Thus far unnamed (WARNING: graphic images)

Darkness engulfed the night like a thick blanket of icy blackness. No stars overhead to light the long highway. Nothing but darkness and the winding road to greet Ally as she drove through the darkened countryside on her way home.1

“I hate working late.” she murmured as she flipped on the radio. Voices came to life filling the car with chilling talk of a recent murder in town. Not wanting to hear another story of blood and gore she changed the station only to find different reporters, same story. Disgusted she flipped it off. Nothing but the sound of her tires on pavement to fill her thoughts now. 2

A few miles down the road she pulled in at a convenient store. Thank goodness it was still open. One thing she hated most about living in the country was there was only one store between the city and her home. Once she was out of town anything she needed had to be purchased there. Which wasn’t always convenient as the food was usually old and the gas watered down. 3

Mumbling to herself, she stepped out of her car and into the chilling night. Pulling her leather coat tight around her chest she shivered as she began pumping gas. She watched the gallon monitor go up and let her thoughts go back to work. The day had been off to a good start, it had been her day to come in late, allowing her to sleep in a few extra hours and stop off at her favorite café to have brunch. There was plenty to do when she arrived at work and due to lack of nurses she had been called in to assist in surgery, which resulted in long hours on her normally short day. She had pulled a hellish 12 hour shift and was exhausted. Six long hours of assisting Doctor McAllen in surgery and another six filled with monitoring the patient’s progress. It was definitely time to call it a night.4

A gust of wind swept through with one swift, chilling movement and toppled her hat off into the wind. She watched as it twirled to the edge of the pavement and disappeared into the night as the gnashing teeth of darkness devoured it. 5

“Well that’s gone.” she mumbled under her breath as she hurried inside to pay. Blinding headlights glared over her as a black Honda pulled up on the opposite side of her car. Her breath caught in her throat when she caught glimpse of the tall, ravishing man that stepped out. 6

“My hair is a mess!” She thought frantically. Hushing her racing thoughts she went inside and tried to focus on getting home and relaxing. She didn’t need to be out chasing after men on a cold night like tonight. 7

She grabbed a diet coke and paid for her gas and stepped back out into the night. The man was walking straight towards her. His body slow and confident. A gleam of mystery sparkled in his eyes. He smiled as he stepped past her and into the store. Feeling foolish for acting like such a school girl with a silly crush she hurried back to her car. 8

‘You are 24 years old, Alexandria. Act like it and stop letting your hormones control you.’ She fussed at herself with a giggle. Popping open the can of Diet Coke she gulped down a greedy sip before starting her engine and speeding off into the night. 9

“Ten more miles to go.” She thought wearily. “I really should start looking for that new apartment in town. Something spacious. Closer to work. Something on the brink of civilization.”10

Even though she knew she would never really move she let her thoughts drift to picking out an apartment just for her. The small house she lived in now had been her parent’s house. They had given her the keys when they decided to move to South Florida to spend their days by the beach drinking margarita’s from the luxury of their condo. The only other place she had ever lived had been a small apartment shared with a few of her college buddies. This was the first time she had lived alone and although she loved the security of living around people in the city there was nothing like being able to wake up to the sun rising over the lake and being able to have her own garden. 11

‘Click-click.’ 12

‘What is that?’ She thought as the car began to swerve to the side. Struggling to keep it between the lines she realized that she had a fat tire.13

“Damn it.” She slowed down and tried to creep along the highway. No one would be out this late and she didn’t want to stop in the middle of nowhere to fix a flat. She had only 4 more miles to go but she knew it wouldn’t even make it a mile on a flat tire. Slowing the car down to a stop she got out and opened the trunk for the flashlight and spare. She flipped the ‘On’ switch and got nothing. Cursing her ill fated luck she opened her rear passenger door to let some of the interior light shine out and give her enough light to screw on the spare. Her fingers kept shivering, whether from the cold or fear of being out alone she didn’t know. She was only thankful she had gotten her last boyfriend to teach her how to change a tire. She shuddered as glaring headlights came into view as a car slowly neared her. 14

‘Fuck.’ She muttered aloud to herself, knowing she couldn’t get the flat fixed in time to jump into her car and speed off before the car stopped. 15

“Calm down. I know almost everyone who lives out here. It is probably a neighbor or friend.” But those thoughts could not stop the goose bumps from spreading down her arms and the chill creeping down her spine. 16

The car approached, dimmed its headlights and came to a stop behind Ally’s beat up Toyota. She couldn’t see the driver but she heard a masculine voice cut through the silence.17

‘I see you are having some problems.’ The man stated in a soothing, yet sexy voice.18

‘Yea. A flat.’ She gasped out through chattering teeth. Shivers crept down her nerves as the man stepped in front of his car, the dimmed lights playing across his face and body. She recognized him from the store. He was the good-looking man in the Honda. Forcing herself to keep her mind focused on the tire, she bent down and started putting the spare on. With strong, confident hands he swept hers away in one swift motion and with a charming smile told her he could do the rest. She stood up and watched as he worked on the tire. Her pulse began to race and she forced herself to look away. Her eyes lingered over the darkness. Nothing out there but wildlife and trees. The closest house was at least 4 miles away and that was hers. She was 25 miles from town and 6 from the convenient store which would be closing soon. 19

She propped back against the car and closed her eyes. She wished she were home, relaxing in a warm blanket of soapy goodness. Some classical music to soothe her soul, warm lavender to soothe her aching feet. 20

Suddenly she became aware of the roaring silence and the warm presence of a body near hers. Opening her eyes she gasped as gloved hands came towards her face, wrapping themselves around her neck and choking her breath out of her lungs. Wildly she tried to push the man away but her efforts only made his grasp stronger. Throwing her head back and taking hold of her hair he pushed her down the sloping incline that led down off the road and into the woods. Frantically she tried to scream but no sound would pierce the engulfing darkness. His fingers, cold and icy, dug into her flesh and she could feel warm trickles of her blood seeping from the cuts. Her mind raced, filling her with panic as she desperately tried to get away. 21

‘I’ve got to get away and make it back up to my car.’ She thought wildly as he pushed her through a dense growth of trees, the branches slapping her face. Finally he stopped at what appeared to be a small clearing, and in one swift, unexpected movement knocked her to the ground. Coughing and gagging, she backed away, watching as he slid a knife out of the pocket from inside of his coat. 22

‘What’s the matter Ally? Are you afraid of a little knife?’ His voice tore through her thoughts, cutting like the cold blade of the knife he held in his hands. Wondering how he knew her name, she tried to think of a way to coax him out of hurting her, possibly killing her but her mind was frozen. Her legs wouldn’t seem to cooperate as she struggled to keep backing away from him. He inched closer and stood over her. His heavy boot resting on her stomach.  She could see his eyes, despite the thick darkness. They no longer looked sexy and charming but evil and psychotic. A strong hand reached down as he traced his fingers over her lips.23

‘Pretty Ally.’ He mumbled as he let the blade linger near her artery. Only a thin layer of delicate skin separated the blade from her vein. One swift movement could send her blood pooling out in torrents, ending her life in mere seconds. Trembling she watched his eyes as he pressed the blade harder to her lip, spilling blood into her mouth and down her chin. 24

‘Sweet, pretty Ally.’ He whispered in her ear as he tore her coat from off her body.25

‘Please....’ She begged. She couldn’t let him rape her and leave her to die out here alone. She had always vowed she wouldn’t die like this. With all her strength she pushed hard on his chest which only made him laugh.26

His rough hands grabbed at her shirt, ripping the soft material of the sweater she was wearing and tearing it off. He was sitting on top of her now, his weight bearing into her and trapping her on the ground beneath him. A smile traced his lips as he slowly inched the tip of the blade along her breast-line. In one quick motion the blade tore through the fabric of her silk bra and fell away, exposing her tender breasts. 27

‘Please...don’t hurt me.’ Her voice a faint whisper, choked and harsh with fear and pain.28

Her pleading didn’t seem to phase him and he lowered his mouth to her left nipple and bit down hard. She winced and yelped out as agony tore through her body.29

He forced his lips on hers, inching hers apart and spitting blood and something else into her mouth. Gagging she tried to spit out the blood and hold back the vomit as she realized with horror that the object he had spit in her mouth was her nipple.30

Trembling uncontrollably, she felt his hands pressing down on her belt, tearing it away and using it as a whip to slash her across the face. Spitting up even more blood she had to keep blinking to wash the blood out of her eyes. 31

‘I must get out of this.’ She thought and with one swift movement tore at his face with her manicured nails. He cried out in surprise and laughed as she tried to scrape his eyes out again. 32

‘You know Alexandria, I always admired the fighting spirit in you. The sexy independence. The mysterious charm you possess always left me hungry. Thirsting for your flesh. After all these years of waiting, of giving in to your petty games, I can finally have you. Don’t tell me you are going to take that away from me now. After I have worked so hard.’ He clicked his teeth and grabbed both her arms. Struggling against him she tried to fight him off as he wrapped her own belt around her, cuffing her to his sick fantasies.33

Trying to think logically she desperately tried to remember how the women got away in the movies. With desperation she realized that the women usually never did get away. They were killed and left to rot in silent shame. She did not want to die that way. At least she would not lay down and die. She would fight as long as she could. 34

Clumsily hitting at him with her bound wrists she tried to fight him off as he ripped away her pants and then her panties. Waves of terror swept through her body as she felt his hot tongue licking between her legs. Tasting her and ravaging her. With a new-found strength and will to stop him she let out a piercing scream again and again. Tearing into the quiet night with wails of her misery.35

Without a word he raised up and pulled a roll of thick, black tape from his coat. She kept screaming and trying to fight him off as he wrapped layer upon layer around her mouth. She licked at it with her tongue trying to wet it so it would peel off but it was pointless. Too many layers separated her from freedom of his torture.36

Knowing what was about to happen next she closed her eyes and tried to think of something peaceful. Her favorite childhood memory came to mind. Her blonde pigtails glowing in the sun as she and her daddy sailed around their lake in his small rowboat. Trying her hardest to focus on the memory of her laughter, her faded recollections blurred against her will as waves of pain raked her bones. She mumbled out as torturous pain seemed to soak up each drop of blood in her body and leave her withered in his vile arms. 37

She could sense he was approaching climax as his moans got louder and his horrid pushing got faster. She felt a wave of hot semen inside her sending waves of humiliation throughout her body. 38

He cleaned himself off and stood above her. Reveling in her silent misery as she lay writhing on the ground. Her naked body violated and bloody. He wanted to smile, laugh actually but he stopped himself.39

With wide eyes she lay there, his only audience as he yanked her legs open again and traced the blade over her wet and bloodied flesh. Torture his only fulfilling method he gave in to the temptation to twist the knife inside her. She jerked as new pain swept through her. Squeezing tears out of her eyes and an agonizing moan from her taped lips. Repeatedly he pushed the knife inside her. Her blood gushing out and soaking into the ground. Soaking into his pores.40

With her blood all over his hands he pulled the knife out and turned her over on her stomach. With brutal force he stabbed her repeatedly in the back. She couldn’t fight, she couldn’t cry. She could only lay there, his rag-doll for torture. Fulfilling all his sick fantasies as her world faded to blessed numbness.41

~*~42

to be continued43