and let them in and got each of their take-home containers situated before sitting down with the food at her spot on the couch. "I'm sorry about earlier," she apologized, probably for the hundredth time. "It really hadn't set in that he had come for me until I saw the message," she explained quietly.

Carter looked at her as they sat down on the couch, "It's okay. I didn't know it was going to be that bad." He said as he opened his burger. He took a bite of it, thinking for a moment as he chewed, "We need to find that other girl." He said, wiping his mouth with a napkin. Carter sighed as he took a sip of his drink, "I will find this guy, don't worry." He said, "I won't let you get hurt either." He explained. He didn't want to see her get hurt or killed. He didn't want her to have to go through the stuff she had already survived.

@ Lost Oceans