She stared in the mirror for the longest time. Tilting her face from side to side, hoping for some recognition, but it was slow in coming.
Her hair fell, as it always did, around her shoulders. Her lips were still full and a held smile that opposed how she felt was on them. Her slender nose which had a tendency to wrinkle when she talked, her cheekbones which always looked as if she had applied the right amount of blush, even when she wore none. These were all the same…
Her eyes… It was something with her eyes that were different, she realized. They were the same hazel color that seemed to change depending on what she wore. It was more than that though. More than the color, it was the depth. Her eyes betrayed her and told of a world beyond them. One that was just out of her reach.
Watching her from the shadows, there was a smirk upon his lips. He could see the confusion in her expression and instead of concern, he was pleased. The work he had put into this was too much. There was no way he was willing to give up now.
No longer did he care if she thought something was going on. This was his one and only chance to be free. He wasn’t going to back down, and if she thought otherwise, he would show her just how serious he was.
Shaking her head, she tried to clear the questions that seemed to fall upon her. Reaching to the mirror, she placed a hand slowly on the glass as if reassuring herself it was real. She felt as if she were walking around in a fog that just wouldn’t lift.
She couldn’t explain what was going on but a fear deep within made her worried. She couldn’t tear her eyes from the mirror. It seemed to hold the secrets she was looking for.
Will I be able to see it if I look hard enough? she wondered.
He knew she could feel his presence, no matter how hard he tried to hide. She was stronger than those before her, he would give her that. He just wasn’t sure what to do about it, at least not yet.
He wanted her to know why he chose her, but it wasn’t the right time. He could wait. He would wait. Then she would know the truth, she would know everything.
He needed the one thing she had that he didn’t. He wanted her to cower, her strength to weaken. He felt more alive than he could ever remember feeling. Even the air around him felt charged with the energy she gave off.
Finally able to look from the mirror, she turned to leave. A flicker of a shadow crossed her vision and she froze. There was something almost familiar about it, but that was impossible, she was alone. Looking around the room confirmed this. As she was leaving the bathroom, she shivered and her stomach tightened as the feeling something was about to happen overtook her.
Grabbing onto the door, she paused, unable to move. She couldn’t shake the feeling she wasn’t alone. Looking across the hall into her room, she could clearly see there was no one there.
“You’re being silly,” she told herself. “Stop being a pansy.”
She hadn’t been this jumpy in a long time. Not since… She shook her head, not letting her mind go there. It was still too fresh, too painful. She looked down at her arms; the burns were finally starting to heal. She hid them as if ashamed of the memories they held.
“You were a fool once, but not again,” she said to the empty house.
“Those burns are the last of your worries,” he whispered, sneering at her. He noticed how she pulled her hands deep within her sleeves. It pleased him to know he still had an effect on her.
He remembered the night he burned her. He had been out on a job. One of his boys told him his ol’ lady was messing around. He rushed home to find her alone. The anger was consuming him. He had taken the pot of water she was boiling and threw it.
The scream that escaped her lips was nothing he hadn’t heard before. He glared at her; the look said he wasn’t happy with her defiance. She knew better. She should have kept her mouth shut, taken whatever punishment he deemed fit to inflict. It wasn’t the first time she had to be shown the error of her ways, and he knew it wouldn’t be the last.
Hatred filled him. He wanted her to pay. It was going to be slow and extremely painful. This was going to be something she never forgot. The glint in his eye and the spring in his step told of his excitement.
From his vantage point, he could see the entire room. It was just as he thought it would be… pathetic, blue everywhere. It was her favorite color. He scowled as he remembered her trying to convince him to let her decorate. She practically begged him, but he wouldn’t buckle. She would know who was boss…
“I am,” he whispered, wringing his hands together.
She didn’t know why she felt light on her feet. It was an oddly mixed feeling of being comfortable and uncomfortable at the same time. She was quite confused.
She gazed around her living room as she entered. A golden glow adorned the room from the windows. It was sunset and it cast a fluttering light across the floor. It seemed to dance to an unheard tune.
The light hit the furnishings and made a distinct hue in the room. She liked this time of day the best. It reminded her that things were different now… very different. She was safe.
He didn’t like how she defied him. So much had changed in such a short time, but she would pay. If she thought she was in hell before, she would soon find out just how far off she was.
The price for disobedience was high. His boys could attest to that. There was no room for someone who couldn’t play by the rules… his rules. He ran his hand roughly over the lampshade, glaring at it.
It wouldn’t take much, he thought. A simple slice with his blade and that would be the end of it. She would know it didn’t belong and she would know why.
He toyed with the thought for a few minutes, and then decided he would wait and see. Let her unease build, let her worry… then let her be afraid.
She frowned. the feeling that she wasn’t alone returned. It was so strong it felt like she was going to be consumed.
“W-who’s there?” she called out, looking around the room warily.
The dancing shadows played tricks on her eyes. A couple of times she jumped, wringing her hands together tightly. The nervousness returned, bringing with it the feeling that something was very wrong.
There was no reason she could think of for the fear. Her past was buried, like so many other things were, in a place that was best left forgotten.
She heard no reply, and continued on her way. Her heart wouldn’t stop pounding in her chest. No matter how many times she tried to convince herself everything was alright, she felt as if it was a lie.
He almost blew it by giving himself away. Patience was never his strong suit and he knew it had a tendency to get him in trouble.
One time a few years back, it had almost gotten him killed. He squeezed by, barely. If it wasn’t for his boys, he wouldn’t be here now. He knew that as well as he knew his own name.
At the time, there was a huge deal going down. It was one of the largest of his career. One wrong move and things could have gone horribly wrong. If things went well, he wouldn’t have to worry about anything for a long, long time.
Things did go wrong. Someone tipped off the exact people he didn’t want to know and because of that… a couple of his boys were shot. He was lucky to get away with his life. The deal fell through. If it wasn’t for his natural ability to sweet talk people, he could have lost out. Then he would have been really angry.
That was her fault too. If she would have kept her mouth shut… the rage burned at him, making him tingle. He shook with the force of his emotions, and tried to calm himself. He didn’t want to give anything away, at least not until he was ready.
She turned on the light in her dining room; it chased away the dancing sunset and the shadows. She was reassured in the glow of the florescent bulbs hanging from her ceiling fan.
“Fresh air will help,” she said, trying more to convince herself than anything else.
Reaching into the closet for her jacket, she pulled her fingers back as if she had been burned. A nervous chuckle escaped her lips and she chastised herself for being foolish. There was no Boogeyman in the closet. No one was going to reach out and slit her throat. She had been through hell, but that was over. Nothing was going to hurt her again.
She put her jacket on but left it open as a deep feeling of claustrophobia overcame her. She couldn’t breathe and felt like the entire room was closing in on her. The way to the lobby was too far, and she wasn’t sure this feeling would pass. She walked to the balcony, the hem of her skirt brushing at her knees.
On the way, she brushed her hand over the shade of her lamp. An intense feeling of hatred for it filled her. She didn’t know where it was coming from but she suddenly loathed her once favorite blue lamp. It couldn’t stay, she realized with surprise. Instead of merely throwing it out like most people did, she ripped the cord from the wall and brought it with her.
Peering over the balcony railing, she wavered for a moment. She hated heights and rarely came out here, but the overwhelming desire to rid her home of it was stronger. She held the table lamp over the ledge by the cord and let it slide slowly through her fingers.
The roughness of the cord burned her palm. In her surprise, she released it and heard it crash to the parking lot below.
After it was gone, she realized that wasn’t what she wanted to do. Her fingers shook, and she stared in disbelief as she looked again over the ledge at what she had done. She had spent a lot of money on that lamp. It had taken her months to find just the right one.
“Why the hell did I do that?” she asked shakily, taking a step backward and bringing her quivering hands to her lips as if that would make everything better. She didn’t feel in control anymore and she worried she wouldn’t be again.
When she reached into the closet, he was tempted to take control of the situation but he knew he couldn’t. Instead, he watched as she reached for her coat, a rueful smile upon his lips.
He could, however, feel her fear. He felt it when she pulled her hands from the closet. He knew she sensed him, and that was alright. She could feel him all she wanted to. There wasn’t a damn thing she could do to stop him, but that was her problem… not his.
The look on her face, as she put her jacket on, was almost priceless. How this was affecting her was almost worth the price he had paid, almost but not quite.
When she yanked the cord from the wall, he was a little surprised. He wasn’t expecting such strength from her. Her stalling, or what he thought was her stalling, filled him with an anger unlike anything he had ever felt before. It was so intense his hands were shaking from the sheer force.
“Drop it,” he whispered. “Drop it now!”
He watched as the cord singed the once soft skin of her palm. His anger faded when he saw the pain in her eyes, replacing it was a deep satisfaction. He could see the contempt for her once favored lamp.
His sly grin shifted into an impressed smirk. In that moment, he knew he was still in control. Whether she would ever admit to it or not, he knew.
This could work to my advantage, he thought contemptuously. Bringing his hands to his mouth, he rubbed his scruffy chin; the laughter he felt building inside made him shake slightly.
From this height there were so many possibilities, but in his line of work… he knew good things came to those who wait. Besides, he knew he would have a lot more fun watching her squirm if he waited just a little bit longer.
He was so close he could almost taste her. The sweet scent of her perfume almost made him sick to his stomach.
Well, that will have to go, he thought. It thrilled him to see he had control over the situation. He wanted it gone, so it left… that’s the way it always was. That’s the way it would always be.
He watched as she walked uneasily into the apartment. Soon… he thought.
The air in the apartment was heavy; it felt like she was suffocating. Slamming the balcony door behind her, she practically ran to the front of the apartment. She had to get away… be anywhere but here.
That didn’t make sense to her though. This was her home, her sanctuary. She should feel safe here, not that the walls were going to collapse around her. Tightening her jacket, she made her way to the lobby and outside.
Once she was away from her home, she was able to breathe again. In the crisp night air, she was able to feel alive again. Ever since he disappeared, she was paranoid. It got to the point where she was terrified to go outside. Now here she was… outdoors and it felt safer than her home.
He watched her slip through the crowd. He wasn’t worried. He knew exactly where she was going, where she always went. It was the same routine when she was upset. She’d leave the house, go to the newspaper stand at the corner of the street, and then head to the coffee shop and order a cappuccino or whatever the hell those fancy crap drinks were that she would drink.
He watched her hand the man at the newspaper stand some money. Smiling to himself, he saw her hand was shaking some. She was still scared. This pleased him a lot.
He saw her head down the street with her newspaper under her arm, but she didn’t head to the coffee shop. She headed to a restaurant down the block. Raising his eyebrow, he paid closer attention to find out just what she was doing.
The feeling she was being watched intensified not long after she left the apartment. She knew she wouldn’t be able to follow her usual routine but had no idea what she should actually do. Instead, she let her feet lead the way.
With every step, she became more positive there was someone nearby… watching? Waiting? Listening? She wasn’t sure.
She headed into a restaurant, without even looking at the name of the place. Looking around inside, she felt self conscious and under dressed. She had stepped into one of the fanciest restaurants in the city. She gazed down at her feet, her sandals completing her ensemble and intensifying how insecure she felt.
I should have paid more attention, she chastised herself for the second time that day.
The Maitre D’ approached her. She had a look of what he could only assume was panic on her face. He glanced around the nearly deserted restaurant and smiled pityingly at her. He led her to a table in the corner and brought her a menu.
She smiled gratefully at him. She wasn’t sure what else to do. She couldn’t stop shaking. Grasping the glass of water, she nearly spilled it.
He sat quietly sipping his water, his hand shaking slightly from the excitement he felt. He never felt more close to her than he did right at this moment. He could put his hands to her throat and wrap his fingers tight, squeezing the life out of her.
The thought of it excited him even more, so much so that he nearly jumped out of his seat.
One word and she will be a nervous wreck. She would panic. He could see it in her eyes. She looked like a deer caught in the headlights. He was pleased. The longer she sat there the more overwrought she became. He couldn’t help but laugh.
Yes, he thought. Now is the time I’ve been waiting for. Now I will have my revenge!
“Hello, April,” he said softly.
She spun around in her seat, her eyes wide. She must have imagined it. The restaurant was nearly deserted and there was no one she recognized. She turned back to the table, positive her paranoia was playing tricks on her. There wasn’t anyone there.
She played nervously with her napkin that she had spread across her lap. Again she heard her name and she knew for certain this time she wasn’t hearing things. Someone was here… Someone who knew her…
“Who’s there?” she called, her voice shaking. Her hands were trembling so hard that she dropped the napkin on the floor.
Leaning over to pick it up, she heard her name a third time. What the hell is going on? she wondered.
Getting back up, she banged against the bottom of the table. “Shit,” she muttered, rubbing the back of her head. “That smarts.”
She stood from the table and looked around. There was no one here she knew. She was positive. Her eyes grazed the room searching for the familiar voice.
As the goose bumps rose on her arms, from behind she felt the first push.
He used as much brute force as he could in that push. She could be rather stubborn at times, he knew. The thrill it gave him was worth it. Everything was going to happen so fast now, he could feel it. The air seemed charged with an unseen energy, but it appeared to be feeding him as well.
“Now, now April, it hasn’t been that long, has it?” he asked, a smirk played on his lips.
He watched her spin around, trying to see him. He was enjoying how he could play with her mind, and she was helpless to stop him.
“It’s been a long time,” he said huskily.
“Corbin,” she whispered, frantically searching the room. “You bastard, where are you? Show yourself!”
Anger filled her. The scared mute girl she used to be, was suddenly replaced by this strong willed woman. She wasn’t going to let him destroy her again. He once had complete power over her. She knew it was her own fault but she loved him, blindly.
As quickly as the anger came, in that moment she also knew that this was what she had been feeling. All of it, the fog, the detached nervousness, she couldn’t figure it all out but she knew where it came from. It all came from him.
The Maitre d’ approached her, his eyes filled with worry. She didn’t know if it was because of her outburst and he wanted her to leave, or perhaps he saw something and was trying to help.
“Madame, if you’re going to have a fit… might I suggest you take it elsewhere?” he said, his tone no longer concerned. He wanted her out, and she was going to leave. He would see to it.
“I’m not going anywhere. Either you call the cops, and have that man arrested, or I’ll not be held responsible for my actions.” The tone in her voice told him that she was not to be argued with.
“Perhaps you’re right…” he said sounding snobbish. Taking a step back he didn’t let his eyes waver, not even for a moment. “Perhaps I should call the police… and have you removed from the premises.”
“Me, you want to have me removed?” she asked surprised. “Why me? Why not him?”
“Stop hiding Corbin, this isn’t going to help anyone. You should have died that day. God help me, why didn’t you die!” she cried. She spun around trying to see him.
She had been told of the shootout between the police and Corbin’s gang. She should have known he was trouble, but he had this charismatic way about him. She couldn’t say no, even when he threatened to kill her, the day before everything happened. She couldn’t say no. A humorless laugh escaped her lips. He was back and he wouldn’t stop until he destroyed her. She knew that now.
Everything he wanted was right here. She was coming unglued, and he was witnessing it. He couldn’t help but laugh.
The Maitre D’ was looking at her as if she had lost her mind, calling to shadows. He found the entire scene comical. It was time to take control of things now. Fun time was over, and if April thought things were scary before she really had no idea of his power.
“We need to be alone April,” he said sharply. “I want you to go to the door and head home. We can deal with everything there.”
“I am not going anywhere with you. You have got to be joking. I was done with you a long time ago and that is not going to change now,” she said furiously. “You have something to say? Go ahead. If not then leave me the hell alone!”
The Maitre D’ looked at her surprised. He hadn’t spoken a word to her in some time. The other patrons were beginning to look uncomfortable. He had to get her out of here before there was an even larger scene.
“Please Miss…” he begged, reaching for her arm.
“Don’t… Don’t you touch me,” she hissed. “Don’t ever touch me again!”
“You need to leave right now,” he told her. “You’re causing a scene and that is not acceptable.”
She glared at him. In that moment he realized she wasn’t seeing him. She was looking past him. He turned; curious about whom her fury was directed to. All he could see was shadows. For a brief second he thought he saw something, but it was gone in the blink of an eye.
He turned back to the distraught young woman in front of him. His eyes were now concerned since he realized it was possible she wasn’t hallucinating.
“Let me help you,” he said, his tone completely changed.
“There is no help for me. Not from you, not from anyone. This is something I have to do myself,” she said, clenching her hands into fists.
He watched her reaction, startled. She should have been backing down, not fighting back. This was wrong. All wrong.
“You are nothing without me,” he said, trying to sound more confident.
He wasn’t the type to let some piece of ass get the better of him. He broke her once… he’d do it again.
Corbin watched her every movement. One thing she had always prided herself on was her grace. She could glide from one room to the next without a sound.
The entire room was silent except for her breathing. Some of the patrons had moved to tables farther away so as to avoid any incidents or their meals being interrupted any further.
She felt him push her again and she whirled on her feet. Falling against the table, a look of desperation came over her face.
“Why are you doing this?” she pleaded. “Why can’t you just leave me alone?”
“You cost me everything,” he said, scowling. “Now I’ll take it all from you. After all as the saying goes, “Payback”s a bitch.’ Now you’ve got a choice. Either you leave and no one else gets hurt or no one will be leaving here.”
“Where are your boys, Corbin?” she asked, trying to catch him off guard. “You never go anywhere without them. Where’s your precious “backup”?”
“I thought this was best handled between you and me,” he said, sounding less sure of himself.
“You’re right,” she said, her eyes searching the room. “This is best handled between us, but I’m not going anywhere. Not until you show yourself for the true coward you are.”
“Now is name calling really necessary?” he asked condescendingly. “After all… we’re both adults.”
“Well one of us is,” she muttered quietly.
“You really should be nicer to me. I could hurt you and you’d not even know it,” he said menacingly.
“Why don’t you show yourself?” she said, spinning around again. She leaned over the table, catching her breath. Her fingers brushed the steak knife that lay wrapped in the napkin.
Wheeling around, she waved the knife in the air, freeing it from the flimsy cloth. The once nicely folded napkin slipped silently through the air, falling into a crumpled heap on the floor.
“Why are you doing this?” she screamed again.
“Because of you… because of your actions I died. Some of my boys were killed and you do not deserve to live. You will pay April, I have come to see to it,” he said.
Corbin appeared in front of April, grasping her wrist. The once distinguished Maitre D’ collapsed to the floor in a dead faint. Several of the patrons ran screaming from the room.
She watched in horror as his fingers slid inside her skin. She could feel his energy probing inside. With every movement he made, she could feel him deeper within her. Every nerve of her body felt as if it was on fire.
“You’re mine now… Bitch,” he said coldly.
In that moment she knew exactly what she had to do. She reached for the blade that he had forgotten about.
She looked across the room in a daze, her eyes falling upon a mirror hanging on the wall above a fireplace. Walking slowly, she approached it with determination.
She stared in the mirror for the longest time. Tilting her face from side to side, hoping for some recognition, but it was slow in coming.
Her hair fell, her lips, her nose, even her cheekbones; these were all the same…
She brought the blade up and slowly tickled the skin of her neck.
“No-o-o!” she heard him scream inside her head. “You… you can’t!”
“I told you, you’d never control me again,” she said.
She watched as the knife pierced her skin and blood seeped from the silver blade, dripping down until it hit the floor. Her eyes returned to the mirror.
That’s when she realized…
Her eyes… Her eyes betrayed her and told of a world beyond them. One that was just out of her reach. The fog finally lifted as her breathless body slid gracefully to the floor. The knife tumbled lifelessly out of her hand.
The End…
