Status: Currently writing
Clubs
Taken
I didn’t wake up until late afternoon the next day; I guess it gave Emma plenty of time to get out of my hair. Where she’s gone I don’t know. To be honest, right now I couldn’t care less.
After I’d got out some untouched cereal that I found in the cupboard (one of the few foods that weren’t torn up or spilt all over the kitchen) I realised the milk was in the fridge which was still on the floor so I called up Marissa to see if she could come and help lift a few things out of the way.
‘Hey Maris, its me’
‘Oh hey Annie, good time last night?’
‘Yeah, yeah it was lovely but I had a bit of a situation when I got home. See my apartment got burgled, I came home and the door was wise open and the place was trashed.’
‘Jesus. That’s awful; you must have been so scared.’
‘Yeah well, shit happens. I just wondered if you could come over at some point and help me lift a few things. The place is completely trashed I just need a hand to pick the fridge up off the floor etc.’
‘Of course I will Annie! What time do you want me?’
‘Anytime, I’m in all day.’
‘Alright I’ll be right over.’
Marissa helped me a lot that afternoon. I only needed her to help me put some furniture back into place but as soon as she came in she made me lie down on the sofa, made me a cup of tea and cocooned me in a fluffy blanket.
‘Oh Annie, we should have walked you home! I mean what would’ve happened if they were still in there and you went on in. They could have taken you away or left you for dead.’
‘Oh no, really it’s ok. I wasn’t alone and anyway it’s not like people walk you straight up to your apartment door, no one would have known.’
Marissa still looked horrified at the thought of me being viciously attacked or something from the comfort of my own. Well, if I’m honest so was I.
She helped me tidy up the apartment and put almost everything back to the way it was. Obviously a lot of it was broken so there wasn’t really much I could do with that, like CDs and stuff, the majority were cracked, including Emma’s overly large collection of chick flick films, mainly starring Hugh Grant and Colin Firth.
My bedroom looked fairly normal now, my clothes were all back in the wardrobe, my bed was made and books were back on the shelves. Marissa left later that evening after fetching me some groceries from the co-op around the corner, she didn’t question why I didn’t have much food in the kitchen or why I hadn’t gone to buy any and I appreciate that. I think she understood that I wasn’t really up for leaving the apartment for a while.
I don’t know what made me do it but before I went to bed I went fishing through the closet for an old baseball bat my dad gave me for Christmas when I was a child and put it by the front door. I’d checked multiple times that the locks were secure on the door during the last half an hour. They were fine… It kills me too say it, but I half wish Emma was back, I’d never felt more alone.
The following morning was Sunday. I assumed Jeremy had heard about the break-in because he was around first thing in the morning with a big bear hug and a bunch of flowers.
‘Right, now off this topic, you’ve dealt with enough stress for one weekend. I’m sorry if I hold it in any longer I’ll die. You’ll never guess who I woke up with the next morning!’ Jeremy made hand motions to suggest he was mixing drinks and pouring pints.
‘JEREMY! You didn’t!’ I was laughing so hard, ‘no way!’
‘Yes way! And I don’t regret a single moment. Now tell me about the guy from the floor below us!’
‘What…? Oh!’ It took me a while to realise. I’d completely forgotten about Dean, I hadn’t thought about anything from the other night.
‘Yes! “Oh”’ he smirked.
‘Well…’ I told him about how we talked about pretty irrelevant stuff but it was kind of nice…
‘Well that’s not saucy…’
‘I wasn’t after saucy’ I laughed, ‘actually if you want some gossip I nearly got taken away some weird ginger bloke to the loos.’
‘You what?’
‘Yeah, he wouldn’t let go. It was quite scary actually but you’ll never guess who saved me’ I nudged him with my elbow.
‘Dean!’ We both said in unison.
Jeremy filled me in on the gossip on the other girls in the office from that night. Turns out each of them went back with a man apart from Charlotte. But that’s understandable seeing as she just got out of a bad relationship.
‘I know, it’s awful. Apparently the bloke used to hit her.’ We sighed; it’s always horrible to imagine abuse like that. The worse part is you never really knew that they were being abused until everything comes out at the end. And then you think to yourself all the little moments you should have noticed like how one day she turned up to work with a healing black eye and told us all that she walked into a cupboard so a few jokes were made out of it. The guilt people felt afterwards. It always makes you question, what if you’d noticed something. What if you’d done something about it?
‘Poor Char, I hope she finds someone nice soon. Ooh! We should set her up with Frank!’ Jeremy clapped his hands in excitement. My mind was blank, I suppressed a gawky face.
‘Who’s Frank?’
‘The mail man!’
‘Oh him!’ I laughed, Frank was like the mood killer of the office. The downer on everyone’s day. He was about 5ft 7, middle aged with greasy black slicked black hair. He tends to not be too friendly towards the rest of us. Jeremy reckons he lives alone with a bunch of cats, a bit harsh but most likely to be true.
***
Going to bed that night I felt more comfortable now I’d seen Jem and Marissa. Somehow little things like the comfort of just spending time with friends really does make a difference. That and probably the fact that the place doesn’t look like it’d been vandalised any more. Either way I was still nervous, but it just made it easier to get some sleep and just stop thinking about everything.
***
I don’t know what it was but there was something about being at work that felt safer now than being at home. Which sounds awful, but I was really glad to get out of the house. I’m sure it’ll pass, however I don’t think I’ve ever walked so quickly or cautiously to work. Maybe because I’d been cooped up all weekend, I was in desperate need of a bit of fresh air. It’s surprising how different you can feel after a quick speed walk to work.
On the way up I passed Frank delivering the mail. Lovely, I thought, more neurotic mail from hormonal teenagers that hate themselves. I smirked to myself thinking about Jeremy yesterday wanting to set him up with Charlotte.
Jeremy whisked in not long after that thought when I’d just sat down in my office.
‘I’ve got your mail and your latte Miss Costello.’
‘Why thank you very much Jeremy.’
Sipping my latte I skimmed though the mail with my free hand lightly tearing envelopes and reading the odd few lines from each of the letters to check if there was anything unusual that could be used for story. It didn’t look promising, just the same old repetitive nonsense, most of which isn’t even true it’s just to get the small cash prize or a mention in the magazine.
Sorting through them I saw another one. It was just sitting there, slightly peeking out from underneath the others. The same letter, the same rich purple envelope enclosed with a black wax stamp. Maybe it was last weeks? I could have sworn I threw it in the bin. It was sealed. Tearing this one open less carefully than the last I unfolded the paper... It was another outline of a clover. But this time half of it was filled in black.
I will admit it shook me up a little, but telling somebody about that would be pointless. I’m a journalist in the making; they have to deal with weird stuff like this all the time.
Once again the letter was going straight to the bin. However, I hesitated. For some reason I slot it in the bottom of my drawer.
Jeremy leaned of my desk and retold the famous but endless story of him and his barman.
‘Ehem, don’t need the details thank you! Some things really should just be left to the imagination.’ He smirked in dirty admiration of his seducing skills.
I had a few letters to write up in reply to those who got their stories published in the magazine. Mostly they were just copy and pasted though with a fresh signature at the bottom. Other than that I didn’t have much else to do. I thought a little about Dean, the floor below was where we did all our photocopying so I could go down and do that to see if I might accidently bump into him. But maybe that would look obvious? I mean, I don’t go down there often so he would definitely know that if we met then it would be on purpose. Then again, maybe he’d like that.
I didn’t really care; I just wanted to see him again. I took my work and some of Francine’s that she wanted copying whilst Jeremy was sat on Sarah’s desk having a gossip about Frank the mail man again. I rushed past and slipped quickly into the lift pushing the button. For some reason I felt hot, I was glad there was no one else in the lift or else I would have felt a compulsive need to explain myself.
The doors opened in synchronisation. This floor was a lot busier, it seemed bigger because it was all one room made up of lots of little desks closed off by white miniature walls. I weaved through the offices making my way to the copying room. Catching glimpses of heads as I swiftly marched past, none of them were Dean. In fact most of them were women either sketching, typing or answering telephones.
Huffing, I plopped my work to the side and started working the photocopier beeping and scanning. I put in the first lot and entered my password.
‘Hello’ a familiar voice appeared from behind me. I turned round to see Dean just standing there copying some files. I’d just walked straight past him.
‘Hi, uh, sorry I didn’t see you there.’
‘I gathered’ he laughed that most adorable chuckle, ‘you looked like you meant business when you stormed in here.’
‘Yeah well, I’m a business type of gal.’ I smirked and picked up my work.
‘Indeed you are.’ He scanned the folders I held in my arms. ‘Need any help with that?’ He looked like he was going to say something else.
‘Nah, I think I’ll manage thanks.’ I’d look a bit of an idiot if he carried my light folders to the lift for me.
‘Well then, I’ll see you around.’ With that he left and for some reason I was still standing there a good while after he’d gone.
***
When I got home I collapsed on the sofa with a ready meal from the freezer. A well deserved shower I think. I stripped off and jumped straight in. Sometimes you just forget how good hot water feels trickling down your skin and how calming the scorching steam is at it seeps into your pores. I lose myself in the shower, just stand there with my imagination trailing rapidly from one thought to another and before I know it it’s been half an hour or so already. I wrapped myself up in my dressing gown and combed through my hair. I know I hadn’t done much but it’d been a long day. I was easily tempted with an early night and a book to keep me company. I know it seemed irrational and unnecessary but I got up to go downstairs and check the locks again.
I fiddled with the chains to check there strength, all seemed good. A crunch of paper under my feet. There it was, just sitting there on the doormat directly below the letterbox. That purple envelope, unaddressed with a black stamp, again.
Why?
Am I losing it? I am I well and truly losing my sanity here? I had a bad feeling about this, something deep in the pit of my stomach. I don’t want to be paranoid, I don’t want to be one of those people who are traumatised and scared of everything because they had a burglar enter there home. I reached for the letter. I just wanted to touch it, to see if it was real. My finger smoothed over the seal of the wax, the black stamp was the form of a clover. I opened the envelope revealing the naked paper inside. Another clover. Only this time, all of it was black.
Something was wrong. I should report this; if it’s some sick joke then I’m far from laughing. Somehow though, it doesn’t feel like this would be considered a prank someone would play. I can’t think of anybody who would want to do this. Who is against me so much they feel they have to send weird psycho ‘symbolic’ messages to psyche me out making me feel insecure in my own home. Then again I could just be being stupid and calling the police wouldn’t help on the looking stupid factor.
Thump
I dropped the letter on the table and reached instinctively for the bat that I placed by the door last night. My hand felt for nothing, the bat had gone. I jumped out of my skin sending a shiver right down my spine. There was nothing there. I knew that.
Black had swallowed the room; my hands explored the walls through the hallway. A cold breeze washed over me chilling my hands and legs. I pulled my dressing gown tighter together to keep in the warmth. It seemed silly but something felt wrong, I wanted Emma to be here. She didn’t have to be doing anything, I didn’t even have to see her but it was just comforting knowing that there was somebody next door I could go to. Now I just felt a kind of lonely emptiness. The sort of loneliness a child would feel when they couldn’t find their parents.
I checked the doors were locked again and followed the hallway creeping across the creaky floor boards to close the window and stop the wind whistling eerily down through the apartment. Shuffling. I grabbed the thing nearest to me which happened to be a cheap lamp from a side table. Drawing in a breath I was ready for it. I stepped boldly around the corner ready to swing.
Nothing.
Just the lace curtain billowing in the wind from the balcony. I felt so stupid. Pulling the curtain to the side I shut the window checking the locks in the process. I let out a sigh that was a half laugh. Looking down at the wielded lamp in my hand I was quite glad no one was here to see how stupid I’d been.
Smash
I’d dropped the lamp and it smashed shattering on the ground. Turning around something gagged me from behind. The light went out, my pulse racing. I struggled, clawing the walls at the walls as an arm tightened their grip around my neck. I strived for breath, scraping at the air with my naked arms. I pelted my right fist into his head as he breathed down my neck. He groaned clutching his nose.
Running feet. I turned. He ran into my upper body, throwing me into the dining table with a thundering crash. Splinters stabbed into my bare arms and all up my back. Feeling like the hunted prey of a wild animal I paused, listening for movement. I felt for the edges of the table, hoisting myself up silently.
The whisper of a footstep to my left. I turned, lashing out blindly and feeling my fist connect with muscled flesh. There was a soft “Oomph.”
It didn’t seem to have an effect on his rock solid torso. He swung a roundhouse punch. I bent backward and felt his knuckles swish past my nose. I thrashed at the air in desperation, no longer seeing anything in the darkness of the hallway and reaching out for anything I could use as a weapon. A creak of the floor boards. Five feet away? Maybe more, maybe less. But someone was there.
Suffocation. A hand clamped over my mouth from behind thrusting a bag over my head. I slid down unleashing his grip and rolled across the floor. The door. I took a breath and made a run for it bowling down the hallway my body just skidding past his clasp. Locks. My hands fumbled with the chains shaking veraciously. One down. I scraped at the locks screaming in terror. Open by inches I got my hand through the door until a daunting mammoth arm seized my waist hoisting me back. He slammed the door. I yelped in pain as my fingers crunched between the wall and the wood. Bending me back my ribs took a blow as he threw me over his shoulder. I screamed for help preying someone would hear me. His hand clamped over my mouth and he enclosed my face with something rubbery; all I could hear was the desperate release of gas. The last thing I smell is the sweet scent of roses.Black out.
After I’d got out some untouched cereal that I found in the cupboard (one of the few foods that weren’t torn up or spilt all over the kitchen) I realised the milk was in the fridge which was still on the floor so I called up Marissa to see if she could come and help lift a few things out of the way.
‘Hey Maris, its me’
‘Oh hey Annie, good time last night?’
‘Yeah, yeah it was lovely but I had a bit of a situation when I got home. See my apartment got burgled, I came home and the door was wise open and the place was trashed.’
‘Jesus. That’s awful; you must have been so scared.’
‘Yeah well, shit happens. I just wondered if you could come over at some point and help me lift a few things. The place is completely trashed I just need a hand to pick the fridge up off the floor etc.’
‘Of course I will Annie! What time do you want me?’
‘Anytime, I’m in all day.’
‘Alright I’ll be right over.’
Marissa helped me a lot that afternoon. I only needed her to help me put some furniture back into place but as soon as she came in she made me lie down on the sofa, made me a cup of tea and cocooned me in a fluffy blanket.
‘Oh Annie, we should have walked you home! I mean what would’ve happened if they were still in there and you went on in. They could have taken you away or left you for dead.’
‘Oh no, really it’s ok. I wasn’t alone and anyway it’s not like people walk you straight up to your apartment door, no one would have known.’
Marissa still looked horrified at the thought of me being viciously attacked or something from the comfort of my own. Well, if I’m honest so was I.
She helped me tidy up the apartment and put almost everything back to the way it was. Obviously a lot of it was broken so there wasn’t really much I could do with that, like CDs and stuff, the majority were cracked, including Emma’s overly large collection of chick flick films, mainly starring Hugh Grant and Colin Firth.
My bedroom looked fairly normal now, my clothes were all back in the wardrobe, my bed was made and books were back on the shelves. Marissa left later that evening after fetching me some groceries from the co-op around the corner, she didn’t question why I didn’t have much food in the kitchen or why I hadn’t gone to buy any and I appreciate that. I think she understood that I wasn’t really up for leaving the apartment for a while.
I don’t know what made me do it but before I went to bed I went fishing through the closet for an old baseball bat my dad gave me for Christmas when I was a child and put it by the front door. I’d checked multiple times that the locks were secure on the door during the last half an hour. They were fine… It kills me too say it, but I half wish Emma was back, I’d never felt more alone.
The following morning was Sunday. I assumed Jeremy had heard about the break-in because he was around first thing in the morning with a big bear hug and a bunch of flowers.
‘Right, now off this topic, you’ve dealt with enough stress for one weekend. I’m sorry if I hold it in any longer I’ll die. You’ll never guess who I woke up with the next morning!’ Jeremy made hand motions to suggest he was mixing drinks and pouring pints.
‘JEREMY! You didn’t!’ I was laughing so hard, ‘no way!’
‘Yes way! And I don’t regret a single moment. Now tell me about the guy from the floor below us!’
‘What…? Oh!’ It took me a while to realise. I’d completely forgotten about Dean, I hadn’t thought about anything from the other night.
‘Yes! “Oh”’ he smirked.
‘Well…’ I told him about how we talked about pretty irrelevant stuff but it was kind of nice…
‘Well that’s not saucy…’
‘I wasn’t after saucy’ I laughed, ‘actually if you want some gossip I nearly got taken away some weird ginger bloke to the loos.’
‘You what?’
‘Yeah, he wouldn’t let go. It was quite scary actually but you’ll never guess who saved me’ I nudged him with my elbow.
‘Dean!’ We both said in unison.
Jeremy filled me in on the gossip on the other girls in the office from that night. Turns out each of them went back with a man apart from Charlotte. But that’s understandable seeing as she just got out of a bad relationship.
‘I know, it’s awful. Apparently the bloke used to hit her.’ We sighed; it’s always horrible to imagine abuse like that. The worse part is you never really knew that they were being abused until everything comes out at the end. And then you think to yourself all the little moments you should have noticed like how one day she turned up to work with a healing black eye and told us all that she walked into a cupboard so a few jokes were made out of it. The guilt people felt afterwards. It always makes you question, what if you’d noticed something. What if you’d done something about it?
‘Poor Char, I hope she finds someone nice soon. Ooh! We should set her up with Frank!’ Jeremy clapped his hands in excitement. My mind was blank, I suppressed a gawky face.
‘Who’s Frank?’
‘The mail man!’
‘Oh him!’ I laughed, Frank was like the mood killer of the office. The downer on everyone’s day. He was about 5ft 7, middle aged with greasy black slicked black hair. He tends to not be too friendly towards the rest of us. Jeremy reckons he lives alone with a bunch of cats, a bit harsh but most likely to be true.
***
Going to bed that night I felt more comfortable now I’d seen Jem and Marissa. Somehow little things like the comfort of just spending time with friends really does make a difference. That and probably the fact that the place doesn’t look like it’d been vandalised any more. Either way I was still nervous, but it just made it easier to get some sleep and just stop thinking about everything.
***
I don’t know what it was but there was something about being at work that felt safer now than being at home. Which sounds awful, but I was really glad to get out of the house. I’m sure it’ll pass, however I don’t think I’ve ever walked so quickly or cautiously to work. Maybe because I’d been cooped up all weekend, I was in desperate need of a bit of fresh air. It’s surprising how different you can feel after a quick speed walk to work.
On the way up I passed Frank delivering the mail. Lovely, I thought, more neurotic mail from hormonal teenagers that hate themselves. I smirked to myself thinking about Jeremy yesterday wanting to set him up with Charlotte.
Jeremy whisked in not long after that thought when I’d just sat down in my office.
‘I’ve got your mail and your latte Miss Costello.’
‘Why thank you very much Jeremy.’
Sipping my latte I skimmed though the mail with my free hand lightly tearing envelopes and reading the odd few lines from each of the letters to check if there was anything unusual that could be used for story. It didn’t look promising, just the same old repetitive nonsense, most of which isn’t even true it’s just to get the small cash prize or a mention in the magazine.
Sorting through them I saw another one. It was just sitting there, slightly peeking out from underneath the others. The same letter, the same rich purple envelope enclosed with a black wax stamp. Maybe it was last weeks? I could have sworn I threw it in the bin. It was sealed. Tearing this one open less carefully than the last I unfolded the paper... It was another outline of a clover. But this time half of it was filled in black.
I will admit it shook me up a little, but telling somebody about that would be pointless. I’m a journalist in the making; they have to deal with weird stuff like this all the time.
Once again the letter was going straight to the bin. However, I hesitated. For some reason I slot it in the bottom of my drawer.
Jeremy leaned of my desk and retold the famous but endless story of him and his barman.
‘Ehem, don’t need the details thank you! Some things really should just be left to the imagination.’ He smirked in dirty admiration of his seducing skills.
I had a few letters to write up in reply to those who got their stories published in the magazine. Mostly they were just copy and pasted though with a fresh signature at the bottom. Other than that I didn’t have much else to do. I thought a little about Dean, the floor below was where we did all our photocopying so I could go down and do that to see if I might accidently bump into him. But maybe that would look obvious? I mean, I don’t go down there often so he would definitely know that if we met then it would be on purpose. Then again, maybe he’d like that.
I didn’t really care; I just wanted to see him again. I took my work and some of Francine’s that she wanted copying whilst Jeremy was sat on Sarah’s desk having a gossip about Frank the mail man again. I rushed past and slipped quickly into the lift pushing the button. For some reason I felt hot, I was glad there was no one else in the lift or else I would have felt a compulsive need to explain myself.
The doors opened in synchronisation. This floor was a lot busier, it seemed bigger because it was all one room made up of lots of little desks closed off by white miniature walls. I weaved through the offices making my way to the copying room. Catching glimpses of heads as I swiftly marched past, none of them were Dean. In fact most of them were women either sketching, typing or answering telephones.
Huffing, I plopped my work to the side and started working the photocopier beeping and scanning. I put in the first lot and entered my password.
‘Hello’ a familiar voice appeared from behind me. I turned round to see Dean just standing there copying some files. I’d just walked straight past him.
‘Hi, uh, sorry I didn’t see you there.’
‘I gathered’ he laughed that most adorable chuckle, ‘you looked like you meant business when you stormed in here.’
‘Yeah well, I’m a business type of gal.’ I smirked and picked up my work.
‘Indeed you are.’ He scanned the folders I held in my arms. ‘Need any help with that?’ He looked like he was going to say something else.
‘Nah, I think I’ll manage thanks.’ I’d look a bit of an idiot if he carried my light folders to the lift for me.
‘Well then, I’ll see you around.’ With that he left and for some reason I was still standing there a good while after he’d gone.
***
When I got home I collapsed on the sofa with a ready meal from the freezer. A well deserved shower I think. I stripped off and jumped straight in. Sometimes you just forget how good hot water feels trickling down your skin and how calming the scorching steam is at it seeps into your pores. I lose myself in the shower, just stand there with my imagination trailing rapidly from one thought to another and before I know it it’s been half an hour or so already. I wrapped myself up in my dressing gown and combed through my hair. I know I hadn’t done much but it’d been a long day. I was easily tempted with an early night and a book to keep me company. I know it seemed irrational and unnecessary but I got up to go downstairs and check the locks again.
I fiddled with the chains to check there strength, all seemed good. A crunch of paper under my feet. There it was, just sitting there on the doormat directly below the letterbox. That purple envelope, unaddressed with a black stamp, again.
Why?
Am I losing it? I am I well and truly losing my sanity here? I had a bad feeling about this, something deep in the pit of my stomach. I don’t want to be paranoid, I don’t want to be one of those people who are traumatised and scared of everything because they had a burglar enter there home. I reached for the letter. I just wanted to touch it, to see if it was real. My finger smoothed over the seal of the wax, the black stamp was the form of a clover. I opened the envelope revealing the naked paper inside. Another clover. Only this time, all of it was black.
Something was wrong. I should report this; if it’s some sick joke then I’m far from laughing. Somehow though, it doesn’t feel like this would be considered a prank someone would play. I can’t think of anybody who would want to do this. Who is against me so much they feel they have to send weird psycho ‘symbolic’ messages to psyche me out making me feel insecure in my own home. Then again I could just be being stupid and calling the police wouldn’t help on the looking stupid factor.
Thump
I dropped the letter on the table and reached instinctively for the bat that I placed by the door last night. My hand felt for nothing, the bat had gone. I jumped out of my skin sending a shiver right down my spine. There was nothing there. I knew that.
Black had swallowed the room; my hands explored the walls through the hallway. A cold breeze washed over me chilling my hands and legs. I pulled my dressing gown tighter together to keep in the warmth. It seemed silly but something felt wrong, I wanted Emma to be here. She didn’t have to be doing anything, I didn’t even have to see her but it was just comforting knowing that there was somebody next door I could go to. Now I just felt a kind of lonely emptiness. The sort of loneliness a child would feel when they couldn’t find their parents.
I checked the doors were locked again and followed the hallway creeping across the creaky floor boards to close the window and stop the wind whistling eerily down through the apartment. Shuffling. I grabbed the thing nearest to me which happened to be a cheap lamp from a side table. Drawing in a breath I was ready for it. I stepped boldly around the corner ready to swing.
Nothing.
Just the lace curtain billowing in the wind from the balcony. I felt so stupid. Pulling the curtain to the side I shut the window checking the locks in the process. I let out a sigh that was a half laugh. Looking down at the wielded lamp in my hand I was quite glad no one was here to see how stupid I’d been.
Smash
I’d dropped the lamp and it smashed shattering on the ground. Turning around something gagged me from behind. The light went out, my pulse racing. I struggled, clawing the walls at the walls as an arm tightened their grip around my neck. I strived for breath, scraping at the air with my naked arms. I pelted my right fist into his head as he breathed down my neck. He groaned clutching his nose.
Running feet. I turned. He ran into my upper body, throwing me into the dining table with a thundering crash. Splinters stabbed into my bare arms and all up my back. Feeling like the hunted prey of a wild animal I paused, listening for movement. I felt for the edges of the table, hoisting myself up silently.
The whisper of a footstep to my left. I turned, lashing out blindly and feeling my fist connect with muscled flesh. There was a soft “Oomph.”
It didn’t seem to have an effect on his rock solid torso. He swung a roundhouse punch. I bent backward and felt his knuckles swish past my nose. I thrashed at the air in desperation, no longer seeing anything in the darkness of the hallway and reaching out for anything I could use as a weapon. A creak of the floor boards. Five feet away? Maybe more, maybe less. But someone was there.
Suffocation. A hand clamped over my mouth from behind thrusting a bag over my head. I slid down unleashing his grip and rolled across the floor. The door. I took a breath and made a run for it bowling down the hallway my body just skidding past his clasp. Locks. My hands fumbled with the chains shaking veraciously. One down. I scraped at the locks screaming in terror. Open by inches I got my hand through the door until a daunting mammoth arm seized my waist hoisting me back. He slammed the door. I yelped in pain as my fingers crunched between the wall and the wood. Bending me back my ribs took a blow as he threw me over his shoulder. I screamed for help preying someone would hear me. His hand clamped over my mouth and he enclosed my face with something rubbery; all I could hear was the desperate release of gas. The last thing I smell is the sweet scent of roses.Black out.
♠ ♠ ♠
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