The Wrong Girl

The Wrong Girl

Jim flicked the light switch after he opened the front door. He stopped when no light came on. His apartment was pitch black, besides the soft white light coming from his kitchen window.

“God, dammit”, Jim said as he stepped in blindly. He slid his feet across the floor with his arms waving around in front of him. He made it to the kitchen, felt around for the kitchen lamp, found it, and pushed the button. Light flooded the room. Jim winced and looked around. Everything seemed in order. He turned to go into the living room, and saw a red flash as the shaft of a Mag-light crashed onto the bridge of his nose. He screamed in pain, and shot his hands to his face and felt nothing but warm blood, and it was shooting out, fast.

“Hey, Jim.”

Jim looked at his blood soaked hands, then up in horror. Although his eyes were watering like a geyser, he knew who it was. He saw the blurry outline of a blonde standing over him.

“Oh no, no”, Jim repeated, stuck with fear. The fear that tells you that you might not see another sunrise.

“No? Why not Jim? I’m not your type anymore? I sure was last week. You remember, don’t you?”

Jim was still shaking his head, repeating himself. The blonde figure crouched down so that her face was not even 3 inches from Jim’s face. She just looked at him for the next minute, until Jim stopped and looked up at her. Then she whispered, “Well, Jim. I am very, very intent on making you remember. And who knows? Maybe by the end of tonight, you might get lucky again.”

With that, she threw her head back, and let out a hearty laugh that made Jim start to whimper.

Chapter 1

Allie spent most of her nights alone, although she was a gorgeous young woman, she found it less complicated, to be alone. She was proud of her record collection, and always had one playing. She lived up-town New York City, in a studio apartment. The cream colored walls were stamped with concert and movie posters. At night, she loved to just look out her window, see the world as it was. Just headlights going through the night, like mercury in a maze. From her apartment, she had an unbiased view of people, and naturally she thought that for the most part, people were good.

Her mother died from lung cancer when she was 7 and she lived with her father and her sister, Marie, until she moved out at 18. In school, she was very popular, even made head cheerleader in her squad. She loved her father, who was the most supportive man in her life. If she got lonely at nights, she would call her father and update him on her life. When she would ever look in the stands at a football game, she would always see him, giving her a thumbs-up sign, and a big smile. That’s what she remembered about him the most, his jolly face filled with pride when he seen his little girl. He was back in Pennsylvania, and Allie decided to move to New York to be with her then boyfriend, Todd. After Todd didn’t pan out, she decided to stay and try to make it in the big city, like so many before her, as an actress. Allie was working a diner during the day, the taking acting classes at night. It was a simple, but satisfying life for her.

Allie was always late. Thursday was no different. She had dinner plans with Marie, who was in New York on business. They were supposed to meet at Franco’s, an Italian bar and grill, at 7, and it was 7:10 when Allie left her apartment. Franco’s was her favorite restaurant, the people were polite and the old style jukebox always had a 45 playing. She ran down her steps, and onto the street. She struggled to get her coat around her. Allie found the city at night to be beautiful. Of course, the freaks come out, but the city was so peaceful, casting its light into the black night sky.

She pulled her coat a little tighter as the wind picked up. Allie’s face was light pink by the time she walked the 6 blocks to the Italian restaurant, and before walking in the glass doors, she handed a homeless man a dollar. Allie was always like that, she seen the best in people, and believed that people were a result of their environment. She knew that she was lucky to be raised in a happy home, most people unfortunately are not that lucky. Her father used to always tell her, someone who is born in sin will lead a life of corruption.

When Allie pulled open the heavy door she instantly saw her sister with her hand up and waving happily. She was in the back of the restaurant, in a booth. Allie smiled excitedly as she jogged up to Marie. Marie stood up and held her arms open wide. Over the speakers, The Marvelettes were playing Please, Mr. Postman. The song reminded her of her mother, before she died. They would play the record, and dance around the room. She didn’t remember much about her mother, but she remembered that.

“Hey Marie!” She laughed as they hugged. Her sister looked nothing like her, but was as pretty as her. Marie, typical Italian girl, had black hair that she always wore down, cream colored skin with wide beautiful green eyes. Allie, on the other hand, had long, sun yellow blonde hair, slim face, perfect nose, and a smile that brought men to their knees. She had the type of smile that always seemed seductive.

Jim and Tommy were sitting at the bar, having a beer, when Allie walked in. Tommy caught a glimpse of her and did a double take.

“Jesus Jim.”
“What?” Jim followed Tommy’s gaze, then said, “Oh shit yea.”
“How are you feeling tonight, Jim?” Tommy asked, lowering his voice, as a smile started across his face.
“Like you, I think.” Jim returned his smile.

Marie and Allie spent the entire time talking. Everything from work to men, and when it was time to leave they shared an emotional hug. Allie left the restaurant around 8, and started back home. She kept her head down to avoid the wind, and every once in a while look up to make sure she didn’t run into anything. The street was unusually bare with streetlights dotting her way home.The clicking of her heels was the only sound.

When she got to the intersection of 7th and Bryer, 3 blocks from her apartment, a grey van screeched to a stop in front of her and the side door swung open. A white man, with a menacing glare in his eye, jumped out before Allie even saw him. He wrapped his strong arms around her and lifted her off her feet. She screamed and kicked wildly, swinging her body from side to side, trying to break the man’s grip. The man held tighter and fell into the van. ”Go! Go!” he shouted to the driver, and as the van sped away, the man slammed the door shut.

Chapter 2

Jim was still gushing blood, when Allie grabbed him by the little hair he had and forced him down the basement steps. He was screaming as she yanked hair out of the roots, dragging him down the steps. The blood was beginning to get into his mouth; he would have never believed that so much blood could have come out of his nose. It was like turning on a faucet. When they got to the basement, she pulled hard on his hair to get him to stand up. She pushed him into the metal chair, in the center of the room. The overhead florescent cast of a dull, white light, illuminating the smooth, grey concrete floor.

Once Jim got in the chair, he wiped his eyes and got a good look at Allie. Her blonde hair was hanging over her left eye; he could tell that make-up was covering her bruised cheek, as there was a hint of purple. She had bright red lipstick on. It stood out against her tight black V-neck sweater, and slim dark blue jeans. Even beat up, her looks would of derailed a train.

Jim had his head tilted back to slow the bleeding, He felt his nose, it was numb, but his fingers felt a lot of little pieces working around under the skin.

“You broke my nose!” He screamed at her.

Allie smiled, showing snow white teeth. “Oh Jimmy, You will forget all about your nose by the time I leave tonight.” She said it with such an assurance that Jim’s lip quivered heavily.

“Oh Jimmy.” She cooed as walked up to him, “You’re shaking. I was too. I believe it is from fear, Jimmy. Fear of the unknown. You have no clue what I will do to you tonight, just like I had no clue what you and that other man was going to do to me.”

She flipped the red Mag-light in the air, caught it, and swung it across Jim’s jaw. The impact sent what seemed like marbles into Jim’s mouth. When Jim opened his mouth to scream, bits of teeth rolled out, onto his lap. After following through, Allie just stood up, and gave him a sexy smile. “Now that I have your attention Jimmy, be a darling, and,” she leaned in closer, “put your hands behind your back.”

Jimmy looked fearfully at her. Her eyebrows raised and she lifted the mag-light again, and Jimmy nodded quickly, “OK! OK! Jesus God!”

She put her sexy voice on, with the bedroom eyes, and said. “Good boy, we are going to have fun.”

Chapter 3

Allie was screaming at the top of her lungs, until her throat was so raw, that she just let out silent hisses. She thrashed her arms as hard as she could to escape the man’s grip. The man got on top her and drove his fist right in her face, bouncing her head off the van floor. This made Allie dizzy, and disoriented. Her sight became slow and blurry, like she was drunk. She stopped trying to scream.

“I’m first! I seen her first!” the driver was saying to the big man, turning around quickly in his seat to catch a look at Allie.

“Whatever, just get to the garage”, the big man’s gruff voice and his dead weight on her made Allie’s face fall to pieces as she started crying.

Sobbing she pleaded, “Please, Please don’t do this. Please, Ill pay you, please” Her voice was barely audible now.

The big man had her pinned on the van floor, sitting on her hips. He looked down at her, smiled, revealing a mouth full of daggers and chipped teeth, and said in a gravelly voice, “Oh baby, you have all I want right here.” He pushed his hand between the legs of her jeans.

Allie let out a wail and covered her face with her pink hands, but not all the tears in the world would have stopped what was going to happen. She caught lights in the windows of buildings as the van rumbled along. Allie estimated that they went 25 to 30 blocks before pulling into what felt like a parking garage, but there were no lights in the building. All she heard was the low rumble of the engine. The van kept speeding for another 5 minutes. Allie couldn’t think of where they were going, until she seen light specks of white... stars. They were on a roof of a parking building. The van slowed to a stop.

Chapter 4

The metal handcuffs dug into Jim’s skin with each click. Blood was starting to drip off his pinkies. Allie kept squeezing them tighter until no more blood was flowing in Jim’s bright red hands. Jim furiously twisted his hands in circles to get some kind of blood flow. His body jerked wildly, but he had no where to go. Allie appeared from behind him and put her hand on his shoulder.

“Too tight?”

Jim just looked at her with wide eyes. She walked over to a boombox that was in front of Jim. The heels of her shoes clacked on the smooth cement. She pressed a button and Al Green came on the radio, Let’s Stay Together.

“You remember this song?”

Allie started slowly dancing to the music. Her hips swayed wide, moving her flawless behind, from side to side. She looked back at Jim as she started doing a sexy, provocative dance. She slowly danced towards him, dipping her shoulders, letting her eyes meet with Jim’s. She put her hands on Jim’s shaking legs. She slid up his legs to his crotch.

“You’re fucking crazy!” Jim screamed at her.
“Yes, I am. But didn’t you know that when you picked me up? You had to know that I wasn’t just going to wake up Friday, and forget all about you.”

She didn’t feel anything hard in Jim’s pants.

“What’s the matter, Jim? Don’t I turn you on anymore?”

With that she drove her fist into his zipper so hard that Allie even let out a guttural sound. Jim let out a high pitched scream, slamming his head back. The blood from his mouth was spitting out, leaving red specks on his face. From his nose it started going down his throat, causing him to choke. He forced his head back up, coughed, sending blood on the front of Allie’s shirt. She looked down at the crimson fluid, it entranced her. After a minute, she looked back up at Jim. She returned to her slow, sexy sway, clapping her hands to the beat.

“Jim, aren’t you curious about how I found you?” She was still swaying her body to the soulful song. His high pitch scream turned into whimpers. It felt like someone dropped a boat anchor on his balls. Jim lowered his head to his chest, and shut his eyes tight, wishing he was anywhere but his basement.

“Isn’t this fun?” Allie asked, her hair whipping around slightly, and with a smile.

Chapter 5

Tommy threw the shifter into park, and jumped in the back next to Jim. They looked at her liked a prized possession. Jim hopped in the front and held her arms behind her head. Tommy slowly unbuttoned her pants, and slid down her zipper. Allie was letting out a whimper, as tears soaked her face. Tommy pulled off her pants and looked at her black, lace underwear.

“God damn, your gorgeous baby.” Tommy said smiling, and took the strings of her panties and pulled them down, and off. He then unzipped his pants and worked his way into her.

“Oh, noooo.” Allie whined.
“Put on the radio man.” Tommy told Jim. Jim let go of Allie’s arms and when he did, Allie swung her arm wildly and hit Tommy on the chin, pushing his head back. His face flushed red with anger.

“You stupid, bitch!” Tommy drew his hand back and slapped her across her face, causing saliva to shoot across the van. “Now you’re really going to get it!”

Jim controlled her arms at her wrists, while Tommy thrust himself into Allie with such force, she kept sliding on the van floor, hitting Jim’s knees with her head. It was then she noticed that Jim was masturbating, watching Tommy rape her.

She then shut her eyes so she didn’t have to see Jim stroking, so she didn’t have to see Tommy’s gritting teeth. All that she heard was the overwhelming stereo, playing Al Green, Let’s Stay Together.

Allie estimated about 20 minutes, until Tommy let out a moan and climaxed. He was wearing a condom, Allie thought, probably so he wouldn’t get any DNA in her. Tommy then quickly pulled his pants back up, threw open the sliding side door, pulled Allie upright, and slapped her so hard that she fell out the van and onto the cold concrete. He threw out her pants, but kept her panties. The door slammed shut, and the van sped off, squealing tires all the way back down the ramp until Allie couldn’t hear it anymore or see the red tail lights.

She just laid there, staring up at the stars. The tears slowly stopped coming, and she looked down at her right hand. In it was a black leather wallet.

Chapter 6

Allie raised her mag-lite again, and Jim screamed, “Yes! Yes!”

She smiled and lowered it.

“Good, then I will tell you how I found you. Well Jim, while you were holding my hands down, you weren’t very efficient because you were jerking off. My right hand got free, and sadly you didn’t notice but, I reached in your back pocket, and got your wallet.” She smiled shyly at Jim as she pulled his black leather wallet out from her back pocket. It was then, Jim saw his fate. “I waited until that other man came, because I knew he was going to throw me out. Sure enough, he threw me out, with no pants on.”

She got in Jim’s face, “like a common piece of trash.”

She stepped back and tossed the wallet between Jim’s feet. Jim then stopped begging for his life, he knew it was useless. He had really crossed the line.

Fate is a funny thing. One day your 6 years old, on a family vacation, licking an ice cream cone on the beach; then you wake up and your 35 years old, handcuffed to a chair, getting tortured by a blonde that was raped by your friend, and you. There was no doubt now, Jim knew he was going to die soon. He wondered how someone could prepare for that. It is not everyday that you know you will die soon. Most people walk through life thinking that they will be the one person in the history of the world, to not die. It is easier to think like that. But now, Jim, with his sweat dripping in his eyes, looked at his fate, his ticket. And it was a knock-out blonde.

“So Jim, what I need from you, is that other man’s name. Now, Ill be honest with you Jim, you are not going to get out of this basement alive. I am going to kill you tonight, for what you did to me. How you snatched me off the street and held me down, for that animal.” Allie raised her finger, “But, how honest you are with me, will determine how much torture you will receive. You see Jim, I want that other man, a lot more than I want you.” She pointed at him with both first fingers.

She reached in her back pocket. Jim’s wide eyes followed her every move. To his relief, she pulled out a pack of cigarettes. She took one out, and put the little, white cylinder between her ruby red lips. She then brought out a silver Zippo lighter with an engraving on it, flipped the top, and lit the cigarette. She inhaled the tobacco, slowly closing her eyes. She opened them, and blew the smoke at Jim. She shut the Zippo, with a little click, and smiled at Jim, her sexiest smile yet.

By this time, Jim couldn’t feel his hands anymore, his nose either, but he still felt the blood dripping off his chin. He felt with his tongue, at least 4 teeth were missing from his lower left jaw. But the overwhelming ache was in his pants, which seemed to radiate with each beat of his heart. He couldn’t take anymore. Looking down and shaking his head he mouthed the word “OK”.

Allie grabbed the sides of his face with her right hand. The stubble felt like sandpaper under the soft skin of her fingertips. She shook his head playfully from side to side.

“Good boy”

Chapter 7

Allie looked at the folded wallet for a long time before she opened it. She rolled it in her fingers across the backdrop of the night sky. A thin stream of blood started to run down the corner of her mouth, down her cheek, and onto the rough concrete, Finally, she flipped open the wallet. She read off the license. Then she closed it, and sat up. Her jeans were crumpled next to her. Naked from the waist down, the cold February air was creating goosebumps on her thighs. She put on her jeans and slipped the wallet in her back pocket.

With the back of her hand, she wiped the blood from her mouth, and looked at it. The crimson fluid entranced her. She looked towards the ramp, and started a slow and steady walk down the spiral concrete structure. She was walking in the pitch black, but without an ounce of fear in her. She felt her body tense with a wave of rage, but then relaxed it away with the thought of what she will do to these men, as soon as she heals up. Environment or not, a man is responsible for his actions.

When she got down to the street, she raised her arm and hailed the first taxi that came down the street. It stopped in front of her, she got in the back, and closed the door.

“4th and Bryer”, her once cheerful voice, now monotone.

The cabbie looked in his rear-view mirror and seen a distressed goddess in his taxi. Obviously beat up, but strangely with a slight smile on her face, staring out the window.

“Um, are you ok, honey?” he asked.

Her gaze shifted from her window to the rear-view mirror, where she made eye-contact with the cabbie. She just looked at him, saying nothing. The goddess’ left cheek was turning a deep purple, and her bottom lip was busted, seeping blood, that she didn’t seem to notice. He double checked the mirror, let out a flustered breath and stepped on the gas. He looked back in the mirror to see her still looking at him, then she slowly shifted her eyes back to her window with a slow blink. He dropped the little door on his glove box and pulled out a few paper napkins. He held them up. Allie took them from him without a word, and put one up to her lip. When she pulled it away, it stuck to her lip and she looked at it. Again, the crimson circle of blood entranced her. Her smile faded, and she clenched her teeth until they dully ached.

She looked as the buildings went by. She wondered who was in them, families, and what they were doing. Allie never felt more alone in this world, but something was growing inside her, something foreign, something she had never felt before. She didn’t even know what to call it, but Allie knew why she felt it.

The cab bounced and jerked through the city streets. Eventually it pulled in front of her apartment, and stopped with a squeal. The cabbie looked in the mirror, “Um, I’m off duty, so don’t worry about it. Free of charge.” The cabbie gave her smile and a quick wave.

Allie looked at him in the mirror. She slowly leaned forward to read the taxi license, screwed on the back of the front seat.

Charles Sampson.

“Thanks…..Charlie”, her soft voice had a hint of power now. She gave him a slow smile, and stepped out of the car.

Chapter 8

“His, his name is… T…Tommy”, Jim said, spitting bits of blood.

It was all Allie needed. She felt Jim’s pockets for his cell phone. She felt the hard lump, and pulled it out. A cheap, black flip phone. She spun it around, and opened it. The first screen demanded a password.

“Password”, she said without looking up.
“1234” Jim said without hesitation.

She shook her head.

“Clever, Jim” Allie said as she made her way into the contacts list. She scrolled down to the T’s. There were two ‘Tommy’s’ in the list. She looked up from the phone at Jim. She didn’t even have to ask which one. The steady stare was enough for Jim.

“Tommy W.” he said as another piece of a tooth flowed out of his mouth. “Oh, shit.”
“I told you that you would forget about your nose.” Allie dropped her eyes back down to the phone.

Her fingers clicked on the push buttons as opened up the text message option. She sent Tommy W. a text:

Hey man, bring the van to my place, I have a present for you. A real, pretty present

She kept staring at the screen until the phone vibrated and a Tommy W. text graphic came onto the screen, showing a mailbox with a yellow envelope in it. She opened it.

It read: She hotter than the one last week?

Allie’s chest filled with the hot rage that she was getting used to. She was now referred as the one. It angered her that she was seen as an object, not even a human, let alone a woman. Her hands wrapped around the phone so tight, that her knuckles were turning white.

She text back: Oh yea, you have to see this one. She is a killer.

Allie smiled at her wit, but then worried that it might not sound like Jim, then her chance would be blown. She waited impatiently then the phone vibrated in her hands. She opened the text and it read:

Nice, be there in 20 min. Good job, buddy.

She then took the phone without shutting it and carelessly threw it on the floor next to Jim’s feet. It clattered as it bounced, then stopped next to Jim’s foot.

“Looks like we are going to have company soon, Jimmy.” She started back towards the stairs, stopped, then slowly turned back at Jim. Raising her right eyebrow she said, “But what should we do while we wait?”

Chapter 9

Allie closed the door to her apartment and took off her jacket. She laid it on the arm of the couch and she went into the bathroom. She hesitated before she turned on the light, she knew her face was going to look bad because she could feel that it was a little more swollen than ten minutes ago. She flicked the switch with her left hand, and her face appeared in the mirror.

Initially, she flinched. Her left cheek was tuning a dark purple and her bottom lip bulged out on the left side. A single tear rolled down her face as she turned on the faucet, and let the water run until it was warm. She sniffed at her running nose. When the water was warm she threw handfuls into her face. Looking back in the mirror, she softly pressed a towel to her cheeks. Then feeling her lip with her tongue, Allie looked down at the faucet. She quickly put a handful of water in her mouth. It stung like a bee, but she swished it around anyway, and spit it back in the sink. It made a pink whirlpool before finally going down the drain.

There at that sink, in New York City, a woman vowed. She silently swore to seek revenge on those men. She closed her eyes, and told herself that she will kill those men or die trying. That was the only justice that seemed appropriate. She thought about taking the wallet to the police and let them handle it, but she wanted her justice. Nature’s Justice. Its simplicity in itself. They robbed her of her life, her dignity, now she will rob them of their life, literally.

With that thought, she reopened her eyes. Walking out of the bathroom, Allie went over to her stereo, and The Beach Boys, Don’t Worry Baby came on over the speakers. As the song relaxed her rage, she dropped to her knees, got on her knuckles, got on her toes, and did pushups until her arms physically gave out. Her body slammed down to the floor. The back of her arms ached, but she got up and did another set. She wanted to be ready. The determined look her face sealed Jim and Tommy’s fate. Jim and Tommy had in fact, picked The wrong girl.

For the next week, Allie would go to work, come home and work out. The acting classes were put on hold until she done what she had to. Lying in bed at night she would contemplate the different methods that she could take. One night, she looked at her bedside clock, the red numbers displayed 3:13. Then her red Mag-lite next to her clock caught her attention. She picked it up. It was about 8 or 9 inches in length, made from hardened steel. She remembered watching a documentary on t.v. about biker gangs, and how they would carry around a mag-lite. They could use it as a club to hit someone, and if asked why they had it, it’s a flashlight.

With the light blue moonlight shining in her bedroom window, she took the mag-lite by the head, and smacked her hand with the shaft. Allie imagined the incredible amount of pain that would be felt, if someone hit her in the face with it. Her weapon was chosen. But for Tommy, he was special, so she needed something special, just for him. The next morning she went to Harvey’s Hardware Store.

Chapter 10

Jim’s apartment was dirty, disorganized, and dark. It smelled of stale pizza and beer. The basement door was slightly ajar, spilling light into the living room, illuminating a small, ripped couch and a cheap tv. The sounds coming from the basement below were animalistic, almost un-human. In the background, the appropriate House of the Rising Sun, by The Animals was playing on the boombox.

Allie emerged from the basement, fresh blood streaked across her face, in her hair, everywhere. She looked like an apache warrior who just scalped a congregation. Her high, cheekbones now smeared in crimson. Her hands and arms up to her elbows were completely covered with blood, so much, that it was dripping from her tightly clenched fists.

She slowly shut the door behind her, enveloping the apartment, again, in a thick black darkness, and drowning out Jim’s screams. She stood there looking out the kitchen window, where the smallest amount of light was seeping in, acting like a beacon. She was waiting now for the infamous Tommy, he was going to be the main attraction tonight.

Tommy got the text when he was at the bar. His black hair was combed back, his bulking body was hid by a blue hoodie, and a brown leather jacket over it. He felt the familiar vibration on his right thigh. He looked from his beer down to his jean’s pocket, fished out the phone, and looked at it. A slow smile spread across his face. His features immediately became friendly. With a big smile on his face, he texted back, and ordered another beer.

Tommy was nodding to the bar music as he sipped his beer. He joked with the bartender as he got his tab, paid it, and pushed out the door. The night was relentless with bitter wind. He took his keys out from his jacket pocket, found his van key, put into the door lock and turned it. Swinging open the heavy door and jumping up into the seat. His breath was sending condensation on the windshield, and the leather upholstery was cold to the touch. Taking the door by the handle, she slammed it shut. He sniffed, put the key in the ignition, and turned it. The van came to life under him with a roar. When the radio clicked on, The Police Every Breath You Take was playing. Tommy looked at the radio, uneasy, and he pulled the shifter in and down to drive.

Every breath you take,
Every move you make,
Every bond you break,
Every step you take,
Ill be watching you.

The streetlights were reflecting off of this random grey van. The van was driving through the night, carrying an unknowing man, to his destiny, his fate. Every person has one, and this was Tommy’s. The interior was rumbling as he hit the gas harder, and drifted off to a bypass. His headlights were illuminating the road ahead of him, the road that leads him to Jim’s apartment. The dark green trees extended their branches and flew past the van windows, as if they were trying to warn Tommy.

Ten minutes later, the van stops in front of Jim’s apartment. A one story shack with black metal bars on the windows, littered yard, and an unkempt lawn. The van headlights went out, and the engine died. Tommy looked at the house, it was dark inside, except for the basement light was on. The little, ground level window was a soft white. Before Tommy removed the key, he let Every Breath You Take finish over the stereo, after Tommy smiled, and jumped down from the van. He walked up to the door and knocked. No one answered, so he tried the handle, and it turned in his grip. Tommy looked inside and felt for the switch, it was already up. He swung the door wide open and looked into the black, seeing nothing but a little spot of light from the kitchen window.

Chapter 11

Tommy made his way into the house. His heavy boots thudding through the darkness. He walked steadily into the kitchen, fumbled for the kitchen lamp, knocking it over. He found the switch, and pressed the button. Instantly the kitchen lit up with a soft yellow light.

“Jimmy?” Tommy called out.

He quickly circled around. Nothing. The living room was its normal filthy style. Clothes strewn about the place, and empty pizza box left on the counter, and numerous empty beer bottles. Tommy peered in the living room, then, the slightly ajar basement door caught his attention. He slowly crossed the room and stood outside the door. He touched the handle, and pulled the door open.

“Jimmy?”

Before Jimmy could warn his friend, Allie came up behind Tommy, and swung her heavy, red mag-lite, hitting Tommy in the back of the skull. An audible cracking was heard through the room. Tommy doubled over, falling down the stairs. The first impact was his forehead on the hard wood step, sending blinding white light into his eyes. He rolled down the steps sideways until hitting the basement floor and smacking into the concrete block wall with his chin.

In shock, Tommy, opened his eyes, felt around his face, hoping that it resembled what he was used to. It was very wet, stinging, and when he raised his hands to see what was on his face, he started to hyperventilate. On his fingers was blood, with shreds of skin. He screamed out. That was when he noticed Jim.

Jim was handcuffed to a metal chair, with a piece of grey duct-tape over his mouth. The blood was forming rivers from his empty eye sockets, down his cheeks, and over the tape. His stomach had several large gashes, like they were ripped open, revealing the pink tubes of his intestines. A crimson pool was forming around Jim’s zipper. Amazingly, Jim was still alive. His head was thrashing wildly from side to side, sending blood in thick globs from his eye sockets, on the concrete floor around him.

“Holy Shit!” Tommy screamed as tried to get up. He put his weight on his right hand, and his wrist gave way with a muted crunch. Tommy grabbed his wrist, threw his head back and let out a deep scream. He kicked his legs viciously, and with no where to go, helpless as he was, he finally knew how his 5 victims felt. The certainty that no one was going to come to his aid, that all the screaming in the universe couldn’t stop his fate. That he was at the mercy of a madman, or in this case, a mad woman. Slow footsteps on the wood planks cut his screams short. He shot his head up to the stairs.

Tommy saw an hourglass silhouette, still cloaked in the darkness, slowly coming down the stairs. At this moment, he had not the faintest idea of who would of wished this kind of torment on him. He always considered the women that he raped as helpless little objects that just run to the police and cry to their daddies. None of them would ever want to see Tommy again, let alone actually try to get to Tommy. His mind raced as more of the figure started stepping into the light.

He first saw a set of legs, in jeans, that had deep purple stains. A thin set of hips came next, and the figure’s body slimmed even more, as now it’s stomach was in the light. Still walking the same, slow pace, a soft, blood stained face finally made its way into the light. The face with ruby red lips that formed a smile. Tommy didn’t even recognize the girl, due to all of Jim’s blood on her. He squinted and saw that the woman had blonde hair. His mouth fell open as his brain struggled to comprehend if she was really standing right in front of him. If he really just fell down a flight of stairs, skinning his face, and breaking his wrist. Allie stopped a few steps from the floor, as she stared at her man, with a sense of calmness.

“Oh, my god!” Tommy managed to blurt out. “Somebody! Help Me!” He shouted at the top of his lungs.

Tommy tried again to get up, this time rolling on his right elbow, balancing himself, and pulled his knees up. He straighten up on his knees and looked back up at Allie. She hadn’t moved a muscle. She followed her gaze as Tommy brought his right leg up, then his left. Fully upright, holding his right wrist, his demeanor turned from frightened, to furious.

“You really are a dumb bitch! Oh you are fucking dead! I guess I fucked the sense out you, huh?” Tommy started to smile now.

“But, but, I know you liked it baby.” He broke into a full laugh now, bending backwards, his skinned face stretching with each laugh, allowing more blood to escape from his cheeks. When he finished laughing, he looked back up at Allie and extended his arms horizontally, “What is it, baby? Tell me. You came back for more?”

Allie was still staring at him, not smiling, not frowning, just staring.

He wiped at his cheek with his left jacket sleeve. Trying to catch his breath, he looked at Allie sideways. “That’s it isn’t, baby? Your in love with me.”

Allie didn’t say a word or move. Just looked at Tommy’s eyes. Then her face broke into a sexy smile. She looked down, then back up at Tommy, hiding behind her left shoulder.

“I know I have a strange way of showing it, but your right.” Allie said, smiling her seductive smile, her teeth still pure white. “Ill tell you what baby, push on that radio there, and well get started” She nodded with her head to the boombox on the floor. Tommy cautiously looked back at her as he made his way to the boombox, dragging his right foot on its side. Jim started shaking his head viciously and frantic groans were coming from his throat. Tommy examined the boombox, and hit play. The soul classic started, Let’s stay together, came on the speakers.

I,
I’m so in love with you,
Whatever you want to do,
Is all right with me.

‘cause you
Make me feel so brand new
I want to spend my life with you

Chapter 12

Tommy watched as Allie bent her knees slightly, and moved with the slow music. She really was mesmerizing. He watched as she slow danced the few steps to the floor. Now bending all the way down, rubbing her knees with her palms, up to her thighs, and finally grazing between her legs. She now looked up at Tommy. Like Tommy was the one in control. Slowly standing up, she ran her hands past her hips, up her tight stomach, and up and over her breasts. Tommy stared at her, not knowing to get turned on or scared. Jim was now jumping in his seat, still shaking his head, furiously.

She slowly slid closer, putting her hands on her ass, moving it in wide circles, dipping down, and back up again. All while maintaining eye contact with the now stricken, Tommy. Now, a foot from Tommy, she slowly reached out her hand and caressed Tommy’s black hair. She then wiped her hand across his forehead, removing the beading sweat. She placed her hand on his right cheekbone, and as low as a whisper, she leaned closer and said, “Your right, baby. I want you. Bad.” With that last word she jammed her left thumb into Tommy’s right eye, until her thumb was up to the knuckle. Yellow bile shot out of Tommy’s eye socket and onto the Allie’s sleeve. The yellow sticky substance, started dripping down her hand as she held onto Tommy’s eye socket. Allie squinted as Tommy blasted out a piercing scream. The veins in her arm strained as she gritted her teeth.

Tommy dropped to his knees, now cupping his right eye. The bile was dripping though his tight fingers. Allie drove her knee into his face, smashing his lips into bloody pulps. Tommy fell on his back. That cold concrete was so unforgiving. Turning back towards the steps, Allie pulled out a sledgehammer from a black bag she had hidden in the corner. A large metal head, almost the size of a football, on a wooden shaft. The hammer was more than half her height. Al Green, finished, leading into The Beach Boy’s, Don’t worry Baby. The boombox was blaring loud enough to drown out Tommy’s screams.

Well it’s been building up inside of me
For I don’t know how long
I don’t know why
But I keep thinking
Something’s bound to go wrong

But she looks in my eyes,
And makes me realize

Then she says,
Don’t worry baby
Don’t worry baby
Everything will turn out all right
Don’t worry baby

Allie walked up to the shivering Tommy, letting the heavy, metal head of the sledgehammer hit the floor on each step.

Thump…….Thump…..Thump….

Allie looked down at him, no longer with a smile, but a sneer. The repressed fire returned to her eyes. She raised the hammer, up over her shoulder, gripping one hand on the bottom, and one in the middle of the thick wood. Letting out a low scream, she brought the hammer down on Tommy’s right knee, smashing it into mush. Tommy could hardly let out a sound, his voice was so raw. A high pitched hiss escaped his wide open mouth, revealing his right eye, now pushed about 2 inches in his head, and bile pooling around it and out of his socket. He convulsed with his whole body, slamming himself against the floor. But his left eye was wide open. His yellow stained, trembling hands felt for his knee. Tommy’s mouth, now stretched in agony, still trying to escape some kind of sound, began to leak saliva from the sides.

There was now a flat spot between his thigh and shin, his pants were beginning to soak up the blood, turning his jeans to a deep purple. Tommy’s face was turning a pale white, in sharp contrast to his thick black hair. The veins in his neck were cords jutting out as he tried to force any kind of sound from his mouth. He kicked with his left foot, trying to move his body backward, from Allie. Allie watched as slid across the floor, a few feet back from the hammer. Allie slid her right foot back, turned sideways, and like a golf club, she raised it again, over her head, and in one explosive strike, sending it between Tommy’s legs.

Chapter 13

20 minutes later, Allie stood back, trying to catch her breath, she dropped her hammer. The wood handle now covered with Tommy’s blood and skin, bounced before it rested on the cold, concrete. She looked at what she done. Tommy, now unrecognizable, lay in a pool of blood, skin, and bone. His leather jacket, was oozing out his remains. Her heart was hammering in her ears, her cheeks sucked in and out with each violent breath.

The basement was dead quiet now. The boombox that played her mix cd had now stopped spinning, and was dead as the air. The only sound was Allie’s breathing. After her chest stopped heaving, she turned back, behind the steps, and pulled out a blue, plastic jug of kerosene. She unscrewed the top, dropped it, and splashed the liquid all over Jim, who was now dead, with his chin touching his chest. The blood from his eye sockets was still dripping out of his head, dripping into a pool on his lap. She turned the jug overtop his head, letting the highly flammable liquid completely soak him, like he just got out of a bath tub. The strong aroma was all Allie could smell as she lowered the canister. Then walking to the puddle of skin, that used to be Tommy, she emptied it. When the last drop came out, she dropped the blue container next to her feet, and walked back to the stairs.

She took a deep breath and leaned up against the wall with her back, looking at her work of art, her masterpiece. She took great care not to let that kind of power get to her head. She did this for a reason. For justice. Her life would of forever been overshadowed with what these two men did to her, unless she handled it the way nature intended. The victim turned hunter, to undo all the wrongs, and to restore the peacefulness back to her mind. As she looked at the remains of her attackers, she felt her mind relax. Before it felt like a tight fist, squeezing her every thought, now with her back against the cool concrete blocks, that fist slowly released it’s grip, her muscles relaxed, and let her mind think again. She wiped at the sweat on the back of her neck, and felt it dripping down her back.

She closed her eyes, erasing all the thoughts of last week. Clearing her head, telling herself that those thoughts, they would always hurt, they would never help. Her bottom lip quivered, and two tears rolled out of her tightly closed eyes. After a moment, she opened her eyes, wiped away the tears and closed her mouth around a cigarette. She took out the silver zippo, flipped the top up, and struck it. The yellow flame danced in front of her eyes. The flame seemed more real than the scene in the background. The blue base of the flame, giving way to the beautiful yellow, the beautiful blonde. She brought the lighter to her cigarette, turning the end of it into red burning embers, and snapped the lighter shut. She calmly smoked the cigarette as she looked at her work. When the cigarette started nearing the filter, she took it between her thumb and middle finger, and flicked it on Jim. The flames slowly caught, igniting the slumped, sunken Jim. She watched as the flames followed a trail, to Tommy. Tommy was then engulfed in the thick blue flame. Black smoke was starting to fill the basement as Allie walked back up the wooden stairs.

Chapter 14

“Jesus Christ, what do we have here?”

The detective was sipping his coffee from a white Styrofoam cup, the heat rising in the early morning crispness. He was standing in front of a charred, still smoking, lot where an apartment used to be. The studs for the foundation were charred black and crumbling. The ash was soaking wet, pools of water filled the block outline of the basement. Smoke was swirling into the overcast sky. Like it was coloring it.

The crime scene unit was looking over the two bodies found in the basement. One of the examiners was scraping the teeth of the bound man, with a metal pick. One was a black, smoldering skeleton, handcuffed to a chair, the other was a splash of crumbled bones. The skeleton in the chair was burned completely, his skull had a broken nose, and 4 teeth missing. The body on the ground was still being organized when the Medical Examiner walked up to the detective.

“The fire department was called around 4:15 this morning. They doused the flames, and found this. Looks like we have 2 bodies. The one tied to the chair is Jimmy Prince. Convicted of accessory to rape 7 years ago, did 3 and half, up state. And the other, um, man couldn’t be identified, but the keys in his pocket go to that van right there.” The detective turned to see a grey van parked next to the black mailbox.

“The van is registered to a Tommy Wade. Just got out a month ago, from doing 6 years for aggravated rape. Based on the initial inspection, over 70 percent of his bones were crushed by a blunt object. Evidence shows that the final blow went to his skull, smashing it into fragments even small as a grain of sand.” The medical examiner ended with a look up to the detective.

The detective shook his head, “God….damn. You mean he was alive when he was getting crushed?”

The medical examiner solemnly nodded.

“Looks like these boys….met their match, eh?” The detective sipped his coffee, and bent down to rest his arms on his knees. “What you think, husband of one of the victims?”

The medical examiner shook his head, “You know Kenny, 20 years ago I would say, of course. But these days,” he looked back down in the smoking pit, “who knows anymore?”

The detective looked back up at him and gave him a reassuring nod.

“Ok, we’ll have the officers question the husbands on record, and try to find out what happened,” as the medical examiner turned and started to walk away, the detective touched the arm of his white coat, “but lets not waste too much taxpayer money on these scumbags, huh?” The examiner nodded, turned, and walked towards the waiting officers. The detective remained, looking down at the watery, ash filled graves of the two men.

Across town, a blonde was looking in the mirror, applying ruby, red lipstick. She smacked her lips, and pushed them out. She rubbed a little makeup on the slight purple bruising on her left cheek, so that it blended with the rest of her complexion. After running a brush through her now wavy, short blonde hair, she pushed up the curls until they surrounded her picturesque face. Allie liked her new look, it gave her a new identity almost. She let off a smile that still showed her perfect snow white teeth.

She looked at her watch, “Oh, Shit.” She was late for work, again. She grabbed her jacket, threw it around her, and pushed her arms through. Before heading out the door, she looked once more in the mirror, and pushed up her blonde hair.

After work, she went to her acting class on 54th st. As she walked in her instructor walked up to her.

“Hey Allie, everything ok? Haven’t seen you in about a week.”
Allie smiled and nodded her head. “Yes, Stan. Everything is fine now.”
Stan shrugged his shoulders, turned to the group of people, and said “Ok class, lets get settle down and get started.”

After the class, the instructor walked up to her before she went out the door.

“Allie, I just wanted to tell you that tonight, you were excellent. I don’t know what you did, but keep doing it.”

Allie just nodded her head, showed her snow white teeth, and walked out the door into the still night. There was a new sway to her walk, a new confident stride. She looked up at the night sky, and felt that the stars were not only shining, but shining on her. She put her hand up to hail a cab.

The End