Posted by willowweeper on December 08, 2001 at 03:44:02:
Silently he watched her. She was bundled in rabit fur and walked unsteady from one too many drinks down the wet winter street. He shivered, blowing on his hands. He had decided. Finally given up on whatever threads of decency remained. Hungry, strung out, and cold, he decided. With a tightening grip on the box cutter, he began to follow her. What if she could run? Run faster? He was weak from hunger. He'd have to surprise her, trap her somehow. The headlights of passing cars reflected on the street, and to his mind they seemed to say husssssssh hussssssssssh. It will be alright.
That's what his mother used to say. It will be alright. But it wasn't. His step dad had continued to beat him nightly until he was old enough to run away, while his mother huddled with him after the old bastard had passed out, stroking his hair and repeating, "It will be alright." Oh, yes, he had learned. He had learned how it could be alright. Women, useless as they were, were in fact the weaker sex, and he had finally decided to use this fact to his advantage.
She was rounding a corner when he quickened his pace. Moving swiftly he reached with his left arm around her, pulled her off balance, covering her mouth with his hand. With his right hand he grabbed at the expensive leather bag on her shoulder. He felt her breath hot, and surprisingly sensuous in the palm of his hand. She want down so easily, probably cause she was so drunk. Oh my god, she pleaded, please don't hurt me. He emptied the contents of her bag on the sidewalk. Nothing, loose change, lipstick, condoms. Whore, he snarled, all ya need is a rubber and you got a warm place to stay for the night. He saw the cold fear in her eyes. Dragging her by the rabbit furred hood he managed to get her out of the lights of the oncoming cars on the road. She offered little defense of herself and in the back of his mind this made him uneasy.
I have money, just let me go, don't hurt me and I'll give you what you need, she pleaded. Disgusted he shoved her face with a swift gesture and then released her, and would have staggered into the night. Unbelievably, he heard her say "Wait. I live just a block from here. Come with me.
Numb with cold and hunger, he growled "Why?" I think we can help eachother, Common, trust me. At her apartment he thawed his hands before a warm fire while she heated some campbell's soup. It was all so improbable, he felt sure he was just having another dream and would wake up in the alley where he slept.
After eating almost a whole loaf of bread with the soup, he tried to focus on why this rich broad would be doing this, even after he'd been trying to rip her off. His hand, though warm now shook. Rabbit coat lay discarded by the front door. He had been surprised to see she had been dressed under all that fur in simple jeans and a green sweater. She took his hands in hers and held them firmly even though he flinched. "I want you to do me a favor." He didn't answer. I can give you money. I can clean out my bank account tonight and hand it to you. But you must do something for me.
He was afraid to accuse her of being crazy, although that's what he was thinking. She might kick him out again into the freezing night wind and rain. "Once you have the money, I want you to kills me." Awww shit, he thought. He'd tried prison and didn't care for it one bit. He told her so too and he told her she was nuts in spite of himself. "You don't understand. There's no way anyone would connect you with me. You could have killed me earlier tonight. In fact I wish you had. He thought for a moment and suddenly an anger welled up inside of him. You just couldn't please a woman. She had it all and now she wanted death? Please, please she was begging him. He reached to stoke her hair feeling the first tenderness he'd felt in months. She grasped his wrists and brought his hand to her neck. As his grip tightened, he felt the first pity he'd felt in months for anyone other than himself. He didn't question her about the money she had promised. He figured he could do her a favor after all. He felt her windpipe give way and she only struggled a bit before her body went limp. God, what had he done? She lay there, the fire burned warmly, the empty soup bowl sat on the window sill. Outside it began to sleet.
to be continued