Page 25 of Between Dusk and Dawn

"I-I don't want any trouble," I said, feigning fear as I inched toward the door. His gaze remained intense, cutting through my act with sharp discernment.

"Don't play that shit with me. I know you. I see you." His voice was cold, slicing through the tension-laden air. My heart pounded louder, the realization sinking in that my act was failing, unraveling under his scrutiny.

Panic clawed at me, but I fought to maintain composure. I couldn't let him see the cracks in my armor. With a forced gulp, I spoke, my voice shaking but determined. "Please, let me go. We can forget this ever happened."

His eyes bore into mine, a silent standoff that seemed to stretch for an eternity. The room felt oppressive, a confined space where my act felt inadequate.

"Seems too late for that." His hand went down to his jeans. "You even noticed that I dressed up for you today."

I gulped, my lungs seizing, as I was struggling to breathe.

I was actually fucked this time. I was dumb to think that one day I wouldn’t be put in this position.

"It’s too late," I cried because I knew there was nowhere else to go.

The man in front of me, unbuttoning his pants, laughed hysterically. I whimpered. "Please."

The voice that came out was not mine. It belonged to my inner child. I was transported back to when I was a young kid and my parents came into my room drunk.

"You are such a spoiled little bitch,"my dad spat at me while rifling through my closet.

"She has too many clothes." My mom echoed his same sentiment.

I struggled to open my eyes. When I realized it was early morning hours, that meant it was officially my tenth birthday. I wished I had the type of parents who greeted me in the morning with balloons or gifts like the other kids at school.

"Burn them." My mother had that evil glint in her eye as she walked over toward my closet with a match.

"What is happening?" I asked.

My father turned, the calculated madman he was, with nothing but apathy written into his features. He hated me. He wanted to hurt me.

As my dad poured liquid all over my closet, my mother shook with excitement next to him, shouting out unintelligible words of glee.

"What is going on?" I shot out of bed and ran toward my closet, and a strong odor permeated my nose. It was familiar, but I couldn’t place what it was.

"You are a spoiled brat," my dad said.

"Brat," my mother repeated before jumping with joy.

Then I realized what that smell reminded me of. It was like the gas station, and the liquid my dad was pouring all over my clothes was gasoline.

"Dad?" I whimpered. "Please, no. Don’t do this." All I had left in this life were my clothes. It was my birthday for God's sake.

"Not today," I pleaded, reaching out toward the warm bright light…

"It’s too late.It’s too late. It’s too late." My scarred hands covered my ears as I shook my head.

"That’s right, baby girl. It is." The man’s cock sprang from his pants. He was the grim reaper incarnate, and I was his prey today. The door was in front of me, so I knew the trophy was probably two big steps behind me.

"What do you want from me? Money?" I asked, thinking if I could convince this guy I wasn't broke and had a lot of inheritance from my grandmother, he’d leave me alone.

He only laughed. "No. I don’t want your money."

My breaths were quick.

In.

Out.

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