Sigh…
That was a long day.
I came back home around 2:00 AM after all the interviews were over at the police station. The boss was obviously pronounced dead at the scene and I was the only witness who's seen the murder so there were lots of questions. I could recount every single detail but couldn't quite give any more than that. I did feel a little guilty in describing how she looked and all as somehow that might lead to the cops apprehending her at some point.
But… why shouldn't a murderer get caught and brought to justice?
Maybe my life was so boring that I'd rather see the justice system fail than be a good boring citizen.
Nevertheless, although I was almost in a trance-like state while I was witnessing the butchering, once I got home I really did feel like I needed to take a shower, and I even vomited a little.
I don't think I felt sorry for the boss at all. He kinda deserved it.
But still, to see another human life get snuffed out like that in such a violent fashion was nauseating. Perhaps it was just a natural reaction for a human with any ounce of empathy left in the heart.
When I got out of the shower though, fully naked, the bell on my door rang.
Who could it be at this time?
I took a look at the intercom video feed and there was no one outside. It creeped me out a little because recently there was news about a serial rapist on the loose targeting women who lived alone, but seeing that I heard no more sound after that one bell ring I decided to shake the thought away and went back to my room to get dressed.
:Clack:
SHIT.
Did the door just open?!!
I quickly locked the bedroom door and looked for something to grab, but alas, all I could find was a stapler.
I heard some footsteps outside the door, approaching, and started to panic.
I didn't panic when someone came to kill my boss, but now I was panicking - a selfish animal I am.
:Knock, Knock:
I held back from instinctively asking 'Who is it?'
Not that it would have done me much good, but in desperate times unrealistic optimism often rears its head and that's what was happening to me - hoping that the intruder would just go away thinking that there was no one in the house.
"I'm coming in in a minute. Get dressed."
Someone shouted just about loud enough to get through the door but not loud enough to wake up the neighbors.
But this voice… it sounded familiar.
I was still holding a stapler in my hand, and it seemed that I would need to rely my life on it after all. But at the same time, I was grateful that I was given a chance to get dressed.
Then again though, if it really was a rapist then maybe he just wanted me to get dressed so he can enjoy ripping them apart.
Should I deny him the pleasure?
Nevermind. Better put some clothes on.
"Give me a minute!"
I quickly put a nightgown on as I heard the stranger outside my bedroom door chuckle.
"Are you done now?"
The voice inquired again, gentle, husky, yet authoritative.
"I'm coming in."
The doorknob turned (so locking it was frigging useless after all) and the door creaked open. As soon as I saw a shadowy figure I started to shoot the staplers.
"Ouch! Ouch! What the hell?! Stop it!"
I was frantic and my stapler was fully loaded though.
"STOP! Seriously!"
The shadow launched itself on me and grabbed my wrist, pushing me back on to bed, and pinning me down.
"Don't make me hurt you, please."
It is then when the voice whispered in my ears I felt the tingles and realized who it was.
"How… how did you find me?"
It was the killer from earlier.
"Sigh… I wouldn't be doing what I do if I couldn't track down an office lady."
The killer let me go, and plopped onto my bed, laying on her back next to me. I didn't dare to move my body, but my head turned to look at her. Now that my eyes have adjusted in the darkness, I could see that she had blood dripping from her head, somewhere above her left temple.
"You are hurt."
"Nothing serious. Just bumped my head."
"I… have a first aid kit."
"Ha… haha… you are a kind one, aren't you?"
Ignoring her, as if possessed, I walked out of my bedroom to get the first aid kit from the drawer in my TV stand. I looked over to my kitchen and a kitchen knife that laid on the chopping board caught my eye, but I thought better of it and returned to my bedroom like a good girl.
I turned on the light and the killer lady was laying on my bed bleeding a lot worse than I initially thought.
"You are bleeding a lot."
"I would appreciate it if you could fix me."
"I'll do my best."
The woman sat up on the edge of my bed, and I started to wrap her head with a bandage in silence.
After a minute or so, I was done. I did a pretty good job and felt a little proud.
"Thank you for this."
The girl had sincerity in her eyes, belying the vicious cruelty she had shown earlier.
"How… why did you find me?"
"Which one of the motherfuckers in your office called the cops?"
"I… I really don't know."
"Find out tomorrow and tell me."
Shit. That would be like picking out who should die the next day, assuming that this crazy lady was coming back for revenge.
"Is that… really necessary?"
"It's a matter of principle. I gave an order and it wasn't followed. I can't let these things slide."
"And you mean-, like you are asking me to tell you tomorrow after work. Does that mean you are coming back again?"
"No."
"Oh."
"I will stay here if you are OK with it."
I wasn't OK with it. But I wasn't fully against it either.
What's gotten into me…
"You can sleep on the couch."
"Thanks."
There was a moment of awkward silence between us, which was interrupted by the growling sound coming from the woman's tummy.
"You are hungry."
"Yes."
"Would you like some ramen?"
"That will be perfect, sweetie."
Not exactly knowing why, I got out of my bedroom and started to cook ramen.
What an odd day.
And what an odd lady.