Tormented Without a Trace

The young man behind the counter noticed that Natalie was leaving. "I’m heading out," he shouted to the manager who was in the back of the store in the stock room. He took off his white hat and cotton apron, following Natalie on her walk home.

She noticed footsteps in back of her. Natalie glanced over her shoulder but saw no one. The young man had ducked behind a tree. She started walking faster. The footsteps behind her sped up. She began running and he began running after her. Natalie dropped her knapsack, her books and papers falling out. The stranger caught up to her and grabbed her first by the arm, then by her torso, pulling her hastily into the wooded area on the opposite side of the street. She tried to break free but he just held her tighter.

Natalie started to scream. "Sto--"

With one hand, he clutched her neck and covered her mouth with the other hand as he pushed her into the woods. Then he pulled out a knife and released the blade. Its loud metallic snap filled Natalie with terror. Suddenly, she felt a sharp point on the side of her throat. He slit her skin and crimson blood dribbled onto her pinafore.

"You make a sound, Princess, and I’ll slice you from ear to ear. It’ll ruin your pretty, snot-ass outfit, you bitch."

She was gasping for air with her hands on his forearm trying to loosen his grip on her throat. He let up slightly and she jabbed him as hard as she could with her elbow in his gut. He was knocked back slightly. She broke free hoping to flee. He grabbed Natalie by her hair, turned her around, and smacked her in the face so hard she grunted in pain. She fell to the ground.

"We can do this the easy way, Princess, or the hard way."

She tried to stand up to make a run for it. He grabbed her foot and she fell face first into the ground hitting her chin on a rock. He yanked her back by her ankles toward him, dragging her on her stomach. He pushed her onto her back and straddled her. Natalie began shaking. He slit open her uniform with a red-handled switchblade exposing her bra and underwear. He started to unbuckle his belt.

"I see you every f------- day and you don’t even know who I am. Do you, Princess?"

Quivering, looking up, she did not recognize him.

"You and your stuck up friends wouldn’t dream of giving someone like me the time of day. I’m not a member of the ‘lucky sperm club.’ Sorry, Angel. My daddy didn’t have a trust fund with my name on it. He was a drunk who beat me and my mother and then took off. I bust my ass at two part-time jobs just to survive, putting myself through school doing menial shit for cunts like you. But I thought you were different at first. I guess I was wrong. One day, Princess, I’ll be one of you rich folks and you’ll be sorry, very sorry, you didn’t notice me. But for now, Angel, you leave me no other choice." His brown eyes burned with a cold fire that seared her soul. "In order to be with you, Angel, it has to be this way this time." He leaned down and kissed her neck seductively. "That wasn’t so bad. Was it, Princess?"