Page 3 of Haunting Me

“I don’t know, Atlas, I just want something real. Someone who can see past all my brokenness and love me even though I am fucked up.” I say, feeling the weight of my words.

Atlas hops off the stool and hip-checks me, his long chain smacking my knee. He throws an arm around me in a half-assed hug.

“You are the strangest chick! So moody and broody. So find you a moody and broody guy, match that energy babe! Let's check the dating apps.” He takes out his phone.

“No thank you, that's how girls end up dead.”

Atlas rolls his eyes and puts his phone down. “Fine, but let’s go out this weekend and maybe we can find someone for you to hook up with.”

I nod, knowing saying yes will be the only way to get him off my back this shift. Plus, it's been a long time since I went out and enjoyed myself.

“Let’s go to a show. There are some good ones in Oakland this weekend.” Atlas pulls out his phone and looks up all the local shows.

The great part about working in a place you love is that time flies by. We dance around the shop blasting music and read whenever we feel like it. We get plenty of business too. That makes Kris happy. I took the closing shift tonight. Atlas left a few hours ago, making me promise I would text him tomorrow to figure out our plans. I close up the shop and as I am locking up; I realize I forgot to schedule a ride.

Get your shit together Layne!

I stand up against the window of the shop as I order a ride. Nothing is showing up on the app. Shit. This is what I get for being a procrastinator. I GPS the distance if I was to walk. It's a trek, but I can do it. Maybe I can catch a bus if I pass one. I pop my earbuds in and start walking.

Is this the safest thing I could do? Probably not.

My walk is going unbothered. My audiobook is playing in my ears, and my legs are already killing me. Need to exercise, Layne. I recheck the map and see I am still twenty minutes away from my apartment. Up ahead is a park with lots of big, beautiful trees. I think about it for a second and decide to cut through it. Walking in the chill night air feels fantastic. The dirt trail with trees cuts right across the map to where I need to head.

Halfway through the trail, the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. I shiver, thinking it is just the cold, but the rustling of leaves on the ground puts me on alert. I spin around. Stepping onto the trail from between the trees is a dark figure. It inches closer and I let out an ear-piercing scream. Covered head to toe in black, a tall person in a zombie mask is staring back at me.

My brain is telling me to run, but my feet refuse to move. The figure moves closer and finally, my fight-or-flight kicks in, and I take off toward the trail’s end. I am running as fast as I can, but it isn’t enough. Whoever is chasing me is fast.

A deep, sinister chuckle echoes through the trees. “Ma Petite Mort, I told you I was coming for you.”

I trip at the sound of the shadow’s words. The paper this morning! Holy shit, this fucker has been inside my apartment.

I can see the street up ahead, and I try to get up. My knee is fucked! I get on my feet and just as I am about to take off, hands wrap around my waist, pulling me into the hard body behind me. I continue to scream as loud as I can “Help, someone! Please!” He spins me around to where I am now face to face with them.

“You should not be out walking at night, alone, Ma Petite Mort. What if someone other than I would have found you? Then I would have had to make such a mess of them.” His voice was a whisper against my skin.

My screams bounce off the surrounding trees. “Please, just let me go…” my voice quakes with fear.

“You are so beautiful when you're afraid. I can’t wait to see what you look like when my cock is deep inside you.”

I reach down to my thigh and grasp the handle of one of my knives, this zombie-faced fucker doesn’t know what he is getting himself into. I spin the blade up and get ready to drive it between his ribs.

Just as my momentum catches, he grabs me by the wrist. “Feeling stabby are we? If you wanted to play with pointy things you should have said so.”

I reach up with my other hand and hit him in the face. He pushes me to the ground, falling on top of me. Using his body to keep me still, he reaches for my harness and yanks the other blade out.

“Now, can we play nice? Or do I need to tie you up?”

Chapter three

W E S

My girl squirms underneath me. I grasp the little knife that was strapped to her thigh. Not sure how I missed that she was a knife girl, but I am not mad about it. I hold it under her chin, tipping her eyes up to mine. “Are we going to play nice now? I won’t hurt you, Ma Petite Mort, unless you want me to.” Her eyes glare into mine, the deep pools of amber piercing my soul. She tilts her head to the side in confusion.

“Your eyes,” she whispers.

Fuck! I knew I shouldn’t have lingered so long at the pizza joint. I doubt there are many people with my exact color green eyes. Fuck. I didn’t want our chase to end this soon, not that I was going to fuck her here in the park. But her fear was delectable. Even when things shifted and she readied her knife to stab me, it was a high I had never experienced. I press my hardened cock into her. She can feel it through my jeans and her flimsy little thong. I glide the blade of the knife down her thigh, bringing the hilt to her clit.

My finger grazes her thong. “My, my, my. Is this turning you on? Dirty girl. You want me to fuck you with your knife?”

---