back.
She closed the door so that she could unhook the chain. Then she opened it to show good will. Since the kitchen was directly to the left of the entrance, and he was technically still a stranger, she did not ask him in, but headed to her pantry cupboard for the oil. If she poured the oil into one of her measuring cups, he would have to bring it back. Maybe by then she could be better prepared to attract.
He stayed respectfully at the entrance, and continued conversing with her. After introducing himself as Chad, he talked of his recent move to the neighborhood, and his current work. He was a tax accountant, but dabbled in real estate. Not the most exhilarating work, he admitted, but it afforded a living.
As Ess handed Chad the measuring cup half full of oil, he smiled in gratitude, and asked, "What about you, Esther? What do you do for a living?"
"Well," she began to reply, then stopped short as she realized something. "I'm sorry. I don't remember telling you my name." Her heart began to beat a little out of rhythm in her chest.
"Of course you did," and he laughed a bit forcedly. "How else would I know?"
But Ess knew she didn't mention it yet. Besides, she went by Ess not Esther, and that was how she typically introduced herself. "That's funny, I really don't remember doing it." She tried to cover up her startled reaction, but her stomach squeezed and turned in her gut, and her nerves began tingling like static electricity.
Chad just shrugged his shoulders, and looked at her like she was being silly and overly suspicious. Something didn't seem right, and she just wanted him out of her apartment at that point. She was feeling increasingly uncomfortable, and wondered how she could be naïve enough to open her door to a stranger.
"You better get going," Ess prompted, "I have some things I need to do . . . and you need to finish making your dinner."
She moved forward to press him out the door, but he stepped further inside and grabbed the door to shut it behind him. Ess gasped and began to panic, but her mind raced and she hadn't quite grasped what she needed to do in this situation. She couldn't even prompt herself to let out a scream.
Just before the door slammed shut, it burst open again. The ensuing actions happened too quickly, but Ess heard a metallic clang and a wooden thud. Looking down, she saw Chad on the floor.
Where Chad stood half a moment before, another man now loomed, tire iron grasped in his hands as though he had just swung it like a baseball bat. The man looked down at the crumpled mass on the floor, and then flashed his eyes up to Ess.
Finally, Ess had enough control over herself to let out a scream. Her timing was imperfect, however, because the man with the tire iron flung his weapon away, so that he could clasp one hand over her mouth and the other behind her head.
Ess stopped screaming in her new shock. This gave the man enough time to let go of her and kick "Chad's" body out of the radius of the door, which he swung shut with his foot. With the second intruder, seemingly even more dangerous than the first, Ess found her adrenaline heating and her senses geared up for a second wind. She sucked in air so that she could begin a fresh new scream, all the while turning from the scene to run anywhere she could. Anywhere had to be safer than her living room just then.
Her reaction was cut short as the man grabbed her again from behind. This time he held her to him, arms trapped at her sides, a hand placed once again over her mouth. His hand felt hot, and she could smell remnants of the metal iron he had just been wielding. The invasion on her senses made her stomach turn.
He let her go for a moment, but she was abruptly grabbed again before she could react. Suddenly her energy diminished, and she felt herself become unwillingly limp. After that, the world
She closed the door so that she could unhook the chain. Then she opened it to show good will. Since the kitchen was directly to the left of the entrance, and he was technically still a stranger, she did not ask him in, but headed to her pantry cupboard for the oil. If she poured the oil into one of her measuring cups, he would have to bring it back. Maybe by then she could be better prepared to attract.
He stayed respectfully at the entrance, and continued conversing with her. After introducing himself as Chad, he talked of his recent move to the neighborhood, and his current work. He was a tax accountant, but dabbled in real estate. Not the most exhilarating work, he admitted, but it afforded a living.
As Ess handed Chad the measuring cup half full of oil, he smiled in gratitude, and asked, "What about you, Esther? What do you do for a living?"
"Well," she began to reply, then stopped short as she realized something. "I'm sorry. I don't remember telling you my name." Her heart began to beat a little out of rhythm in her chest.
"Of course you did," and he laughed a bit forcedly. "How else would I know?"
But Ess knew she didn't mention it yet. Besides, she went by Ess not Esther, and that was how she typically introduced herself. "That's funny, I really don't remember doing it." She tried to cover up her startled reaction, but her stomach squeezed and turned in her gut, and her nerves began tingling like static electricity.
Chad just shrugged his shoulders, and looked at her like she was being silly and overly suspicious. Something didn't seem right, and she just wanted him out of her apartment at that point. She was feeling increasingly uncomfortable, and wondered how she could be naïve enough to open her door to a stranger.
"You better get going," Ess prompted, "I have some things I need to do . . . and you need to finish making your dinner."
She moved forward to press him out the door, but he stepped further inside and grabbed the door to shut it behind him. Ess gasped and began to panic, but her mind raced and she hadn't quite grasped what she needed to do in this situation. She couldn't even prompt herself to let out a scream.
Just before the door slammed shut, it burst open again. The ensuing actions happened too quickly, but Ess heard a metallic clang and a wooden thud. Looking down, she saw Chad on the floor.
Where Chad stood half a moment before, another man now loomed, tire iron grasped in his hands as though he had just swung it like a baseball bat. The man looked down at the crumpled mass on the floor, and then flashed his eyes up to Ess.
Finally, Ess had enough control over herself to let out a scream. Her timing was imperfect, however, because the man with the tire iron flung his weapon away, so that he could clasp one hand over her mouth and the other behind her head.
Ess stopped screaming in her new shock. This gave the man enough time to let go of her and kick "Chad's" body out of the radius of the door, which he swung shut with his foot. With the second intruder, seemingly even more dangerous than the first, Ess found her adrenaline heating and her senses geared up for a second wind. She sucked in air so that she could begin a fresh new scream, all the while turning from the scene to run anywhere she could. Anywhere had to be safer than her living room just then.
Her reaction was cut short as the man grabbed her again from behind. This time he held her to him, arms trapped at her sides, a hand placed once again over her mouth. His hand felt hot, and she could smell remnants of the metal iron he had just been wielding. The invasion on her senses made her stomach turn.
He let her go for a moment, but she was abruptly grabbed again before she could react. Suddenly her energy diminished, and she felt herself become unwillingly limp. After that, the world
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