The hot summer sun's rays poured over my bare skin, the parts that werent hidden behind a tiny bikini. I could feel my skin getting darker with each minute that passed, and every so often I would lift up my bottoms the slightest bit just to see how far along my tan line was coming. The birds were chirping, and the wind rustled the leaves in the trees; the day was gorgeous. After a while I decided it was time to go inside and be productive. As I gathered my things, a cat's meow caused me to turn around. My cat, Mouse (yes; ironic, I know), was walking toward me. He was twelve years old, and I loved him with all my heart. There was no way I could walk away from him. I moved my blanket into the shade and layed down; immediately he came running over and plopped down right beside me.
After a few moments another sound caught my attention. I sat up quickly, and Mouse's alert ears told me I wasnt the only one who had heard it. I stared in the direction I had heard the noise, but all I could see were the trees that filled my back yard. After a few moments I layed back down, only to hear the crackling of branches once more. At the point I decided it was time to head inside. There had been a few bear sightings lately, and I wasnt about to be the next number on that list. Carrying Mouse with me, I headed into the safety of my house.
The rest of the day went by easily, and I had practically forgotten all about the sounds from outside. Mouse spent most of the day wanting to go back outside, but I wouldnt let him. As the sun began to go down, my uncle, whom I lived with in the summer, left for work; he worked the night shift at Wal-Mart. By then I had forgotten about wanting to keep Mouse inside and my uncle let him out when he left.
I loved being home alone at night. I had the house to myself, and I didnt have to worry about anyone else. I always did the same thing every night; showered, made food, watched a movie, sat on the computer, and always kept the music loud. that night, I was getting ready to shower when I heard what sounded like the front door shutting. Fear made me freeze, and I listened for a few minutes before deciding I should check on the house. Walking back into my room I grabbed my pocket knife from my night stand and turned back into the hall way. As I walked slowly and carefully through the house I turned on every light. Finally I came to the conclusion that I had only been hearing things, but still I didnt want to be home alone. So I called my friend Cassie and we made plans for the night. I told her I would call her again when I finished getting ready, hung up the phone and turned on my music, nice and loud. Before getting in the shower, I set my phone on the bathroom counter, then stepped into the steaming hot water, letting it wash away any fears I had.
Usually, my showers only last a few minutes, but that night I needed to shave my legs, so it was about 10 minutes before I finished. Steam filled the bathroom as I pulled back the shower curtain and reached for my towel. As I dmy face with the towel I thought that something about the bathroom counter looked different, but decided not to think anything of it. Wrapping the towel around my body, I walked back into my room, changed into a skirt and a small tank top, hung my towel up and went back into the bathroom. The Black Eyed Peas were blasting from my radio- I gotta feelin'... That tonight's gonna be a good night. The words rang in my ears, and I thought to myself 'hell yeah, its gonna be a good night.' At the moment that thought crossed my mind, I jumped at the sound of the floor boards in my kitchen creaking. I finished doing my hair and slowly glanced around the corner of the bathroom door, down the hall.
The house was still, not a single sound was made. However, I turned back to the bathroom counter, remembering thats where I had left my phone and pocket knife. As I turned around, though, the counter was bare except for the radio and my hair things. I glanced around the bathroom, then quickly walked across the hall into my room. Frantically, I looked for my phone and knife, but they were no where to be found. Fear ran through my veins as I began to piece things together. Someone was in my house, someone who didnt want me to have anything to defend myself with. I rushed to my closet and began digging through boxes until I found the only sharp object I had other than my knife. It was a razor, already stained with blood, from a time long ago when I had turned to self harm as a way out. Those days having been long gone, the razor was packed away firmly in my closet, as a way to comfort myself. The razor securely placed in the palm of my hand, I whipped around as a man's voice penetrated my ear drums, sending chills up my spine and piercing my body with fear.
"Looking for these, sweetie?" The man stood in the doorway of my room, wearing dirty jeans and a tshirt. His arms and face seemed to be covered in dirt and mud, and dark reddish brown stains on his shirt warned me what might be coming next. In his hands he held my phone and pocket knife. He slid them into his pockets and crossed his arms.
"I'm sorry, honey, but I just can't let you have those back."
Still frozen, I thought of all the ways I could get away. After a couple hours, Cassie would start to wonder why I hadnt called, maybe shed start calling, then come over when I didnt answer, right? All I had to do was keep him away from me long enough. But what if I couldnt do that? I needed another plan. I glanced quickly at my window, saw the curtain move from the wind blowing through. He noticed my eyes staring away, and he turned to see what had caught my attention. Immediately he headed toward the window.
"Oh, and we can't have that left open. Won't want the neighbors to hear how much fun Im having."
Bile rose in my throat, and I was certain I was going to be sick, but my reaction was much different. Before I knew it, I was running out of my bed room, taking advantage of him being on the opposite side of the room. I sprinted down the hall way, into the kitchen, going straight for the knife rack, only to find that it was empty. I yanked open the drawers, all were empty. He was behind me again, anger in his vocie.
"You might as well stop looking. Theyre all gone. Now, why dont you be a good little girl and sit the fuck down?" After a moment of not moving, he wrapped his arm around my waist and dragged me to the dining room, pushed me into a chair, reached under the table and grabbed a pile of rope. "I was afraid youd see this when you came looking for me before your shower, but I guess the blonde in your hair explains why you didnt." As he began to wrap the rope tightly around me, tears filled my eyes. If he would leave the room, I could cut through the rope with the razor; he didn't even know I had it. Almost as if an Angel heard my thoughts, my phone rang in his pocket. He reached in and grabbed in, looked at the screen then back to me.
"Shhh," he said holding a finger up to his lips, then he opened the phone and put it to his head. "Hello?" Silence filled the room as he listened for a moment to the other end. "Oh, hi, Cassie. Lauren isn't feeling well, she fell asleep on the couch, and I just happened to be coming back in from the store when her phone rang." More silence. "Okay, Ill let her know. Goodbye." Closing the phone, he threw it over his shoulders and got down on his knees in front of me.
"She'll come here, she knows he's suppose to be at work."
"Is that a fact? Well, then, Ill have to lock the doors, now, won't I?"
I began to cry, knowing that Cassie was my last hope of survival, and she was not going to be able to save me. He stood up and walked into the living room, and I realized quickly that now was my chance. I sawed away at the rope, just enough to be able to move my arms. As soon as I had finished, he walked back into view, a mischievious grin spreading across his face.
"Now, lets play a game, shall we? Its called Simon Says. You know how to play that one, right, blondie?" I nodded my head slowly, and began to wait for the perfect opportunity. "Now, heres the rules. Ill tell you what to do, and if you do it when I dont say Simon Says, then you get punished," as he said that, he pulled out the pocket knife. "Understand?" I stared at the knife, not letting him make me say it. "Answer the question, bitch."
I glared at him before replying, "I understand," as soon as the words left my mouth, I felt cold metal slicing across my cheek, I felt the open flesh with blood trickling out of it.
"I didn't say Simon Says," he said, laughing. I began to tremble, knowing that this man was sick and twisted. "Now, Simon Says to kiss my lips." He stuck his head in front of me, and I obliged with much disgust. "Mmm, your lips taste like sugar, baby."
I looked away, feeling my stomach turn. At the thought of throwing up all over him, a smile escaped my lips, ever so slightly.
"Oh, you like that one, do you?" He had said something while I was thinking to myself, and I hadn't heard it.
I didn't hear you," I said quietly.
"I said Simon Says ksuck my dick, you dirty whore."
I shook my head. "No."
"Simon Says suck my dick, or you will be punished again."
"No." I flinched, as the knife slid across my chest this time, and I tilted my head to look at the wound, saw the fresh white flesh, just before blood began to seep from the cut. It was much deeper this time.
"Lets try this one more time. Simon Says suck it."
"No." A deeper slice just above the first one on my chest, causing me to cry out in pain.
"Fine, maybe youre the type that doesnt give until she gets." He got down on his knees in front of me and opened my legs, though I tried my hardest to resist him. "Simon Says let me in." He put his head down and I knew what I had to do.
"Simon Says go to hell, you sick fuck!" He looked up, and for an instant I saw the surprise in his eyes, but as soon as I saw it, my hand swung around and the razor slide across his eye.
"You fucking bitch! My goddamn eye!" His hands immediately covered his eye, but blood poured from between his fingers, and down his cheek. As he stood there, cussing me out, I untied myself and brought my foot up right between his legs, landing a firm kick right and bring him back down to his knees. I grabbed the knife that he dropped and ran as fast as I could out of the house. I sprinted for the neighbors house, where, just my luck, a cop lived. Not having the patience to wait for her to answer the door, I burst through and began screaming for her.
"Officer Vinty! Officer Vinty! Help!" Before I knew it, she was standing in front of me putting on her shoes and dialing into her phone. She ran across the street and that was the last thing I remembered. I had passed out from blood loss, and her daughter had made sure I got into an ambulance.
Turns out, this man, named Simon Vontana, had killed 32 women in the past eight years. He did the same thing every time; played Simon Says, raped them, and then killed them, leaving their bodies in random places. I thank god I wasnt number 33.
