Ground Floor

Piper sat at her dusty desk, paper work piled up everywhere, a small desk lamp lit Piper’s dark brown ruffled hair and make-up blotched eyes. Piper stood up and looked around, the office was empty, dark and dull. She stepped out of her cubicle switching her desk light off and headed for the elevator. A cool chill ran down her spine, ‘someone is watching me.’ Her mind raced, a presence loomed over her. “Who are you?” her voice echoed through the office. Stepping more swiftly she entered the elevator, pressing the ‘ground floor’ button and leaning back, more relaxed. When on the ground floor, Piper stepped out of the elevator, her step quickened again. He was there. “I know you’re here, so just come out!” she called as the elevator door shut behind her. Piper jumped and looked around, surveying everything, she moved for the door. A tall, dark and brooding figure towered over her. She tried to run, she tried to scream, he had her on the ground, he was touching her, the smell of his cologne was strong, the figure overpowered her and….

Piper woke up in the Mater Hospital in Brisbane. She could feel where blood had flowed from her head; she had several bruises on her wrists, neck and breasts. Her head spun and pounded, her memory of what had happened was faint. A nurse came in and reviewed Piper’s chart, the nurse was somewhat short and stern looking. Piper sat up and groaned slightly, her voice was croaky “How did I get here?” she asked the nurse, the nurses face went pale and then she spoke with a clear, somewhat horrified voice, “Dear, according to your chart, you’re in here because the security guard at Raymond, Carter and Co. found you naked, bleeding on the ground floor, with severe bruising to your pelvis area and your ankles, wrists and neck, and two broken fingers. The police believe that you were raped…” Piper was shocked to hear this, her face lost what little colour it had left in it, she fell back and her head landed limply onto her pillow. Her head spun as a doctor entered the room and injected a needle into her arm, “this will help you remember what happened, the police have ordered it,” the doctor said, just before injecting the serum into her veins. The serum made her eyes become heavy, tired. Piper fell into a deep slumber.

Piper sat in her leather armchair at home, it was small, and kind of cramped, but to Piper it was home. Her clothes were clean, ironed and very conservative but there was a glint in her eyes, a fear deep within the cheerful smile that she wore. She stood up and left the apartment, walking out with her face glowing with confidence. A tall man, with jet black hair and dark coloured clothing stood in the doorway across the hall. She smiled and went on past, not worrying about his creepy stares. She walked into the elevator and pressed the ‘third floor’ button. The elevator sprang into life, moving down two floors, reaching her destination. She stepped out and headed for a wooden door with a small golden number reading ‘5’. She knocked on the door and stood back, a man with light boyish brown hair wearing only a singlet and boxers answered the door, and he invited her in and closed the door. Immediately they began to kiss, but the man also began to undress Piper. The smell of his cologne was too strong for Piper to stand, she grudgingly agreed, but the man began to become rougher and rougher until Piper cried out and pushed him off her, after which the man hit her in the eye, Piper became scared, she rushed her clothes on and raced back to her apartment. When she managed to get into her apartment, she looked in the mirror by the door; her eye was purple and bruised. She reached for her makeup and began to cover up the bruising. Piper went out her door again, heading towards the elevators. The man across the hall followed her into the elevator. Piper pressed the ‘ground floor’ button and went out into the streets, that same man following her every footstep. She made it to work safely, and she could swear that about every hour or so, someone would try to hit on her or touch her in one way or another. At about 6 everyone had left, Piper was working at her desk, the lights of the office were out, and the only light was from her desk light…

Piper awoke suddenly, her face red and sweaty; her eyes were transfixed on the doctor who had injected her. “What did I just see, it seemed familiar but the feeling was faint” the doctor looked at her and smiled briefly “well what we know is that the serum worked, and the way it worked was to let you see you how you had come into the hospital” Piper looked over the doctor’s shoulder and saw a tall police officer, his uniform was well ironed and sat neatly. “Miss, did you see who attacked you?” he inquired quickly, seeing as she had awoken. Piper looked at him and groaned a little “I know that it was one of two guys, one who lives across the hall from me and my boyfriend, Henry Wyatt” The police left the ward quickly, as Piper tried to sit up but only failed as she was weak. A tall dark haired man entered the ward holding a bouquet of flowers in his hand. He smiled as he saw that Piper was awake. Piper looked at him and panicked a little. The doctor grabbed her hand to reassure her, “Piper, this man here, has been sitting by you ever since you came in here.” Piper looked into the man’s eyes and saw kindness in them. The man then smiled and said, “Piper, I’ve always seen you race back to your room after you go to your boyfriend’s and I see what he puts you through, and that’s why it seems that I follow. I just wanted to help you feel safe. And my name is Leo.” Leo smiled and placed the flowers down on the dresser beside her bed and gave her a small kiss on the cheek. She smiled and groaned in pain.