The man was wearing all black. He was standing in the shadows across from her building. He had been there for an extended amount of time. A pretty girl exited the building and walked down the stairs, where a cab was waiting for her. The man bent down and picked up the butts. He pulled a Ziplock bag from his pocket. He secured the butts in the bag. He started across the street after the cab drove off. As he walked up the step, he removed a credit card and a pair of latex gloves from his back pocket. Using the card, he jimmied the lock open.
She never uses the deadbolt. Didn't her daddy teach her about safety and security? Not that it makes a difference. I can open those too, he thought.
When he entered the house, a hallway led him to the living room. He looked around. He walked over to a table that was covered with framed photos. The first one he looked at showed her on a beautiful thoroughbred horse adorned with a wreath of flowers around its neck. It was his father's racehorse. One by one, he picked up each photo and studied them. The second one was of her and the friends that she had met up with that evening. She looked so happy.
He slowly walked around the living room and her kitchen. It was clean. There was a single wine glass in the sink. He picked it up and put his lips on the stain her lipstick had left. He inhaled.
"Pre-gaming, I see," he said. "With the good stuff, it smells like."
He walked down the hall to her bedroom. He smelled her perfume. The smell aroused him. He began going through her dirty laundry basket. He removed a pair of her panties. He inhaled deeply, taking in her sweet scent. He shoved them into his coat pocket. He went into her bathroom and stripped off his clothes. He turned the shower on. Waiting for the water to heat up, he rummaged through the drawers in the sink cabinet. When the hot water steamed up the bathroom, he undressed and entered the shower. He washed with her soap. He inhaled the smell of her shampoo and then washed his hair. He dried off with her towel hanging on a hook when he finished.
Still naked, he lay down on her bed. He could smell her on her pillow. He covered himself with the blankets. This is where she slept, where she pleasured herself when she was alone. He knew because he had been watching her. This was his first time in her apartment since he set up surveillance. He had become aroused. He began to fondle himself until cum stained her sheets. When he had satisfied himself, he got out of the bed and started looking around her room.
Still naked, he returned to the living room, sat on the couch, and turned on the TV. He wanted to see what channel she had last. The History Channel was on. She was beautiful and smart. He checked the time on his Rolex. She was going to be home soon. Going back to the bedroom, he redressed. He was satisfied with his experience. He walked around the room, went into the bathroom, and removed all of the micro spy cameras he had hidden. He won't be needing those anymore. He did the same in the living room and the kitchen. He closed the door behind him and headed back down the stairs. He had walked about 50 feet when a cab pulled up in front of the building.
*****
She exited the cab. She went to unlock her door and found it open. Shit, how did I forget to lock the door! She thought.
She had a couple of glasses of wine before she left and thought perhaps she had forgotten to lock the door. When she entered her living room, she noticed a strong smell of her perfume. Her remote was no longer on the coffee table where she usually put it but on the couch. She had a few more glasses of wine when she went out. She felt a little disoriented from the alcohol. She went to take a shower and go to bed. She needed it after a night of dancing.
She went into her bedroom. There was a sock on the floor next to the hamper. She put it in. She got undressed and threw her clothes in also. She had showered before she left, so she was not suspicious that the shower was still wet even though it had been hours. After she showered, she grabbed her towel off the hook. It was heavy with water. She went to get a dry towel and saw her drawer was slightly open. She was confused. She hasn't been in that drawer for days. She was now starting to believe that she was either really drunk before she left or going insane. The thought that someone was in her house never crossed her mind. This was a safe neighborhood. She slid under the covers and passed out.
****************************************
When she woke in the morning, her head was pounding. She had drank too much. Now, she was convinced she had forgotten how she left the place. She went to the kitchen and opened the fridge.
"Damn," she whispered.
All the Gatorade was gone. She got dressed and headed out the door to the corner store to buy some more.
She made sure she locked the door this time. She headed down the street to the small market. As she entered the store, a man exited and held the door for her. She said hello.
She then recognized him.
"Hi! How are you? What are you doing on this side of town?" she asked.
"Well, hello to you too. I stayed at a friend's house last night," he said.
"It's nice to see you. It's been a while."
"Yes, it has. I hate to rush off, but I have to get home. Take care of yourself."
"You too. Till we meet again," she said with a smile.
It was a small family-run store. She went to the cooler and grabbed a couple of bottles of Gatorade. She paid, exchanged pleasantries, and left. As she walked out of the door, the man was still there. He waved her over to him.
"Why don't I give you a ride home? It's so cold outside," he said
"Oh no. I am right down the street. It's not a long walk at all," she said
"Oh, come on, aren't you hungover?
"How do you know that?"
"The Gatorade," he said. "I can't imagine you want to walk home with a hangover."
"No, the fresh air is helping. And again, I am close".
"I know," he said with amusement.
"You know?" she asked.
She was beginning to get nervous. She started to walk backward. He moved a step closer with every step she took back.
"I suggest you get in the car. Now," he said with hostility.
He took one more step closer to her. She was now frozen; She couldn't move. She was terrified. He was now standing directly in front of her. He pulled a dagger out of his pocket. He was now standing beside her, the blade pressed against her side. No one was looking. No one was close to them.
"Give me the bag."
She handed him the bag.
"I want to make something clear. If you scream, I'll kill you. If you try to flag anyone down, I'll kill you. Get in the fucking car," he spoke through gritted teeth.
He walked her around the car to the passenger side rear door, he put her inside, and pushed the lock button on his key. Walking around to the driver's side, she quickly tried to open the door. He unlocked the driver's door and got in.
"Do you think I am that stupid? I have the child locks on. You are not going anywhere," he said, sounding indignant.
A tear rolled down her eye. She nodded her head so he knew she understood.
*****
They drove for about an hour. They never left Cleveland, and he took great pleasure in watching her squirm. He knew with each minute, she became more frightened. The more her fear
grew, the more aroused he became.
He pulled the car into a secluded wooded area in a county-owned park. The access road was closed. He got out of the car and opened the gate. This part of this park was closed during the winter months. He pulled the car in and then closed the gate.
She knew she was going to die. She knew who he was and now the secluded area. She only hoped that he would kill her fast. She thought of her parents and her friends, about how the last time she saw them was going to be the last time she would see them. She wished she had hugged her mom longer. She wished she told her dad how important he'd always been to her. She wished the last time she saw her friends, and she wasn't in a drunken state of mind so she could remember the night better. The night she went out with her friends, it all made sense now: the door, the perfume, the remote, the saturated towel. Someone was in her house. He was in her house.
"Why are you doing this? We know each other. Please don't do this. I won't tell anyone, I promise," she was begging.
He pulled her out of the car aggressively.
He was malicious, spiteful, and would not be reasoned with. They all tried to reason with him. His enthusiasm for what he was about to do overcame any logic he may have possessed.
"You don't have to do this. I swear I won't say anything to anyone; I'm really good at keeping secrets.
"That's what the last one said. She died in a pile of trash. Now walk. Don't struggle, or this will be extremely painful for you," he said.
She was sobbing. Her tears mixed with mucus coming out of her nose. He had the dagger pressed so hard into her side that it drew blood. They walked over to a pavilion that housed picnic tables.
"Sit down," he demanded
He handed her a handkerchief.
"Wipe your nose. You look disgusting."
What came next was reprehensible.
He led her over to the edge of the woods. They walked in about fifteen feet. He already had an area set up. He told her to strip. She slowly started to take off her clothes.
"Hurry up! Going slow is only postponing the inevitable."
He put her hands behind her back and put her in soft restraints, the kind they used in hospitals. He tied them together, making them into a pair of handcuffs.
"Lie down," he ordered her.
She got into a kneeling position.
"Please don't do this. I swear to God I won't go to the police. I won't tell anyone."
Her voice was trembling as she took in staggered breaths.
"My father has money. Lots of money. He will pay whatever you want."
"You're not going to be able to tell anyone anyway. I don't WANT to kill you, not right away. I want to keep you alive so I can play for a while. Regarding Daddy's money, I am insulted that you think I am not wealthy. You, of all people, know what I do for a living. You don't think I have money? NOW LIE THE FUCK DOWN. I have been extremely civil to you so far," he said.
She staggered to her feet, "Civil? You've been civil? You are out of your fucking mind. You're a creepy motherfucker. I was right. You can go to hell," she declared.
"Exactly what the hell are you doing? I told you to lie down, not fucking stand up!"
She got infuriated. Her voice was seething when she spoke.
"I would rather die on my feet than live on my knees. So, Fuck. You."
She spit in his face.
He punched her as hard as he could right on her nose. She fell to the ground in a heap, landing on her back. She was knocked unconscious.
"Damn it! Why did you make me do that?" he yelled at her lifeless body. "Now you're not going to struggle. I enjoy it more when you bitches' struggle," he said.
He dropped his pants down around his ankles and put a condom on. He opened her legs and mounted her in the missionary position. He thrust into her hard. It rocked her body violently back and forth.
"This is awful. It's like fucking a corpse," he said.
He stopped waiting until she regained consciousness. She began to struggle beneath him, flailing and punching.
She started to let out a scream. He covered her mouth with his hand.
He began to laugh.
"If you make any sound, I will strangle you, and you WILL die."
She shook her head up and down. She remained silent for several seconds. She just wanted the ordeal to be over. If she screamed, she would not have to endure any more of his torture. He was never going to let her go. He had killed a girl already, and she knew who he was. She squeezed her eyes tightly and let out a blood-curdling scream. As quickly as she screamed, his hands gripped her neck tightly.
He squeezed hard. "I told you not to scream," he said, slamming her head on the ground with each word.
She was knocked unconscious as her head hit the ground for the third time. She was dead by the fifth. It was over.
"Fuck. Now she really is a corpse."
He got off her now-dead body. He pulled up his pants. He kicked her as hard as he could. Once, twice, three times, getting furious with each blow, breaking a rib with every kick. He took the tarp she was lying on and dragged her along the ground till he was at the rear of the car. He opened the trunk and lifted her body. It fell into the trunk with a thump. He picked up the tarp and haphazardly shoved it in. He slammed the lid closed.
'Well, fuck. That ruined my day," he said. "All of that work for three minutes."