The Memory Card

1

“Mom, I’m fine.  Yes, I know.  I will.  I won’t let strangers in my house.  Mom, I’m not 10 anymore, I’m 21 and I think I can take care of myself.  Look I’m running late, I got to go. I’ll call you tomorrow.  By-Bye. Love you too, Bye!”  Mallory Sims slammed the phone down.  Her mom was so worried about her baby girl.  Mallory had just moved to Faysville from Grandeville, which was not very grand as the name suggested.  Faysville on the other hand was a huge city that Mallory was still getting used to.  Her mom was worried that Mallory would get robbed on the way home or a rapist on the street would grab her up.  Mallory knew her mom wanted her to move back home, she didn’t keep that a secret, but she was starting to like the city a lot.  As a kid, Mallory had always dreamed of living in the city versus what she called “Farm town USA” and once she graduated high school she immediately applied for college at Faysville State.  Once she was accepted she found herself a small one-bedroom apartment and was able to pay for school and rent by taking a freelance photography job for The Faysville Edition.  Mallory loved photography and that was actually her major and she minored in journalism.  She dreamed of the day when everyone recognized her photos, hopefully in magazines like Time or National Geographic. Until then, TFE was paying her bills and leaving her a little extra to be able to buy a new outfit or a new lens for her camera. 

Today Mallory was heading out to Creek Side Park.  TFE had asked her to go down and get some pictures of the new nature trail that was added, they wanted to run a story on it.  Mallory accepted without hesitation.  She never rejected any chance to go out and get pictures for the paper.  She had become their number one photographer which gave her hope that one day she could make it big.  Her boss, Harold, had told her many times before how impressed he was in her work and how photography just came naturally to her. 

Mallory looked up at the clock, 10:00! How long had she been on the phone with her mom?  She wanted to get to the park before it got crowded.  She jumped up and slipped on her jean shorts and her favorite pink tank.  She went into the small bathroom and pulled her thick brown hair up into a pony tail.  It was going to be hot out today and if she didn’t pull her hair up it was going to be a hot, sweaty, tangled mess.  She tied her tennis shoes and grabbed her camera.  She checked the memory card slot to make sure she had returned it from the last time she printed some photos, good it was still there.  She then checked the battery life and made sure she had the lens she would need.  Once she knew she had everything she set out to the park. 

2

She pulled up to the park around 10:20 and was surprised to see that it was empty, except for one other car, a white Lexus.  She looked around and didn’t see anyone.  Maybe it was abandoned.  I guess everybody’s at work today, she said out loud to herself.  Living alone, she seemed to do this a lot.  She figured as long as she didn’t start answering herself she would be ok.  She grabbed her camera bag and took her camera out.  She was actually glad the park wasn’t crowded with people.  Not having to wait for people to walk by or getting out of the way would make getting pictures a lot easier.

 As soon as she stepped out of her car, a used Toyota Corolla her grandmother passed on to her, she already started to sweat.  They weren’t lying about it being a hot day and it was only 10:30!  She began walking across the parking lot and found the entrance to the nature trail almost immediately; they still had a banner up announcing it.  Welcome to Creek Side Park’s new nature trail!  We hope you enjoy!  Written at the bottom in bold was, Please don’t feed the wild life.  She wrapped a strap that she had hooked to the camera around her left wrist.  She always did this before taking photos; it helped her keep a hold on the camera better.  Once it was secure the way she liked it, she took a picture of the entrance. 

Mallory had only been walking the trail ten, maybe fifteen minutes and already had more than plenty of photos that she knew would make Harold even more happy with her.  She was able to get a nice photo of the creek that passed under a small bridge on the trail, it flowed over some rocks and it made Mallory think of a mini waterfall.  She also was able to get a huge owl that was sitting in a tree, a deer, and a few of the trail itself that was nestled between rows of trees.

Once Mallory was satisfied with the photos she took she decided to turn around and go back.  Since the park was empty she thought maybe she would walk the track some before going home.  She was already sweaty and would have to have a shower before taking the photos to TFE anyway.  She was about to start back when she heard a loud scream coming from the woods.

3

Mallory froze.  Did she just imagine that?  There was no way she imagined that scream.  Wasn’t the park empty?  Then she remembered the Lexus.  She had assumed it was abandoned, it never occurred to her the owner could have been walking the new trail.  By the sound of the scream, the owner was definitely a female but why did she go into the woods?  She wondered if an animal had chased her into the woods and attacked her.  She paused, the lady screamed again.  It sounded like she was really hurt.

  Mallory started running towards the sound of the scream.  It was apparent whatever it was that attacked her was winning.  After running what seemed like forever, Mallory was about to give up and just call the police from her cell when she heard a man talking.  “This is what you get.  You hurt me and now I’m going to hurt you.  You cheating whore!”  Mallory slowed down and tip-toed the best she could around the leaves and sticks until she got behind a big, fat oak tree.  On the other side of the tree she could see a man, probably in his 30’s; he was tall and his blonde hair was parted (some people call it a businessman’s haircut) and in his hands was the throat of the lady who, just minutes before let out that loud, bloodcurdling scream.

He was still choking the lady when Mallory decided to grab her camera.  She didn’t know what she was thinking except that she wanted to get a picture of this guy killing his wife.  Was it is wife?  This is what you get.  You hurt me and now I’m going to hurt you.  You cheating whore.  At this point it didn’t matter if it was his wife or girlfriend; Mallory just knew she needed to get a picture of this monster.  A photo like this could make her a household name!  She put the camera up to her face and snapped a photo.  She still had the camera up to her eye when she could see the man drop the woman and turn his face towards her.

 

 

4

The flash!  Mallory had completely forgotten the flash was on.  The man started running towards her, “Hey you!  Give me that camera!”  Mallory got up and started running the way she had come.  She hadn’t even considered that he might see her; all she thought about was getting his picture.  As she was running, he was still yelling at her and gaining ground.  Mallory wasn’t exactly athletic and this guy appeared to be in pretty good shape.  Oh please let there be someone at the park.  Mallory thought.  “Go away, leave me alone!”  She screamed.  “Give me that camera!”  How close was he to her?  She didn’t dare turn to look. 

She finally made it back to the trail hoping to see someone.  No one was within her site.  She couldn’t help at this point but to turn and look.  He was right on her trail.  How far away was he?  Maybe 10 yards, if that.  She made it to the bridge and considered hiding under it, no he’s too close, he’ll see me.  Mallory spotted a big rock at the edge of the bridge and the dirt trail.  She slowed down long enough to pick it up and throw it.  It hit him on knee and tripped him up a little bit.  “You bitch!”  He yelled.  But he picked himself back up and started running after her again. 

Mallory could see the end of the trail was coming near.  She felt her wishful thinking starting again.  Maybe someone will be at the park.  She could feel him gaining on her, it almost felt like the faster she ran the closer he got.  It was so hot and Mallory was already out of breath before she even made it out the woods.  She was starting to doubt she would even make it to her car.  “Give me that damn camera!”  He yelled again.  Hearing how close he was behind her was all she needed to go faster. 

Mallory made it to the entrance where the banner stood.  Her car was only about 50 yards away, surely she could make it.  Now that she was so close to escaping her adrenaline was pumping harder than it ever had before.  Even more than the time her best friend Rachelle talked her into bungee jumping at the fair.  She thought she was going to pee her pants that day.  Why was she just now feeling the adrenaline rush?  Maybe it had been there the entire time; she was just too scared to notice.  There was another car in the parking lot now, but it was too late for Mallory to even attempt to look for its owner.  She was just focused on making it to her car without being caught.  She was about 25 yards away when she started reaching for her keys in her shorts pocket.

Mallory had completely forgotten that her automatic lock on her car was out.  She would have to manually unlock her door.  Oh God, he’s going to catch me.  He’s going to grab me while I’m unlocking my door and drag me out to the woods and strangle me, just like her.  She took a quick glance back; he was still on her trail and still yelling for her to stop, not even caring they were now out in the open. 

Mallory finally made it to her car door.  She was holding her camera in one hand and trying to open her car door with the other.  She couldn’t stop shaking and it was causing her to miss the lock with the key.  She finally got it in but before she could turn the key he grabbed her and reached for her camera.  “Give me that camera bitch.  I’m going to break it then I’m going to kill you.”  “Leave me alone!”  Mallory screamed.  They were struggling back and forth when he bumped her head against her car window.  She could see white spots.  I’m going to die and at my funeral my mom is going to say, I told you so.  No, I can’t die here, not this way struggling for my life.  They guy was having a hard time getting the camera from Mallory’s hand because the strap was wrapped around her wrist.  Had she not done her little quirk, he would have easily been able to grab the camera and had her half way back out to the woods by now.  She was finally able to get her hand free from his grip when she raised her arm and came down with the camera as hard as she could onto the top of his head.

He staggered back and blood started trickling down the side of his face.  He had a look of surprise on his face.  Mallory didn’t waste any time, she turned back to her car and the key was still in the lock, she turned it and got inside.  She was able to lock the door as he reached for the handle.  “Give me that camera you bitch!”  His words were slowed down now, from the hit on the head.  Mallory started the car and put it in reverse.  She still could not process what just happened.  She just saw a man murder a woman and he almost got her too.  A mix of sweat and tears covered her face.  Mallory kept looking in her rear view mirror to see if he was following her.  She couldn’t go straight home, then he would know where she lived.  It was bad enough he knew what her car looked like.  Why is it taking so long to get out of here?  The cops, I need to call the cops.  Mallory started reaching for her phone when she finally made it to the exit of the park.  In the mix of crying hysterically, looking for her cell phone and trying to see if he was behind her she didn’t notice the huge dump truck she pulled out in front of.

5

“She pulled out in front of me!  I never saw her coming!”  “Get an ambulance here STAT!”  “Ma’am, ma’am can you hear me?”  “Is she dead?”  “Her ID says Mallory Sims, 131 A Sunshine Lane…”

Mallory awoke in the hospital to a nurse standing over her.  “Hi there Mallory, how are you feeling?”  “I-I’m ok, just sore.  What happened?”  “You were in a pretty bad car accident sweetheart.  You ran out in front of a dump truck at a pretty high speed.  It hit the side of your trunk while you were turning and flipped you several times,” The nurse pressed a button on the machine making a loud beeping noise.  “You are a very lucky girl; one of our doctors was passing through and saw the whole thing.  He was able to help take care of you until the ambulance arrived. Most people don’t make it out alive after an accident like that,” The nurse paused as she was putting Mallory’s arm into one of those blood pressure cuffs.  Mallory hated those, they’d get so tight it would make her hand feel like it was going to pop off.  “Ok be still for just a minute while this gets your blood pressure for me,” once it was finished the nurse removed the cuff and started typing the results into the computer.  “Like I was saying, you are a very lucky girl Miss. Sims.  You only came out with a broken wrist and a few bruises.  Why were you in such a hurry for anyway?”  Mallory stopped to think, should she tell the nurse about her encounter with the killer? 
She wasn’t even sure where her camera was now and more than likely he knew she was in the hospital.  He could come there anytime and kill her.  She needed to let someone know.  “I saw a man…”  “Jackie,” another nurse came into the room, “I need a little help with the patient in room 304, please.”  “Alright, be there in just a minute.”  The nurse turned towards Mallory, “You will have to tell me why later, right now I need you to go ahead and take these pills, they are for your pain and will help you sleep and I’ll check on you in a little while, ok?”  She handed the pills to Mallory.  Mallory took the pills, she was hurting pretty bad.  “Oh, and I forgot to tell you­­-your purse is on the floor beside your bed.”

 The nurse walked out before Mallory could respond.  She looked down and there was her purse.  She picked it up and opened it.  She couldn’t believe it!  There sitting inside her purse was her camera!  She grabbed it and turned it on.  She couldn’t believe what she was seeing.  No Images Available.  No images?  There should have been close to a 100 pictures on there of just the park.  She turned to the memory card slot and opened it.  Empty.  Mallory’s stomach dropped.  He must have gotten it, but how?  The nurse said a doctor saw the whole thing; no way could he have gotten it without the doctor guy questioning him as to what he was doing.  Mallory lay back on the bed, confused and upset.  She didn’t need the images to report him but now he had pictures of her personal life, family and friends.  On top of knowing that she was in the hospital, “at least he doesn’t know where I live…” Mallory said out loud.  “Her ID says Mallory Sims, 131 A Sunshine Lane…”  My driver’s license! Mallory quickly grabbed her wallet and found that it was gone.  Mallory felt like she was going to vomit.  Now he knows where I live.  He is probably sitting there on my couch right now waiting for me to come home.  Mallory decided she needed to call the cops, she really feared for her life now.  She grabbed her cell phone out of her purse, no bars.  She looked to the left of her there was a phone on a little wooden stand just out of her reach.  She’d have to get up to get it.  She wasn’t sure she was even supposed to be getting up.  She scooted over to the side and slowly got up one foot.  She could feel herself becoming drowsy from the medicine the nurse had given her.  She put the other foot down and stood up.  She had a cast on her right wrist, and she could feel the pain shoot all the way up to her elbow.  She started walking over to the phone very slowly.  It wasn’t very far, but for her it was like walking across a football field.  When she finally made it, she stopped for a minute to catch her balance.  That medicine was really strong, stronger than anything she had ever had before.  She picked up the phone and dialed 9-1-1.  “911, what’s your emergency?”  The operator answered on the other side.  “Yes ma’am, I’d like to report a murder please, I saw a man kill his wife and I think he’s after me! He knows I’m in the hospital and he knows where I live!” Mallory knew she sounded crazy; she was trying to yell but the medicine just made her voice come out slurred and slowed.  “You’re in the hospital ma’am?”  The operator asked.   “Yes! Faysville County Hospital, my name is Mallory Sims, please hurry…” just then she felt someone grab the phone from her and she hesitantly turned around as they hung it up.

6

“It’s you!”  Mallory cried.  She started backing up.  “Why Miss. Sims, I don’t know what you are talking about.”  It was him, he was the doctor that had stopped to help when she wrecked.  The man she saw kill his wife was her doctor!  “The cops are coming, I called them and they know I’m here.”  The doctor laughed, “There’s no body, no picture, you did notice your memory card was gone right? And you have just taken a very large dose of pain medication.  The police will never believe you,” he walked closer to her.  “Now the best thing you could do Miss. Sims, is lie back down in that bed before I have to do something I don’t want to.”  Just then nurse Jackie poked her head back into the room, “Dr. Rogers we need you in 304, Mrs. Jabronaski is seizing again.  “Help me!” Mallory staggered out.  She could feel herself drowsing off.  “Is she ok Dr. Rogers?”  “She’s fine, she is having a side effect from that medication and seems to be hallucinating.   She’s called the cops and everything.  When they arrive, let me know before sending them in please.”  Dr. Rogers looked over at Mallory, “We don’t want her running them on a wild goose chase for something she just made up.”  Nurse Jackie shook her head in agreement.  “I’ll be right there, let me help her back into bed, ok?”  Nurse Jackie left and Dr. Rogers walked over to Mallory. She tried to say something but she couldn’t get anything out but a groan.  Everything was getting hazy and she couldn’t fight the feeling to close her eyes any longer.  The doctor laid her onto her bed and put his mouth to her ear.  “If you say anything else about this again, I will kill you.  Do you understand?”  Mallory just sat there.  “Listen here, I mean it.  I will come in here and kill you and no one will suspect a thing.  Nod your head.”  Mallory shook her head and fell asleep.  She could feel a warm tear drop fall down from her eye.

“Excuse me, Miss. Sims? Miss. Sims are you awake? You called, and I need to ask you a few questions please.”  Mallory thought she was dreaming at first, and then as she slowly opened her eyes she could see a man standing in front of her.  “Miss. Sims, I’m Officer Brown.  You called and said you witnessed a murder and that they were after you now?”  Mallory was still feeling disoriented from the medication; she was having a hard time waking up.  What had he given her?  “They let you in?”  She asked.  “Did who let me in?”  “The doctor told the nurse not to let you in, he’s the killer!”  “I didn’t see any nurse but your name is on a sheet at the nurse’s station with your room number.  So, the doctor is the killer?”  He started writing in his pad.  “Yes, I saw him kill his wife while I was at the…”  “Miss. Sims you’re up!  Officer, is everything ok?”  It was him.    “Yes,” the officer stood up.  “This young lady says she saw you kill your wife and now you are after her.”  “I know, unfortunately we didn’t know until after I caught her on the phone with operator that she was hallucinating from the medication we gave her for pain.  We made a note in her chart not to give that to her again.  She just got admitted from a terrible accident.  You may have even heard about it.  She pulled out in front of the dump truck over by the park.”  “He’s lying! I saw him!”  Mallory shouted.  “Officer…?”  “Brown.”  “Officer Brown, I assure you I did not kill my wife.  She’s actually not even home; she went to visit her mother in Denver and will be back next week.”  Mallory knew the officer believed him.  She did sound like a nut case on whatever it was she was given.  She didn’t have a chance without that memory card, and she knew he had probably destroyed it by now.  Officer Brown turned to Mallory, “I did hear about that accident.  Maybe it wasn’t the medicine; maybe you need to MRI her head to make sure she didn’t do anything to her brain.  I had a cousin who was in a wreck ten years ago and hit his head.  He was never the same after that.”  “There’s nothing wrong with my brain.”  Mallory said.  “I have already thought of that Office Brown, plan on doing it today.”  The officer shook the doctor’s hand and walked out.  The whole time the doctor was talking to the officer; Mallory couldn’t help but notice that he was grasping something in his coat pocket.  My memory card, she thought.

He still has my memory card.  Why would he still have it?  Wouldn’t he destroy that as soon as he got it?  Maybe it wasn’t her memory card, it could be anything.  Mallory had to find out.  When Doctor Rogers knew the officer was gone, he walked over to Mallory.  “If you ever do something like that again, I will make sure you get something a little stronger than some pain meds that could make you hallucinate.”  “Why haven’t you killed me already?”  Mallory asked, she couldn’t believe that just came out of her mouth but she was curious.  “Too many witnesses before, but I plan on it.  Yes, I have something good planned for you.”  Mallory could see him reaching for whatever was in his jacket pocket.  “Where’s my memory card?”  “Oh I still have it.  I want you to watch me crush it before I kill you.”  At that moment Mallory knew she was dealing with a real psycho.  He wanted her to feel something before he killed her, even if that meant risking getting caught.  Mallory needed a plan.  She needed to get that memory card back and turn him in before he killed her.  “I have to go surgery now but don’t go anywhere, I will be back and then I have something in store for you.”  He winked.  This made Mallory feel sick.  “What are you going to do?  Force me to take a bunch of pills?  You know they will catch you.”  He smiled, “Tisk, tisk, no hints.  I’m going to leave that a surprise for later.  You just rest for right now.  You have an eventful night ahead of you.”  As he walked out of the room Mallory knew she needed to get to get his coat and find out exactly what was in that pocket.

 

7

It wasn’t long before Mallory decided if she was going to get to his coat she was going to have to get out of this room.  She knew it wouldn’t be easy; she couldn’t really disguise the huge cast on her wrist or the hospital gown.  She could probably get around in the halls with her regular clothes on and just look like a guest.  Where were her clothes?  She got up and walked over to an armoire in the room.  When she opened it her shorts, tank under clothes and shoes were sitting at the bottom.  She quickly changed and threw the gown inside.  She walked to the door and looked around.  The nurse’s station was clear and by the sound of it they were back in room 304.  She crept out and started walking down the hall.  She needed to find the physician’s locker room.  His jacket had to be there since he was in surgery. 

Mallory had only been in the hospital a few times, so it was to her luck that she had gotten her own self lost that she found the nurse’s locker room.  She knew if she had found it, she would be close to the physician’s locker room.  A nurse walked back by and gave her a strange look.  She knew she needed to find some scrubs if she didn’t want to get caught.  To her surprise the nurse’s locker room was open and she was able to walk right in.  It appeared to be empty except for someone in the back who seemed to be talking on her cell phone.  It didn’t take Mallory long to find a pair of scrubs and she just slid them over her clothes.  She added a surgical face mask and cap so she would be completely incognito.  She looked like a real nurse!  Except her cast was showing!  She found some gloves and slid them over her hands.  The cast bulged out but she could keep her arms crossed to hide it if anyone walked by.  The other woman that was in the locker room was leaving.  She walked by and waved.  Mallory stopped her, making sure to keep her arms crossed. “Excuse me, I just started here and the surgeon asked me to meet him by the physician’s locker room to go over the next surgery.  I just don’t remember how to get there.”  “Sure hun, just go left when you walk out and you will see the men’s on the left and the ladies on the right.  Which doctor are you working for?”  Oh no, Mallory thought.  She knew of no other doctors there except… “Doctor Rogers and thanks.”  “No problem, it can take a minute to learn your way around here.  By the way, Doctor Rogers is great.  He really takes care of his staff, treats them like his own family.”  Well then they better watch out, Mallory thought.  She smiled as if the nurse could actually see it through the mask, “Thanks again.”  The nurse smiled and walked out. 

Mallory walked over to a mirror hanging on the wall in the locker room.  After tucking in a few loose hairs into her cap she caught herself talking out loud again.  “Ok Mal, here we go.”  She opened the door to the locker room and looked around.  The hall was empty.  She started walking down the hall to the left.  It was a fairly short walk before she saw the men’s and ladies locker rooms.  She looked around again, the hall was still empty.  What if there were men in the locker room?  Could she pass for a man?  What if he came in there?  Would he notice her?  She exhaled loudly, here goes nothing.  She reached for the door handle when it opened so fast it almost knocker her over.  Out came two doctors, one was in normal clothing, probably going home for the night and the other was dressed for surgery.  It was him!  The one in normal clothing spoke first, “Sorry didn’t mean to hit you with the door.”  Then him, “Yeah sorry.”  Mallory tried not to look at them in the face but was also trying not to look suspicious.  She remembered to keep her arms crossed, with the casted arm under the other then she answered in a deeper, what she thought was a more manly voice, “That’s ok.”  Oh God, he was going to know that was her.  She knew it.  She didn’t even give him a chance to do a double take, she rushed inside. 

Once Mallory was sure the locker room was empty, she took the surgical mask off.  She felt like she was suffocating in it.  She held onto it though, just in case she heard someone walk in.  Mallory was glad the locker room was empty.  She could search without looking suspicious (and without that suffocating surgical mask!) but she still had to hurry.  If he had any idea that it could be her he just saw, he would be back.  

Mallory started going up and down each row of lockers.  She saw a mess of scrubs, clothing, shoes and other items but no white coat.  Mallory had been searching what seemed like forever when she wondered if the coat was actually inside a locker.  She hadn’t thought about that, and if it was she would never get her fingers on it.  All of this would have been for nothing and he would come into her room and kill her.  No, she thought.  If I don’t find it, I’m going to leave here and catch the first bus back home to my mom’s.  He wouldn’t be able to find her there.  She was just about to give up when she walked down the last row and there sitting on a bench was a white coat.

She ran over to it.  She prayed it was his.  She picked it up, stitched on the front said, Gary Roberts, M.D.  It was his!  Mallory could feel herself starting to sweat; it felt like the temperature had risen 100 degrees since she walked in.  She searched the pocket she saw him keep his hands in, it was empty.   She frantically searched the other pocket, it was empty as well. Mallory was starting to panic, what if he had already disposed of it or had it with him?  What an idiot she was to think he would just leave it in his coat pocket out in the open like this.  What did she think she was in?  A Nancy Drew mystery?  Feeling desperate, she searched the pockets inside the coat and found them just as empty as the front pockets.  She threw the coat down and could feel the tears starting to form in the corners of her eyes.  She knew if she wanted to live that she needed to get out of the hospital.  She turned to walk out when she heard the door open.

Mallory rushed to put the surgical mask back on.  It felt so hot in the locker room and the mask just made her feel like she was suffocating more than before.  She was trying to decide if she should just walk out or stay where she was, hoping whoever was in there had a locker on another row.  She could hear him getting closer and closer. Then when she was certain she heard him stop she decided she would just keep her head down and walk straight past whoever it was as fast as she could.  She took a deep breath and started walking up the narrow hall that ran beside the rows of lockers.  She passed the first three rows, then as she approached the forth someone stepped out in front of her, stopping her in her tracks.

8

“Hi there Miss. Sims, looking for something?”  Gary Rogers, formally known as Doctor Rogers and before that, killer, was standing right in front of her.  He was grinning and in his right hand was her memory card.  She had never noticed until this moment how much taller than her he seemed.  He knew the entire time that it was her that he crossed at the doorway to the locker room earlier.  She knew that he knew it would be empty right now too.  “Give me that back that belongs to me.  I need some pictures on it for my job, I will delete the other one, I promise.”  Mallory could hear the fear in her own voice.  “Do you think I’m an idiot?”  He asked, “I told you I was going to crush this in front of you before I killed you and I plan on doing so,” he paused, “just not the way I was planning on doing it.”  “Please,” Mallory cried, “Please just let me go, I won’t tell anyone.  You can have it, I don’t care just don’t kill me.”  He laughed at her, “Please don’t kill me,” he mocked.  “I’m not a completely heartless person, I am a doctor.  How about I promise you that I can make it a fairly painless death?”  He started walking towards her.  Mallory decided right then if she was going to get away she needed to do it right then.  She ducked under his arm and started running.  She didn’t get far before tripping over a pair of shoes in the middle of the hall.  He grabbed her by the back of her neck and pushed her against some lockers.  Mallory could taste the warm, salty blood in her mouth.  “Ok, you little bitch, if you want it painful I can do that too.”  He grabbed her again, this time by her hair and pulled her head back to his face.  “You should have never been in those woods that day taking pictures.  Everything would have been just fine if you hadn’t shown up.  You’d still be alive.”  He threw her again.  Mallory fell to her knees; she could feel her wrist swelling up.  It felt like the cast was cutting off the circulation in her wrist.  He saw her twitch at the pain in her wrist so he came over and picked her up by it this time.  Mallory screamed in pain.  “Scream all you want everyone is gone for the night here.”  The pain coming from Mallory’s wrist hurt so bad the room started to spin.  The cast wasn’t protecting her any right now.  Mallory knew though if she didn’t get away he was going to kill her, right here in the locker room.  She realized he was psycho earlier and now he was just confirming it.  He didn’t care that he was in the hospital or not, he was going to kill her right now.  She screamed again.  This was a hospital, certainly someone would hear her.  “You are dumb; I told you everyone was gone.”  He was about to throw her against the lockers again when she somehow gathered the strength to kick him in the knee.  She could feel his knee pop as it bent backwards in the opposite way it was intended to.  He screamed out in pain and dropped to the floor as he vomited all over her.  “I’m going to kill you.”  He hadn’t even realized he had dropped the memory card on the floor.  Mallory immediately reached out for it when he grabbed it first.  “You’re going to have to kill me to get this back.”  He tried to get up but dropped right back to the floor.  She had broken his knee cap.  “At least no one can hear me do it, right?”  She had come this far, she was going to get what was hers back.  He attempted to grab her again and she jumped back.  She kicked his broken knee again.  He howled in pain and fell over but he still had a grip on her card.  She bent down over him, “Is this painful enough for you?”  He laughed; vomit was still covering his mouth and dripping down his chin.  “I would’ve never guessed you had it in you, you know killing?  Too bad I don’t have a camera with me.”  He laughed again.  Mallory could feel a rage inside her that she had never felt before, is this what he had felt like when he found out his wife was cheating?  The same rage that had caused him to kill?  “Just give me the fucking memory card; I don’t want to kill anyone.”  “I told you, you will have to kill me first.”  Mallory could feel the rage building up, between that and fear she couldn’t even feel the pain shooting from her wrist all the way to her neck anymore.  The doctor started attempting to stand up again on his good leg, using the lockers as a support.  Mallory kicked her leg out again but this time he blocked her with his arm and was able to trip her up.  She fell down again and started to panic.  He tried to hop towards her but the pain in his hurt leg was so extreme he couldn’t but he knew if she wanted that memory card she would come back to him.  Mallory was starting to panic and frantically searched for something she could hit him with.  She scanned the small area of the locker room but saw nothing but clothes and shoes.  What was she going to do throw a shoe at him?  He attempted to hop again and was able to and again and again.  He stretched out for Mallory when she got up and ran into him with all her power.  He staggered back and his head against some lockers.  This time when he fell down a trail of blood followed him.  He hit the back of his head on a lock and busted it open.  Mallory sat there for a minute not even sure what just happened.  He had slid almost all the way onto his back and his eyes were closed.  A pool of blood was starting to form under his head.  His hand lay opened with her memory card sitting right on top.  She could just reach over and grab it if she wanted but she hesitated.  What if he was alive and waiting on her so he could grab her and choke her to death?  She kicked the foot of his hurt leg.  He didn’t move.  No way could he fake that.  She slowly walked over and reached down for her memory card watching his face the entire time.  Once she had it in her hand she backed and exhaled.  She realized she had been holding her breath the entire time.  Damn it was hot in there she thought, and ripped the mask and cap off before laughing.  It didn’t matter if she got caught now.  “What in the hell is going on in here?”  Mallory turned to see two men, doctors she supposed, standing in front of her.  She burst into tears.

9

As soon as the doctors found Mallory and heard her side of the story, they called the cops.  She was finally able to tell her story, not drugged, to Officer Brown and show him the pictures that she had taken that day in the park.  Her picture did make the news like she originally wanted, although she never would have guessed she would have had to go through what she did to get it there.  But she got a killer off the streets and would do it again if she had to.  Doctor Rogers wasn’t dead but did suffer some serious injuries.  He spent six months in a coma at the State Prison Hospital and is currently serving life with no parole in the Faysville County Prison.  The cops actually found his wife’s remains buried in the woods of the park. 

Since getting her photo published nationally in the news, Mallory Sims actually became a household name.  She was offered several job offers from well-known magazines.  Mallory declined them all, deciding that maybe photography just wasn’t for her.  Or the city.  She decided that she wanted to move back home (her mom said yes before she could get the entire sentence out) and attend the community college in Grandeville.  Maybe go for something a little safer, like accounting.  Harold, her boss, tried to talk her out of it but it was too late.  She had already made her mind up.  The cops kept her memory card for evidence and she was able to sell her camera on EBay.  “The camera that was used to catch a killer” got her a few more bucks than it was worth. 

Mallory still has reoccurring nightmares from that day in the hospital.  Sometimes she lost the fight and he killed her.  She would awake to those screaming and crying. She attempted to see a psychologist (whom said she suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder) but quickly learned she had gained a new phobia, doctors, and had to stop going.  It was a day to day process, some days was better than others.  Mallory knew it would take time, she had always been a smart girl and as long as that psycho was in jail and she stayed away from taking pictures, she’d be ok.

 

 

 

A poem I wrote to get you by until my next story is finished.

Today starts a new day

 and here I am trying to find the words to say            

I wish I were as strong as you,

 I wish I knew the things to do

 I see your face in the shadow of the night,

all I can do is sit and cry  

I long for your kiss

 I need your touch

  I never knew I could love this much

  your love grasps my heart,

                       it tugs and pulls                     

I'm losing touch..

 I cant speak these words so I sit here and write

 as I watch you sleep night after night.

Hello!! I just wanted to say that I hope everyone liked The Window as much as Cove's Bay.  It was a completely different story, I know!  Which was your favorite? Why? I would love to know your opinions! I am currently working on my next story...no hints yet just incase I decide it's not what I want to do.  Thank all of you again who have showed me your support!
 
Ashleyxoxo

The Window

1

You always hear people say, “A parent should never have to bury their child”, the same could be said for a child having to bury their parent whom was in great health and still had a lot of years in their life.  Especially if the death was the child’s fault.  Today I was burying my mother and yes, it was my fault.  I had been a very rebellious, selfish 16 year old, but weren’t most 16 year olds?  I definitely had my faults but so did she.  If she had just spent more time with me or even punished me for some of things I was doing instead of just sticking her nose up her new husband’s behind, things might have been different.  She may still have been alive today.  But no, she chose to ignore what I was getting into and instead focus on her new love.  I guess she deserved to be happy.  My father walked out on us when I was just 4 years old and my mom was still pregnant with my younger brother, Dylan.  She had to work 2 jobs for us just to stay afloat and I had to grow up fast, way faster than most kids.  She had boyfriends in between, but they never worked out.  One was abusive; his name was John I think.  I was probably about 6 or 7 and watched him beat the shit out of her.  She called the police and luckily we never saw him again.  Then there was Thomas.  He was a sweet talker and never told my mom he was a registered sex offender.  I was 9 and starting to bloom.  He threatened to hurt my family if I told, but one day my brother walked in on him and lord knows that boy can’t keep a secret.  I actually thought my mom was going to beat the shit out of him.  However, not only did it violate me, it violated his probation and he went straight to jail.  After that my mom pretty much gave up until she met Daniel.  They met at the grocery store, I know cliché right?  Daniel was good to her, so good she forgot all about me.  Still, at 37 she did not deserve to die, regardless who I blame my actions on.  Thankfully, Daniel and Dylan don’t hate me; well that’s what they say anyway.  They are just happy to be alive.  We agreed to tell the police that those guys just broke into my window, not that I let them in for my own pleasure.  That’s what everyone else thinks too.  Forgive and forget. 

2

“Shhh, be quiet! You’re going to wake my mom or step dad up, or worse, my brother!”  “I’m trying to be quiet Avery, but your window is so dang high off the ground I have got to pick myself up to slide in!”  Logan Shrew was the star quarter back for Greenstown High.  I’ve had my eye on him for a long time, and when he finally acknowledged me, I wasn’t going to let him go.  He was tall with a muscular build, short blonde hair and the brownest eyes that would make your heart melt.  He was having trouble with algebra and if he failed, he was going to be kicked off the football team.  I told him he could come over and I could tutor him, I wasn’t exactly a star student, but I wasn’t so bad in algebra.  It wasn’t long before we were kissing and making out.  After a few “tutor” dates, we were humping like two wild dogs in heat.  I talked him into sneaking out and coming over to my house.  Luckily he only lived a few blocks down.  I had snuck so many boys in my room before and never gotten caught.  “I think I hear someone walking around, be quiet!” I whispered to Logan.  I don’t know what I liked better, the attention I was getting from the guys I snuck in or the rush of not getting caught.  Both I supposed.  After we did what he came over for, I pushed him back out and told him to call me later.  Logan wasn’t my boyfriend.  We were on two different levels at school and even if he asked me, as hot as he was, I don’t think I really wanted a boyfriend to hold me down.  I wanted to be able to flirt with whomever I wanted. 

 

3

The next morning I didn’t wake up until 11:00, thankfully it was Saturday.  “Well look who finally decided to get up.”  Even though my little brother was 4 years younger than me we got along pretty well.  Luckily for him, he was too young to remember any of the men before Daniel.  He was the “baby” though, so he wasn’t quite as familiar as I was with being ignored by our mother.  When I say my mother ignored me, I don’t really mean neglected, I was fed and clothed and she made sure my basic needs were taken care of.  She just didn’t pay any attention to my dropping grades at school, the bad crowd I had started hanging out with, the red eyes from smoking weed in the back yard behind the shed or the fact that I was sneaking people, mostly guys, in my window at night.  “Good morning Avery,” my mother said.  She was tall and skinny with the most perfect breasts.  She had short blonde hair that she called a pixy cut.  She was beautiful and didn’t look 37.  A lot of people said we looked like twins, except my hair was longer, down to my shoulders and my boobs were a lot smaller than hers.  Ugh.  “Where you on that phone all night? I thought I heard you talking.  You know, I really don’t like you staying up all night on that phone.”  “Yea mom, I was on the phone with Lexie.  Sorry.”  I said quickly then I grabbed a bowl of Frosted Loops and ran to take a quick shower.  I was lucky enough to have already gotten my driver’s license and with the money I saved from my part time job after school at the Grocer’s Market I was able to buy me a 1994 Honda Accord.  It was older but it was mine, plus it was paid for.  I got dressed; today I was going to meet my best friend Lexie at the mall.  Lexie and I went back to elementary school.  It had always just been us and that’s the way we liked it.  Less drama.  “Bye mom, I’m going to pick up Lexie and we are going to the mall for a little while.”  She waved bye, she was on the phone with Daniel.  He was at work, and from the way it sounded he was heading home and wanted to know what she wanted for lunch. 

Lexie lived a few neighborhoods down from me, when I pulled up in her driveway I just honked the horn.  About five minutes later she came out.  Lexie was petite with long brown hair and she always wore those fake glasses people have made popular the past few years.  I could never pull them off, but they looked good on her.  “Hey bitch, what took you so long?”  She put on her purse on the floorboard.  “Sorry, I woke up late.”  Even though Lex and I went back for what seemed forever, she still didn’t know everything about me, like the fact I sneak guys into my bedroom window.  Ashamed? Maybe.  “Well, I was hoping we would have been gone like an hour ago,” Lexie looked into the passenger side mirror in the visor.  She poked around with what looked like a fresh pimple, “Gross, that wasn’t there this morning.  Probably stress from waiting!”  Lexie laughed.  “I’m sorry, geesh!  I wasn’t going to the mall without showering first.”  Lexie leaned over and sniffed my shirt.  “Girl, you better stop!”  I yelled and playfully pushed her shoulder.

The mall was packed today, unusually so that there were almost no parking spaces left, probably a sale going on.  We finally found one; it was so far I thought I was going to have to take a break before reaching the door.  When we walked in the front door a mix of foods from around the world hit my nostrils like a slap in the face.  “Which store first?”  I asked Lexie, as if I didn’t know.  Lexie Kent’s favorite store was Perry’s.  It was one of those stores that sold naughty, novelty items but occasionally had some cute stuff.  After Perry’s and several other clothing stores, I was getting a craving for a smoothie from Joe Smoothie’s.  I ordered my usual Stawbana Pineapple and Lexie got a Blueberry Hawaiian splash.  After a surprisingly short observation, we found a table to sit at and enjoy our fruity drinks.  “Oh my gosh Avery, look at those guys over there.  I think the one in the blue shirt is actually looking at you.”  She gave a little head nod over to the right.  I turned my head slowly, trying not to be obvious but it was too late our eyes met.  The guy I was sharing stares with was probably the hottest guys I had ever seen, even hotter than Logan Shrew.  He was tan with a short, dark hair and his dark eyes stood out most of all.  He waved at me and I waved back.  Lexie giggled.  The other guy he was with didn’t even look up.  He seemed to be too busy texting someone.  Then, next thing I knew he was standing up walking over towards me.  He was tall and muscular.  He wouldn’t have a problem lifting himself up into my window, I thought.  “Hey, my friend and I were just sitting here and I just couldn’t help noticing your beautiful face,” he smiled and showed a nice set of perfect white teeth.  “I’m sorry, sometimes I come on too strong, was that too strong?”  It took me a minute to break the lock he had on me with his eyes.  “No, not too strong, although, it might be nice to know the name of the guy that’s hitting on me.”  I could feel my face getting warm.  I usually don’t blush but there was something about this guy that gave me a feeling I never really had before.  He smiled, bigger than before.  I don’t know what was sexier, his smile or his eyes.  Smile.  “I apologize, my name is Josh.  What is yours may I ask?”  “Avery,” I said without hesitation.  “And this is my friend Lexie.”  He turned at looked at Lexie like he just noticed that she was even there.  “Hi Lexie, how are you?”  “I’m alright,” Lexie turned to me, “Avery, I’m going to go over and grab a pretzel.”  She did a quick up and down motion with her eyebrows then turned her eyes toward Josh without moving her head.  Lexie didn’t really want a pretzel; this was just her way of giving us alone time.  She got up and walked off.  I turned back towards Josh and questioned why I had ever turned away.  He walked over and sat where Lexie had been sitting across from me.  “So Avery, what are you up to today?  Would you like to go hang out somewhere?”  “Hey Josh, I’ll be back I want to go run into Cap’s.”  His friend from his table yelled over to him.  “A’right,” you could tell Josh was annoyed that his friend interrupted him.  “Sorry, Bobby can be rude sometimes.”  “That’s ok,” I said, I could still feel myself blushing. “I’m going to be hanging out with my friend for a little while longer then nothing much after that.”  Josh smiled again, that smile could never get old.  “How about you ditch her and come hang with me?”  “I can’t, I’m her ride home,” Window.  “Besides, I don’t know anything about you.  What if you are a killer or something?”  We both laughed.  “Ok, ok that’s fair.  Well what do you want to know?”  I hadn’t thought of this yet, I was too caught up in his hot smile, dark eyes and too sexy short haircut.  Window.  “How old are you for starters?”  I already knew he was older than me because there’s no way I could have missed him at school.  “I’m 22.  How old are you?  Wait, let me guess, 17?”  A quick thought rushed through my head, I didn’t want him to run the other way if I said 16, maybe I should say 17 since he already seemed ok with that.  But then again, by the way he was looking at me; I didn’t think I had anything to worry about.  “I’m 16.  But I’ll be 17 in a couple of months.”  Josh smiled again, if he kept doing that I was going to orgasm right here in front of him.  “A little younger than I usually like to get involved with, but you say you’ll be 17 in a few months?”  “Yes, I will.”  “I think I can deal with that, is there anything else you would like to know about me, Avery?”  “Do you work or live around here?”  “I just moved here from Burnsville just a couple of weeks ago.  I was able to get a job here in construction, which is what I was doing in Burnsville,” Explained the muscles.  “I met Bobby at my new job; he’s the only friend I have here.  I’d like for us to become friends Avery, that is if you want to be my friend.”  That was a no-brainer.  “Of course,” I looked over at the pretzel stand; Lexie was next in line that must have been a long ass line.  “I tell you what, if you want why don’t you come over to my house tonight?”  Josh’s eyes lit up.  “But there is only one stipulation.”  “Anything.”  “I would prefer to have more alone time to get to know you versus my parents and little brother knowing you’re there.  How about you come later tonight, like when everyone’s asleep, and I’ll let you in my window.”  After saying this, I almost felt childish, but by the way Josh’s face looked he didn’t mind at all.  “It’s a date!”  I gave him my cell number and told him to call me around 1 in the morning and I would give him directions.  Just as Josh was saying goodbye and standing up, Lexie walked back over.  “Hey y’all, damn that was a long line at the pretzel stand.” 

4

I took Lexie home not long after meeting my new friend at the mall.  I told her we exchanged numbers and planned on getting together soon.  At home mom stayed in her room most of the remainder of the afternoon watching T.V., she probably wouldn’t have even known I was home had we not crossed paths coming and going from the kitchen and Dylan had been playing next door with his friend until it started getting dark then he came home, took a bath and went to bed.  It was getting late now and I knew mom would be going to bed soon.  Mom had always been a heavy sleeper and Daniel was working the graveyard shift and usually didn’t come home until around 5:00 a.m., which would be plenty of time for Josh to come over.  I looked at the neon clock on my wall, it was 11:30.  I walked to the kitchen to grab a glass of water, but really to see if anyone was up still.  Everything was black, so I tip toed around to my mom’s room and peaked into the cracked door.  I was unable to see her face in the darkened room but I didn’t have to, I could hear her snoring away in dreamland.  I quietly backed up and walked over to Dylan’s room.  I could see his face; the light from his computer monitor was still on and partially lit the room.  He was out and I was sure he would stay that way.  I crept back to my room and freshened up my makeup and just waited for my phone to vibrate, I turned the ring off just as an extra precaution. 

I was actually about to doze off when I finally felt my phone go off.  The number was blocked, it had to be him.  “Hello?”  “Hi there sexy, are you still up?”  “Yes, are you still going to come over?”  I was trying to whisper so I didn’t wake my mom or brother.  “You know I do, I couldn’t pass up coming over to see your face.”  This made me blush again!  “Listen, I’m about to leave Ray’s Bar in town, can you tell me how to get there from here?”  “Sure, I don’t live far from town so it won’t take you long to get here.  Listen, my mom doesn’t know you are coming, remember? So when you close, turn your lights off before pulling into the drive way and come straight to the back.  My window is the only one with a light on.  Better yet, call me on my cell again when you pull up so it doesn’t scare me!”  We both laughed, “Ok baby, I’ll do that.”  I proceeded to give him the directions to my house.  Had I known what was in store for my family and me, I would have never, ever done that.  Better yet, I would have just stayed home in the bed that day instead of going to the mall. 

 

 

 

5

I got the call around ten after one.  He was pulling up into my driveway and would meet me at my window.  I ran and took one quick look in the mirror, just to make sure my hair still looked good and went and sat by my window anxiously waiting for his knock.  There was a slight tap at the window and when I lifted it there he was, standing there with that God I could eat you up smile on his face.  “May I come in?”  “Of course, just try not to be too loud, they are all asleep and I’d like to keep it that way.”  Just like I expected, he lifted himself into the window with absolutely no strain at all.  “Who are they?”  He asked.  “My mom and little brother, my step father is working the late shift and usually gets home around five.  I’ll probably have to make you leave around 4:30, just to be safe.”  My step father not being home seemed to spark a look on his face.  I think it may have been at that moment, I felt an unsettling feeling of something’s not right but I just contributed my feelings to nerves.  I’ve had a lot of boys sneak in my room and at first I was nervous that I would get caught but time after time of never getting caught the nerves seemed to disappear.  Was I just nervous I would get caught? I wasn’t sure.  I brushed it off and walked towards Josh.  “So, what do you want to do?”  I wasn’t quite sure what I was expecting, but what he said next took me by surprise.  “I’m going to fuck you and your mother and then when I’m done, I’m going to kill all of you.”  Before I could even manage out a scream he walked over and punched me in the side of my head so hard I saw white spots in my eyes.  I fell to the floor and tried to cry out but I couldn’t get anything out but a quiet whine.  He grabbed me by my hair and pulled so hard I could feel something in my neck pop.  A sharp pain drove down my neck into my shoulder.  “Please, please don’t hurt me.”  I could feel blood trickle down the side of my face where he had hit me.  “Oh, I’m going to hurt you don’t you worry about that princess but if you cooperate I’ll make sure it’s fast.”  He proceeded to punch me again and again until I blacked out.

When I awoke I had the worse headache, it was pounding from all sides.  “Please, no!”  I could hear my mom screaming from her room.  I tried to jump up and realized my arms were tied together by rope to my bed post.  “Mom! Mom! Stay away from my mother! Let us go!”  I screamed over and over until it felt like my throat was bleeding.  “Stop, please…”  I could hear my mother begging from the room over.  “Mom…”  All at once I burst into tears, Josh, if that was even his real name was just one room over doing who knew what to my mother, and here I was tied up and couldn’t get to her and it was all my doing.   “Leave my mom alone you bastard!”  Then my heart sank, where was Dylan?  I kept trying to free my wrists but it impossible. They were tied so tight my hands were turning purple.  I needed to get loose so I could get to my mother and brother.   “Hey Bobby, go check on that whore in the other room and bring her in to the living room.”  Bobby!  That was the guy from the mall.  He must have let him in while I was knocked out.  Bobby walked into the room and started to untie my rope.  “Don’t try anything or I will kill you right here bitch.”  Once he got my hands untied he pulled my arms around my back, he was nowhere near as muscular as Josh but strong nonetheless.  He used the rope to tie my wrists back together and he walked me into the living room where I saw what will haunt me for the rest of my life.  My brother was gagged and tied up on the couch.  His red face was swollen and wet from tears and on the floor was my mom; she was laying on her side, bleeding all over her face and crying for the two strange men to please not hurt her babies.  “Shut up bitch.”  Josh kicked my mother in the ribs and she let out a loud cry.  “Leave us alone.  Why are you doing this?”  Josh turned towards me.  He walked over and knelt in front of me.  We were face to face and I could feel his hot breath on my face.  “You didn’t tell me how hot your mama is,” he shook his head over towards her; “she didn’t even put up that much of a struggle when I fucked her.”  Bobby laughed.  “Fuck you!” I screamed.  “Oh don’t worry, I planned on it.”  He reached over towards me and without even thinking I spit in face, right beside his right eye.  He wiped it off.  “You bitch,” He wrapped his hands around my throat and picked me up right off the couch.  The sharp pain in my neck returned.  “I am going to kill you.”  “Leave her alone!”  My mother screamed again, this time it was more of a whisper.  Bobby walked over to her and pulled her up by her hair, “Didn’t we tell you to shut up?”  He slammed her face down into the floor.  The whole time Dylan was still crying.  You could hear his muffled “moms” from his gagged mouth.  Josh sat me back down and walked over to my mother again.  “I bet you didn’t know you had a slut for a daughter, did you?  We didn’t know each other fifteen minutes and she was already inviting me over to sleep with her.  I’m about to go and give her what she wants and I’m going to let you sit here and listen to it, then when I get back I’m going to kill all three of you.”  “No! No! Please! Leave my kids alone, I’ll do anything.  Just let them go.”  Josh just smiled, that smile I longed for earlier now made me want to vomit.  He started back my way and when he picked me up I urinated all over myself.  “You wanted me earlier, what’s wrong now baby?”  Without thinking I was able to get out of his grip but with my arms tied I wasn’t able to get too far, I felt him grab my arm above the elbow and pull me back.  “If you try that again, I’m going to have to hurt you.”  He pulled me back into my room and attmepted to take my shorts off.  In his left pocked I could see what looked like a knife handle.  Then all at once I remembered an interview I saw on one of those mid-day talk shows.  A lady was about to be raped and when her attacked got on top of her she grabbed his testicles and squeezed as hard as she could.  The attacker was in so much shock he was literally at her mercy.  I think I had a plan.  God please let it be a good plan.  “Wait, wait, I do want you, but how can I enjoy it with my hands tied up?  Please untie them so we can both enjoy it.”  That smile.  “Do you seriously think I’m that dumb?”  He pushed me down on the bed.  “No, I don’t think you’re dumb, I, I just asked if you could untie me so we could both enjoy it, please.”  I wasn’t sure if this plan was going to work or not, but he already made it known he was going to kill me anyway.  Josh seemed to really be considering my plea.  “Ok, I’ll untie you but if you try anything I won’t think twice to choke you right here.”  He turned me around and started untying the rope.  My heart was beating so hard I could feel it in my throat.  I could feel the air hit my wrists as soon as the grip was loosened.  He turned me around, “Ok baby, show me what you want.”  Please God, let this plan work, just like the lady on T.V.  I walked closer to him and started taking his belt loose and unbuttoned his jeans.  His manly part looked like it was saluting me.  “Take your pants off.”  He demanded.  I pulled my shorts off and all of a sudden I felt real sick, I could taste the vomit.  Don’t vomit Avery; don’t let him see you have an ulterior motive.  “Everything ok in there man?”  Bobby yelled from the living room.  Bobby! Oh no!  I forgot about Bobby!  “Shut up and just do your job in there.”  Josh yelled.  “Lay down.”  As I lay on the floor, my whole, short life flashed in front of my eyes.   If this plan didn’t pan out my family would lose their lives, I wouldn’t graduate high school or attend college, get married or have kids.  Why had I been so selfish?  Josh crawled up on top of me, we both still had our shirts on and his pants were still on, just pulled down to his knees.  As soon as he lifted up I quickly sat up and grabbed his testicles as hard as I possibly could.  Josh let out a groan.  “Let me go you bitch!”  He tried to hit me but I just squeezed them harder.  He stopped in pain.  I hastily reached for the knife without even thinking.  “Hey man, is everything ok in there?”  Bobby called out.  “Listen here you motherfucker,” I held the knife up to him while still holding a firm grip on his nuts, “you are going to do what I say now, or I will cut your balls off.  Shake your head if you understand.”  He gave a quick nod.  He was starting to sweat; the pain he was feeling in his groin was so tremendous he couldn’t even move.  “Tell your friend that everything’s ok, then tell him to leave.”  “Bobby,” he yelled out, “yea man?”  “Kill the mom.”  “No!” I screamed and without hesitation I stabbed Josh in the throat.  He tilted over and started to smile.  His white teeth now stained red.  He tried to say something, probably bitch or whore but it just came out in a gurgle of blood.  I jumped up and ran into the living room to go save my mom, but when I walked in it was too late.  Bobby had already beaten her head in with the lamp that sat on the table with our family picture.  Dylan was crying hysterically as Bobby started towards him.  “No! Leave my brother alone!”  I ran up behind him, he didn’t even see me coming and stabbed him in the back.  He turned around with a look of complete shock.  He reached for me and grabbed me around my throat and I dropped the knife.  Then we all heard something none of us were expecting at that very moment.

6

Daniel.  Daniel was home from work.  As soon as I heard him close the door I screamed for him.  “Daniel! Help! Help us!”  Daniel came running around the corner and stopped.  He paused for a brief moment at what he saw.  My mother lay dead on the floor, Dylan on the coach bound and gagged and me half naked with an intruder holding me around my throat.  “Back off, or I will snap her neck right now.”  Bobby’s grip got tighter around my throat.  “Don’t hurt her!” “Sit down, right there on the couch until I can think what I’m going to do.  Josh! Where are you man?”  When Josh didn’t reply, a face of nervousness rushed over him.  This wasn’t his plan, this was all Josh’s and now that it wasn’t going to plan Bobby had no idea what to do.  “What did you do to him?”  “Nothing,” I sputtered out.  “Nothing that he didn’t deserve.”  This only infuriated him; he was gripping my throat so tight that I couldn’t even breathe.  He was suffocating me.  All while this was going on, Bobby hadn’t noticed that Daniel was able to untie Dylan’s hands.  Dylan kept his hands behind his back to fool the big invader while Daniel took the rope into his hands.  From there everything went so fast that I can barely recall everything that happened. Daniel jumped up and wrapped the rope around Bobby’s throat, he immediately let me go and I fell to the floor.  He pushed Daniel down like a weak wannabe cowboy riding his first bull at a rodeo.  He immediately reached for me then stopped.  I saw his eyes grow wide and he staggered.  I saw him reach for the back of his head but he fell before he could reach what he was looking for.  Behind him was Dylan, still gagged.  He had stabbed Bobby in the back of the head.  Bobby who was now convulsing on the floor made some gurgling noises then stopped.  I ran up to Dylan and untapped his mouth.  Daniel brought me a sheet to cover up with and sat down to call the police.  “You bitch!”  It was Josh crawling out of my room.  He made one last gurgling noise then fell to the ground.

7

The police came and we filed a report.   We told them the story that the two guys broke into my bedroom window, Daniel even went out back and busted it from the outside. Turns out Josh and Bobby were both wanted in Burnsville as well for a similar incident to another family.  Unfortunately for them, no one lived to file a report. The next few days seemed to go by fast.  Daniel and Dylan say the forgive me; I guess I’ll never know for sure if it’s true, hell I don’t think I’ll ever forgive myself.  Daniel did agree to keep taking care of us, which was nice of him since we technically weren’t his.  We had visitors come and check in on us, making sure we ate, and the house was clean.  I was excused from school for the rest of the year, as was Dylan. We planned my mother’s funeral and here we are today.  Oh and as for me and sneaking guys into my window-I’m done.  Even if it is Logan Shrew.

As the funeral came to an end, Daniel and Dylan walked up to my mother’s casket that was about to be lowered and threw a flower inside.  I went last.  “Goodbye mom, I love you and I’m sorry.”  I threw my flower in.  A bright red rose, her favorite.