First Freedom

My friend and I looked for the perfect place to move. This was the first time away from home for us both. We must have looked at twenty suites, most were over our budget or were dumps.  Beth phoned me excited. She had found the perfect place for us and had talked the property owner to come down to a reasonable rent. The bus route was just outside our door. She urged me to see it right away so he would not rent it to anyone else. 

Borrowing my mom’s car, I picked Beth up and off we went. It was small but clean, and had a large soaker tub. We both love to have candle-light bubble baths. And with the furniture we had scrounged from our parents we could make it look like our own. The owner had met us at the door. He was a large heavy man with horn-rimmed glasses, and beady eyes which looked us both over from top to bottom. 
I felt shivers run down my spine as he leered at Beth’s breasts, she was well endowed, me not so much. Beth was jubilant, signing the first months rent and the damage deposit, not even noticing this Machiavellian looking individual. He told us his rules; no noisy parties, rent on time, gave us two sets of keys, telling us he would keep a set in case of any emergencies.

We were settled in a couple of weeks, had our parents over to see the place, my dad being a policeman said he would bring over a better lock and install a chain on the door. Beth told him the owner would not like that, he had a key to our place. Relenting he said he would install a strong chain. 

The laundry room was beside the owner’s door and he always seemed to be around every time we went past to do our laundry. I noticed it first that some of my panties had gone missing. Asking Beth if she had them in her drawer by mistake, she said one of her bras had gone missing too. We both went and looked to see if we had mixed up our clean clothes. None had been misplaced.

Arriving home early from work one day I could smell a different odor as I opened the door. Someone had been in here, it was the owner’s cologne as he always wore it heavily. I knocked on his door and asked why he had been in our suite, taking him by surprise, he hesitated for a minute trying to figure out how I could know? He told me the toilet needed a new ball and he replaced it. I told him the next time he needed to enter our apartment to do it when one of us was home. His beady eyes showed annoyance, telling me as the owner he could check our place out when he deemed it necessary. 

Going upstairs I went on my computer to the residency act, he was supposed to give us twenty-four hours notice unless in an emergency. Frustrated I went to have a bath to unwind, taking a glass of wine with me. I sunk slowly into the tub. A quiver vibrated through my body, sensing something was not right. I just could not relax. I heard Beth arrive home. Telling her of my experience with the owner, she asked if maybe I was over reacting. I let it go and started to make a salad for dinner. 
Talking to my dad that night I told him what had happened. He said he would be over later to talk to that asshole. I pleaded saying maybe I had over reacted, to let it be for now.

Beth was not feeling well the next day so stayed home. When I came home, she lay curled up on the couch shaking. Thinking she was still not feeling well, she started to cry telling me that Harold the owner had come in while she was having a bath and came into the bathroom stared at her then left saying he was there to check if the toilet was working. She said he had a grin on his face as she told him to get out. 

I was ready to go confront Harold, but phoned my dad, he was there within ten minutes. He went downstairs and told Harold if he ever did this again, he would arrest him for aggravation or worse. Dad wanted us to move but we wanted our own place and knew we would not be able to find a place with the rent we were paying. Other than Harold, we loved the location and loved living here. We were sure that after my dad had warned him he would leave us alone. The next few weeks flew by without any problems. 
Or so we thought.

Beth had a date, she was excited and must have changed umpteen times as we waited for her date to arrive. I ran a bath, lighting all the candles, turning off the overhead lights. I chained the door after they left heading for my waiting bath.

Then I saw a small ray of light shinning above the shower, going closer, I spotted a hole had been bored into the plaster. He had been watching us, probably since we moved in, I was sure he was the one who had taken our underwear. I slowly left the bathroom as if I had forgotten something, heading to my drawer where my dad on his last visit had put a small caliber gun for our protection.
I slowly crawled into the bathroom. No light coming through the hole. He was watching right now, waiting for me to return and take off my bathrobe. I came to the hole from the side so he would not see me, inserting the gun at the hole, I pulled the trigger.
l heard a scream and a few seconds later a key being inserted in my door. Calling dad from the bathroom all I had time for was to say 911 at my place. 
The chain was holding, but the old door was splintering, Harold would be inside sooner than my dad would get here. He was raving like a lunatic, swearing calling me a bitch saying he would rape and kill me. I could hear his weight pushing against the door, his tone getting wilder, him yelling more despicable dialog as the wood started to creak under his weight. A large bang as the door exploded open, blood was streaming down his face, I could not see one of his ears. He started to lunge at me grabbing a lamp as he charged towards me. 

He stopped midstream, not knowing what to do when he saw me pull the gun from my bathrobe pocket and aim right at him.

He was not aware that my dad had taught me to shoot. Dad arrived telling me he would look after this, it was definitely a case of self-defense. We had moved out by the time Harold was released from hospital. No charges were ever laid.

I do not think he will be looking through peepholes or hearing that well from now on. 

Return to the Dark Side

I had been having visions for the last few days when getting ready for bed. 
Something strong was pulling at my inner psyche, I felt it needed to be set free, from what, I did not know. I continued to fight nightly to go to sleep, when I did, it would not take me where I felt I needed to go. 

My phantasm continued, my friendly spirits floated before my eyes when I finally drifted off, but I was not able to reach out to them. They needed me, I could feel it in my physical being. Something was very wrong in my universe and I had to go there to help my friends. It just was not happening. My cosmos identity was malfunctioning, nightly I tried to float into outer space as I had done so many times before. I would dream someone was calling me and woke up soaking wet, with tears running down my face. 

I started to speculate if my last visit had anything to do with this, when the devil-like spirit disintegrated before my eyes. Was he still stopping me from floating in space? Can anyone ever get rid of bad spirits? I was not going to let them destroy the adventure of my night-flights with their appalling behavior. He was not dealing with a meek entity. I resolved to confront him and his evil spirits. 

After running six miles after dinner, I was exhausted, on my run I talked to my guide who is there when she feels I need her. She is my guardian angel who watches over me. That night getting ready for bed, I asked her to help me soar into the clouds to see what had transpired since I had been there. Falling asleep, I was buoyantly afloat in the clouds within minutes. 

What I saw and heard was alarming. The small minions of the devil surrounded my friends with fires burning high into the sky, making a circle to keep them from floating out. The minions were taunting and repeating a trance like song. I could only hear their words as I approached, they wanted me. The largest of the minions came towards me as my good spirits implored me to leave, they could take care of themselves. He looked much the same as the frail grey-netted-skin devil who I had challenged and won. 
Or so I thought.

He then appeared with those searing eyes, was this his reincarnated spirit? I could feel his heat radiating through my body into my core as he came towards me. His smirk turning up his lips to an empty obtrusive stare. 
He told me it was his turn to have the advantage and I would regret ever coming back here tonight. 
Pulling me through the circle with his long clawed fingers digging into my skin, into the room full of candles, he threw me down hard on a slab.
His mistake. As he came closer I surprised him, he was not the only black devil here. 

Throwing the largest candle into his face, he was astonished as the flames to burned down his frame. I quickly moved towards him plunging my stiletto into his frail body. The circle of lights immediately extinguished as I went past to find my little white angels. The minions had vanished, not a trace left of them. We could now take pleasure in the rest of the night, lying amongst our downy feathery clouds.  

Once again, laughing, togetherness, and out of harms way. 
For now.

Some devils win, some lose.

Fooled

I met a man at a party on Friday night. 
He had come from out of state to start work with my friend’s husband in a couple of weeks. I was reluctant to go to any parties in the last few years and had reluctantly begun to accept my single life. We talked through the evening finding we had many of the same interests. When he asked to drive me home, I told him I had my own car and as it was getting late, I should go. He asked if I was free for lunch tomorrow. I accepted and gave him my number.  

Having gone through a real dry spell with men, only a few dates, I wondered if I was just too pernickety and expected too much from a relationship. Hank looked too good to be authentic as he was so easy going, so polite and considerate, walking me out to my car, waiting till I drove off, throwing me a kiss. My heart was beating with excitement as I went over the whole night in my mind. Was he the one? 

When he phoned he wanted to know where I would like to eat, I suggested a beachfront restaurant where we could sit and enjoy the beautiful sunny day by the water and people-watch. Hank was so attentive, holding my hand across the table, laughing through lunch asking me if I believed in love at first sight. He certainly knew how to charm a woman. 

Later walking along the sand, finding a log to sit, he pulled me close to him and kissed me. My heart did a flip. Had I finally found the man of my dreams? His dark brown eyes and curly hair would turn any girl’s eyes. His phone kept vibrating, but he let it go to voice mail. I hated this day to end, but he was suppose to fly out very early the next morning to tie up old business and pack up his apartment. 

Driving me home he wanted to know if he could come spend the night as he had his suitcase in the trunk. I wanted him, but thought we needed to wait to get to know each other better. He told me he was falling in love with me and didn’t I have feelings for him too. My heart melted. I relented and we spend the night having unbelievable sex. He was the one I was now sure.

Sunday morning arrived, his phone woke me up, he was in the shower so I picked it up. A women’s voice yelled who are you? Why I had answered his phone, I will never know. I hung up saying nothing. Hank decided to stay over Sunday, he would get a flight out Monday morning. I was in paradise, never mentioning the call. We spent most of the day in bed and then I cooked for him, serving dessert in bed. His phone rang several times, he let it go to his service saying he would return them later. Was it the women who called earlier? Monday came far too soon and he left for the airport telling me he would call me soon as he got back. 

Two weeks passed. I never heard from him. Asked my friend about Hank, she said her husband had told her Hank had family problems and would stay to solve them. He had said he was not married so I assumed it was about his parents or siblings. 

Into the third week of him leaving, he suddenly arrived at my door late one night, looking disheveled, with a bandaged hand. Letting him in I could smell liquor on his breath. I asked what had happened? Slurring his words, he mumbled something about a murder and he was being sought in connection with it. My heart began to pound. He said he had not slept in two days. A woman had been found stabbed to death at his apartment. I asked who she was, his reply shocked me, it was his wife.

He explained he was sorry for not telling me he had a wife but had asked for a divorce many times and she would not give him one. They had been married young and he never loved her. They had got into an argument, she came at him with a knife, and he tried to take it away, slipped and the knife went into her heart. She died instantly. 

I told him he had to call the police and explain what had happened. He rambled on about loving me and we could just leave together and find a place to start our lives over. I suggested we both go to the police and tell them about the accident. He then started to scream, yelling that I was against him.

I felt shivers running up and down my spine and felt like throwing up. This man had changed from a loving person to a deranged one right in front of me. Trying to calm and cajoling him to believe I was on his side, I took him into my arms, holding and soothing him gently telling him I loved him and would help him. Quieting down, he finally fell into a fitful sleep. I silently covered him up. 

Waiting until I could hear his gentle snoring, I let myself out of my apartment, taking my cell phone with me. Should I report him or believe him and go away with him, I knew I loved him.

In court the truth came out. The investigation proved he was lying and that he had come to the apartment, had dinner with his wife, taken her to bed and killed her after sex. The jury found him guilty of first-degree murder and sentenced him to life. The authorities are also looking into the disappearances of two other wives.

Maybe being single is not too bad.

Park Bench

I was reading a new recipe book on a park bench, the sun warming my body when a man sat down beside me and started a conversation. His green eyes stood out from his sandy color hair. His nose looked like it had been broken a few times and curved to one side. 

I looked him over carefully as he went on about this park not being safe at night as there had been three rapes in the past couple of weeks just over by the pathway. I asked him, why he was telling me this? Was he trying to scare me or was he the rapist? He laughed in a taunting manner, pushed my vegetable bag aside, moved closer, showing great white teeth and said what if he was, what could I do about it? I felt a tiny chill run through me.

In the newspaper, the girls who had been raped, had remembered the rapist with large white teeth, green eyes and with a crooked nose. He continued talking, moving even closer, asking me about myself. Now I was beginning to be very nervous. Was he getting daring in the daytime? I was convinced this was the rapist. Or was he just playing with my emotions.

I went back to my book, furtively scanning the area to see how many people were around. A jogger had passed a few minutes before this individual had sat down, but other than him, no one seemed close by. Then I saw an elderly couple walking, holding hands, they had stopped to feed ducks beside the water. Getting up, I wandered over to them and began a conversation, hoping the man would get the hint and move on. He just sat there pretending casualness and even waved over to the couple as if we were together.

I did not want to involve them, but now felt very uncomfortable and quietly told them my situation and would they go and call 911 for me and get a police officer here as soon as possible. I thought this man was the park rapist. When I glanced back, he had disappeared, so I told them I would go home and report it myself. They asked if they could walk me home, but just living a block away, I said goodbye and that I was fine, telling them to enjoy their day. I headed off home.

I was opening my door when a dark figure appeared with blazing green eyes, staring down at me with a menacing look of hatred. Before I had a chance to react, he had me inside, slamming me to the floor. Swearing, as he dragged me to the sofa ripping at my shorts and top. Had I thought he was stupid not to know what I had been up to at the park? He stuffed my panties into my mouth, clutching my throat with one hand and tearing off my bra with the other. He produced rope from his pocket, tying my hands behind my back. He started to take his pants down. He had his knee in my stomach and I was frozen with fear, wanting to slash his face with a knife.

A loud bang on the door. The police yelling to open up. His face screwed up and he hit me hard saying I would pay for this. He ran out the back door. I covered up and got the front door open. The police rushed past me but he was long gone.

I could see the couple out on the street and waved them to come in. They had called 911. The police picked him up down the lane hiding in a garage.

He is now serving ten years for rape.

At trial, the guards were taking him from court, he passed, whispering that he had unfinished business with me. I told him the police saved him at the house, but he should be the one afraid because my new chef’s knife was not just for cutting meats and vegetables. By the time I was finished with him he would not have the equipment for raping women.

The guards were smirking as they dragged him away.

A Tenuous Devil

My dark side would not let me stay away. At night my feelings always turn to this dark shadow figure that I had met in the clouds. It was never far from my thoughts and dreams. 

I had to confront this devil-like spirit, or was he just an illusion of my midnight world? He was waiting for me as I floated up into the night. I hope my good spirits would not interrupt this visit. I had to face this evil mysterious figure or would never have the pleasures of floating through my universe unmolested and be the free spirit to enjoy my nights up here in the billowing clouds. His dark eyes showed up in the night light like black coal with a touch of red ember glowing from within.

He took my hand, guiding me upwards higher than I had ever ventured to go, my heart pounding. Here waiting was a circle of his minions, smaller versions of himself, staring hard as they parted the circle to let us pass through. I had never seen so many candles all sizes and shapes and small fires burning between rows of slab-like beds. 

Before he had a chance, I pulled at his robe only to see a diminutive form of this evil spirit appear. Small and frail with a grey pallor looking more like netting than skin swayed back and forth before me. His eyes reflected surprise as I threw him down on a slab and the ethereal figure disintegrated before my eyes. 

The candles and fires extinguished all on their own, until I was in total darkness. 

 It was still dark when I awoke.

Jail Time

I had been sentenced to a year for murdering two men. They had raped and sodomized me continually in their basement for a year. Taking me whenever they felt the urge to hurt and humiliate me. The jury stated I had used far more force than necessary when killing and cutting off what my captors called jewels. I could be released in six months for good behavior.

I was an ordinary person living a normal life until a van had followed me walking home from work. I noticed the vehicle moving slowly behind me for a block and I had started to walk faster to a better-lit area. No one was around for me to yell for help. When I saw one man jump from the van, I started to run but he caught me and before I had time to fight. The van pulled up and the other man grabbed me and threw me inside. They taped my mouth, tied my hands and legs, and threw a hood over my head.  Whatever chemical they had put on the hood knocked me out.

My jail cell number is embedded in my brain 6733. The prison put me in with another women whose face told many stories, she had a scar down her cheek from her left eye to her chin, straggly bleached blond hair and long red nails. She must have weighed over two hundred pounds with legs on her like a sumo wrestler. She didn’t speak only motioned to me that my bunk was the top one.

The clamor was so loud through the building I wondered if anyone ever slept. They had given me two outfits in orange and told me they had to do me for a week, along with rough under garments. Everyone got three showers a week, but we could wear our own shoes. This was going to be a long year. I would try to behave to get out sooner.

I had been in good shape before my kidnap, working out, a runner and practiced marital arts. The captive year had taken a toll on me and my first priority was to get back into shape. We were allowed outside for one hour a day. My first day did not go well. Three women approached me, filling me in on who was in charge of us girls. Apparently the woman who ran this institution was not a guard or the warden, her name was Maude, a prisoner in for life. She would come visit me whenever she chose to and I had better be prepared to satisfy her.

I headed towards the gym and started my training. Only a few seemed to train and one woman told me that most just wanted to read, cause trouble, or gossip about what went on in here. She was serving her last year for armed robbery and looking forward to seeing her boyfriend when she got out. A young girl named Lucy was doing weights and I showed her the proper way.She started to talk and asked if she could train with me. She had killed her abusive husband.

A guard approached me as I headed back to my cell and told me I could curry favors from him if I gave him sex. I said no thanks and kept walking. That night I heard my cell open automatically and in walked my visitor for some satisfaction. She told sumo to get lost as she slapped me across the face, guess she wanted to send me a clear message. I let her move closer before I hit her with a high kick to her face, her shock told me she had not been challenged before. I had caught her by surprise. She came at me with vengeance, her dark squinty eyes ablaze. I went for her chin this time and heard a sickening crack as my punch landed. Guess I was in better shape than I thought. She swore I would regret this as she left the cell. Sumo was back within minutes and quietly slid into bed.

Going down to breakfast, everyone had their eyes glued to their plates, no one making a sound when I walked in. Maude was no where to be seen. Lucy filled me in that she was in the infirmary with a broken jaw and black eye and needed surgery. The guard that had mentioned favors gave me a smirk and kept staring with his evil looking eyes. Didn’t he realize that I had dealt with two devils before and he did not scare me one bit. As I went past him after breakfast he pulled me to the side and told me that I should expect him tonight. All I replied was if you want to end up like Maude come along.

The Warden summoned me to his office after breakfast, he wanted to know why Maude had ended up in hospital. I told him if he had any balls she would not have the run of this place and neither should a guard be asking for sexual favors from the prisoners. I did not want any trouble but I was not going to be sexually harassed after what I had endured for a year. I mentioned that the reporter who had covered my case had become a friend and he would be visiting me and was looking for a good story to write. The Warden asked if I was threatening him and I said yes.

My friend's first column appeared, naming the prison, and promising more to come.

I was released the next week with no problems from anyone at the prison, no reason given. 

Be Prepared

Only one light shone in the cabin, the rest of the place was in darkness. I was at least fifty miles from civilization, cleaning my guns looking forward to target shooting tomorrow morning with the beer cans I had collected around the porch. A soft knock came to my door. No one knew I was even here.

The knocking persisted. I crept stealthily towards the door, a creak in the boards made what seemed like a loud noise in my ears. The knocking stopped as I listened. Nothing, not any sound from the other side. Then I thought I could hear breathing like someone had been holding their breath.

I stood in the blackness in silence waiting to see if the knocking would start again. Whoever was there thinking I would open the door as there was no peephole to look through. Quickly I went to get the gun I had cleaned and reassembled, slipping eight bullets into the clip. My Grandpa always told me to be prepared when he taught me to shoot. I opened the door swiftly to surprise anyone on the other side. No one was there.

I looked around but could not see anything in the darkness. Closing and locking the old door I put a chair against it for an extra protection, then carried on cleaning my second pistol. Finishing off and cleaning up, I slipped the weapon under the mattress. I started to yawn after my long day and two glasses of wine.

I lay on the bed still in my clothes, not wanting to undress as I had a feeling that someone was still out there in the darkness. I turned off the light, positioning myself so I was directly across from the door. As I started to nod off I heard a key being inserted into the keyhole. Silence, then the sound of the chair slowly scraping along the floor until the door swung open and there stood the man who had rented me the cabin.

His flashlight aimed at me and I caught the gleam of his shotgun. I reached for the gun in my drawer. He yelled and told me not to move as he came menacingly towards me. He flicked on the light putting his flashlight down telling me to take off my clothes.

I waited defiantly as he started to take off his pants, laying his gun down beside the bed. As he moved to try to get on top of me I smelled his body and saw the look of lust in his eyes. Did he really think it would be this easy? He was occupied with his conquest as I slowly moved my hand down under the mattress. 

I shot him twice.

As he slid off the bed his eyes filled with shock and disbelieve, he tried to speak. That is when he got the third bullet in his groin.

Target practice 10 AM