This piece is pretty ghastly, to be honest, so if you're squeamish, don't read it. It's sinister, and the antagonist is absolutely evil. This story seriously came from the darkest corner of my mind, haha. Hope you enjoy it, though.
XxxDo
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A strong hand clasped over my mouth, and I tried to bite it, tasting dirt and the salty flavour of sweat. His other arm snaked around my waist as I tugged at his muscular wrist, failing to free myself. Desperate, I dug my nails into the hand that blocked my air supply, struggling with all my might against the powerful grasp. Abruptly I was released.
A kick to the back of my knees sent me reeling, knocking me to the pavement. My palms scraped over the uneven tiles, erupting into a burning sensation that ached deeply. I gasped, scrambling away on hands and knees, finding the pain in my hands a minor factor as I fought for my life. I was on my feet again, and took off down the alley. A single thought pounded through my mind, in sync with my heartbeat.
Escape… Escape.. Escape..
“Bitch!” The low, raspy bellow came from somewhere before me, and I involuntarily slowed down. No one was visible before me, and I increased my pace. Two pairs of hollow footsteps echoed around me. My own, and his. As my eyes focused on the distant exit of the alley, the bright sunlight shining in from the narrow opening, I was all too aware of my aching legs.
Unexpected pain flashed through the back of my head. Loosing my balance I came down hard on the ground, my knees abraded by the rough surface of the stones. I remained motionless, gasping, my forehead resting on the cold rock. Let me wake up. Let it be a nightmare. Please, please let it be a nightmare.
A hand clamped around the back of my neck, pressing me into the ground, hard. Catching his breath the man panted, planting his knee into my back with force. I screamed in pain.
“Don’t even fucking think about it.. No more running, bitch, d’you get me?”
An inhuman shriek escaped from my lips as he increased the pressure on my back.
“Do you get me!” he bellowed, the sound so terrifying that I cowered. Covering my head with my mutilated hands I begged for my life. He laughed, his smoker’s past evident in the hoarse chortle. The pressure ebbed away slowly, and it dawned on me that he’d released me from his powerful grip. I whimpered, bringing my knees up under me, making myself as small as possible. There was no was I’d make it to the end of the passageway without aid, and it didn’t look like anyone was going to come to my rescue. We were in a remote back-alley of a high-crime neighborhood, so most members of the population were more likely to join in than help me out.
I clamped my wet eyes shut. His face was horrid, the untamed violence in his eyes terrifying. I can't believe I trusted him, I bitterly thought, I might as well have signed my own death certificate. I couldn't bear seeing him again. The bulging muscles and tall stature of the man were burned into my mind, so clear that I almost believed I was actually staring at him right this moment. Silence fell around me, and I quietly sobbed. Warm tears trickled down my cheeks, falling to the floor. I inhaled a shuddering breath, all my muscles shaking with adrenaline.
“Not a sound.” the short comment was almost a growl. Strong hands clutched my shoulders, yanking me up. I was hauled to my weak feet, my knees nearly buckling in fear and exhaustion. My gaze slowly lifted, across the muddy shirt, up to the stubble bear, finally resting on the feral eyes. He bared his teeth in a monkey-fear grimace, then licked his lips.
“I have a surprise for you.” he grinned, apparently finding himself rather amusing. “Guess who’s here to see you?”
Tears blurred my vision, and I blinked ferociously, shaking my head.
“What, you don’t want to know?” his tone was almost offended, going up an octave at the end of the sentence. The moment was short-lived, and he lowered his voice again. “Stop fucking struggling or I’ll kill you.”
I let my body go limp, allowing him to drag me further into the dimness of the alley. The heels of my sneakers grinded over the tiles, his strong hands circled around my upper arms, pinning them to my sides. There wasn’t anyone around, so it didn’t matter if he killed me here, or further down the path, to be frank. I wasn’t getting away, and I knew it. His remark entered my mind, and I unwittingly flinched. Guess who’s here to see you?
He dropped me. My tailbone received the brunt of the fall, and I cried out as pain spiraled through my system. Tears streamed down my filth-streaked cheeks, and I shifted my weight in an attempt to lessen the pressure on my aching lower back. He opened the door, commanding me to go inside. I crawled across the threshold, resting face down on the carpet as soon as I was entirely inside the hallway. His laugh was one from nightmares, and I shuddered, my body aching. My hands and knees were scraped raw, an ache moving slowly up my spine. Please let me rest, please don’t make me move.
A high-pitched scream rang through my ears, and I lifted my head with a start. Once the second scream pierced through the air I recognized it. Every muscle in my body froze solid with fear, terror clutching at my throat and revving up my heartbeat. Tanya… No… He couldn’t have… The door smacked shut behind me, a short gust of air sending chills down my spine. I acknowledged the fact that my fate was almost definitely fixed on death, but for a miracle that would rescued me. I drew air deep into my lungs, crinkling my nose at the stale, dusty reeking of the carpet. What is it that I really fear? I asked myself. Is it death? Or simply the pain that will precede death?
“Do you value your life over that of others?” he asked me, almost whispering. I didn’t reply, options racing through my head. What did he want to hear? What on Earth was I to answer? His boot smashed into my side, and I felt an excruciating pain erupt from my ribcage as a harrowing crack snapped through the air. I writhed, then fell still, sobbing into the carpet. The pain was vicious, deep, aching, and too much for me to handle.
“Do you value your life over that of others?”
I involuntarily cringed, my breath catching in my throat as the pain increased. Tanya’s friendly and stunning face slipped through my mind. She was my oldest friend. I’d known her since three days after I was born, and now, because of me, we’d probably die together. Softly placing my warm palm over what felt like a fractured rib I swallowed my tears. “It… It depends.”
As silence kicked in I assumed he was thinking about my answer. His intentions dawned on me. Does he want me to die to save her? Is that what he’s after?
His voice boomed. “Depends on what?”
“On…” I was at loss for words, and only when I saw his boot nearing me again, I hollered. “Who it is! It depends on who it is!”
A grimace split his grimy face, evolving into a snigger. Seconds later he was doubling over in laughter, slapping his hands on his knees, wiping tears out of his eyes. I watched in awe, unable to move, unable to escape, unable to save her. His entire body shook, and he touched a hand to the wall for support as he continued. I measured the distance to the stairs with my gaze, then glanced up them, remaining where I was. Is she upstairs? Where is he keeping her? Another scream echoed off the walls, and I turned my head, staring past the stairs. There was a shut wooden door, black, from where the cries for help seemed to originate.
“You’re hilarious.” he’d finally stopped, hiccupping slightly as an after effect. “You could’ve been one hell of a comedian.”
He’s crazy. He’s fucking mad.
When he realized that I didn’t share his enthusiasm for my apparently budding comedian career in spe, he grabbed hold of the hood of my sweatshirt. Walking through the hallway he dragged me after him. I struggled, clamping my hands to my throat as I tried to pull free the chokehold my sweater had me in. He kicked open the door. I coughed and gasped when he released the hood, my throat raw. I was barely cooping with the agony he was causing me, and when I felt my body being lifted I braced as well as I could for inevitable hard impact with the ground.
I collapsed in a heap as he swung and released me. Winded and gasping, with pain flashing through my ribcage so vividly that I couldn’t even think, I fought the black dots that drifted through my line of sight. As they persisted his mad grinning grew distant, and I rested my head on the floor as the world spun beyond my control. In a second of maddening fear darkness blacked out my sight.
I awakened with a start, my heart thrashing against my ribcage to pump blood around my bruised body. I was lying on my back, in a room I hadn’t seen before. The ceiling struck me as odd, as it was ornamented in white stone. What the hell kind of modern house has ancient ornaments? The clanking of metal on metal came from somewhere behind me, and I tilted my head back, trying to see what was happening. Chains clattered together, and then I heard her voice.
“Madison? Maddie?” her whispers were urgent, and spiked with anxiety. I turned onto my stomach, suppressing a cry of pain, and supported my body with my elbows. Keeping my ribcage from touching the ground I lifted my eyes. Tanya stood against the far wall, chains keeping her in place. My gaze wandered. They were around her ankles, and wrists, and I estimated she had a span of movement of less than a meter before the chains impaired her mobility. Her hair was tangled, dirty, and hung lifelessly over her shoulders. A cut ran above her right eyebrow, dried blood sticking to her forehead. Other than that, she appeared to be quite all right.
“What happened?” I asked, my voice quivering with effort as my arm muscles began to protest. I wouldn’t be able to support my weight like this much longer. I wasn’t in the center of the room, as I’d originally assumed, I was lying close to the left and back walls, almost in the corner. There was a door right behind me, which didn’t appear very menacing. It was like any other door in any other house, other than the fact that our kidnapper could burst through it at any moment.
I pressed my palms against the floor, the pain in my ribs so severe that I felt myself slipping out of consciousness. Tanya’s voice broke through the spinning sensation, giving me a welcome sound to clutch onto. Focus on her voice, don’t let yourself pass out. Focus, damn it..
“I was at home, and the doorbell rang, so I answered the door and the next thing I know… I was here. I don’t know how I got here, Maddie, I don’t-” she bit her lip, her eyes drifting over my twisted face. “Are you okay? What did he do to you, Maddie?” her tone was pressing, worried, and filled to the brim with panic and fear.
“I’m okay.” I let out a grunt as I tried once more to sit up. At her horrified expression I let out a breathless. “I think I’ve broken a rib.”
Tanya’s eyes widened and she stepped forward, caught by her restraints. I rolled onto my back, my tailbone burning as soon as I put pressure on it. I clenched my teeth, shaking, fighting the urge to scream.
“Maddie?”
“My tailbone.” It was more of a gasp than a statement, and when I tilted my head back I could see that Tanya grimaced at the hurt in my voice. “I can’t… I can’t help you. I’m stuck, there’s no way I can…”
The door flew open, slamming into the wall with an ear splitting crash. I would be surprised if the wooden door would ever be able to properly close again. He stared down at me, his expression a mixture between disdain and disgust. “You worthless bitch. Passing out on me, eh? You’re the first to conk out on me so quickly, the others lasted far longer.”
I couldn’t see Tanya, as my gaze was fixed on the monstrous man that leaned over me, though I assumed her expression matched mine.
The other ones? Oh my God…
He grinned. “So, like your surprise?”
Cautiously I shook my head. His eyes clouded over, and before I had a chance to speak he burst into an angered tantrum. “Do you wanna die? Cause that’s what’s gonna happen if you don’t learn some respect! I did something nice for you, and you give me that shit?”
He’s insane. He’s a sociopath, a psychopath, an absolute madman.
“You know, Maddie, when I first met you I thought we had a lot in common. I thought… I thought I’d found a sister…” his voice failed him, and I narrowed my eyes at the misery that was written across his face. The transformation scared me. If he could go from furious to dejected in a mere second, what was to say his blood wouldn’t boil with fury again moments from now?
“You’re a disappointment, Maddie.” He said evenly. I glanced at Tanya, confusion radiating from her face. Her mouth was slightly open, surprised, and she was observing me with a mild distrust I had never seen before. She thinks I have something to do with this. She thinks I’m his accomplice. She thinks I worked with him until he turned against me... The thought hurt deeply, stinging my heart in the most cruel, vicious way. I shook my head at her, trying to mutely clarify the situation.
“How about a deal?” he kneeled next to me, and I stared up at him helplessly. His vast, muddy hand slid into his pocket, emerging with handcuffs. Tanya let out a gasp, but I remained perfectly quiet. He didn’t appreciate it when people expressed what they thought or felt, except when it was positive towards him, that much I’d learned during the past few days.
“I am your friend, Maddie, remember? I am your friend!”
I nodded, terrified, taking in rapid, shallow breaths. He had seemed so nice, so protective of me, that it had felt like I finally had an older brother. Whenever things went wrong at home, I had prayed for an older sibling, someone who could rescue me from the hell I called home. Then, five days ago, I met him.
Despite the obvious age difference, he hadn’t appeared to be threatening or wrong in any way when he started up a friendly conversation. It wasn’t that odd for someone to chat with the teller while buying groceries, it had happened before that customers started a conversation while I scanned the products they were buying, so I didn’t think anything of it.
The next day, he came back at the end of my shift. It was a mystery to me how he managed to time it so perfectly, but gladly took his invitation to buy an ice cream. He could make me laugh, and he’d been nice to me, two things I’d missed in all the people I was surrounded by. He wasn’t old enough to be my father, being only twelve years my senior, though he was just about right to be a very much older brother. From there, I’d allowed my wish to have a sibling take over.
We’d met up during the following days, as we had this morning, but now he wasn’t so fun anymore. Now he was no longer the man I’d been led to believe he was, he wasn’t a friend who bought me ice cream and chatted with me about random subjects without any awkward silences to ruin the mood. Now, he was a heartless murderer. Walking down the alley he’d told me it was a shortcut. Of course, I should’ve known better. I froze on the spot when he beat that poor guy down to the dirty tiles, simply because he was in the wrong place, at the wrong time, leaving him in a bloody tangle of limbs, the boy’s chest falling still. That’s when I ran, and that’s when I knew I’d made the worst mistake of my life.
“We had fun, didn’t we?” he asked, smiling kindly, the way he had done when I’d fist met him. To a stranger he would appear trustworthy, was it not for the handcuffs he twirled around in his hands, and the ominous bloodstains that coloured the front of his shirt and jeans a deep shade of red.
“You… you killed someone.” I stammered, distrust seeping through my voice. He nodded, shrugging as though I’d stated a normal fact. “He saw me with you, and that, I couldn’t use. After all, I don’t fancy going to jail, especially not for someone like you.”
I drew air deep into my lungs, shaking. “Someone like me?”
“Yes, Maddie, someone like you. Someone who is gullible enough to believe a serial killer is a kind man.” He circled the handcuffs around my wrists, his gaze meeting mine. As the metal clicked shut, I fought back tears.
“Now, I’ll give you a choice, Maddie. Either you die first, or your friend dies first, it’s your choice.” His eyes gleamed, as though he marveled at his own wit. “So, what d’you want?”
“Please let her go.” I said, my voice surprisingly steady. “She’s nothing to you, she doesn’t even know who you are, so please, forget she was ever here and let her go.”
“Shut up!” he bared his teeth in an angry grimace. “How about this option, Maddie, you choose who lives and who dies, you choose which of you will be free to return home tonight, you choose whether or not your little friend fucking dies!”
I didn’t say a word, remaining motionless, paralyzing fear taking over. Tanya and I had once talked about giving your life for someone, after we saw a movie in which such a sacrifice occured. We both said we'd take a bullet for each other, though we'd laughed about it as being one of those you-don't-know-what-you'll-really-do situations. Of course things chance when you really find yourself facing such a decision, we'd concluded, you never know what you'll really do.
“Choose!”
The word echoed through my head, curdling my blood with its lack of mercy. I cast a glance in the direction of Tanya, who was engaged in a one-sided battle against her restraints. She was screaming, I could see it, but the sound failed to reach my ears as my body blocked out all the sounds that surrounded me. Her eyes were wide with fear, and in them I could see that she understood, that she knew what I was about to do. I tore my gaze loose from her, tears rolling down my cheeks. When I glanced up I realized I couldn’t hear him yell at me. I felt awkwardly calm as I decided that it was for the best that I couldn’t hear my own voice as I replied.
“Let her go.”
appreciate the advice !!
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