Page 43 of Wicked Lies Grow Wildflowers
I have four days to get my shit together and put my heartbreak aside. I can do it. And when I get out of bed I realize I should start with fresh sheets and a shower. Yeah,definitelya shower. My bathroom fogs up with the stream of hot water as I step inside of the bathtub. God it feels so good. As I lather up my body with calming lavender scented soap and massage shampoo through my knotted bedhead, the sadness and brain fog of the last few days starts to melt away and wash down the drain.
When I get out and dressed in comfy clothes I work through the knots in my hair, meeting my tired reflection in the mirror. I look like absolute shit. Ordering takeout and drinking water should do the trick. I dial up my favorite local Chinese restaurant for delivery as I wait for my bedding to wash. One bite into my mushroom chicken and my skin should be radiant once more. Plopping down on my couch I turn on my TV, not willing to watch anything even remotely romantic. I end up on a sci-fi movie, not my usual crime genre but something just alittle lighteris needed right now.
A knock at my door startles me from my trance on the TV and I rush up to grab my takeout. The college aged delivery driver flashes me a warm smile and hands me the bag of food and before running back down the stairs. I shut the door and spread the takeout boxes on my coffee table before digging in. I gorge myself and soon feel my eyes getting too heavy to keep open.
I startle awaketo a black living room. Blinking my eyes I try to see through the darkness. I know I didn’t turn my TV off before falling asleep. Weird. Pushing myself up, I grab my phoneand use the glow to light my wayas I stumble to my bedroom. I’ll worry about cleaning up in the morning.
As I clamber into bed and under the covers, I hear a rustle from somewhere in my room. It must be Gracie, so I click my tongue at her a few times to get her attention, hoping she’ll jump up and cuddle me. She doesn’t though, clearly choosing to ignore me, so I snuggle into my duvet and close my eyes.
I’m nearly asleep when I feel a soft brush against the side of my face. Gracie’s tail, guess she decided to come to bed after all. I reach out to push her tail away and instead grasp something firm. A hand. It’s a fucking hand. My breath locks in my chest for a moment before I scream and kick out, scrambling across the mattress and trying to untangle myself from the covers. Hands continue to reach for me and I make contact with my attacker’s body, eliciting a grunt from him as I continue to flail and kick my legs.
My mind whirls as I think of what to do next. My phone is on my nightstand on the opposite side of the bed, so I can’t call for help. The only thing I can do besides try to get away is scream and hope a neighbor hears me and calls the cops. It’s the middle of the night though, so the odds aren’t good. I try anyways and belt out as loud as I can, “Help me, help me, somebody help me!”
The attacker climbs further up onto the bed after me, not bothered by my screaming, and I scramble back, jumping off the bed and blindly feeling around on my nightstand for anything I can use to incapacitate them. I find purchase with my bedside lamp, not enough to do serious damage but enough to provide some distraction so I can get away.
I pick the lamp up and swing it when my attacker seems close, making contact with some part of him, as he grunts and mumbles out‘fucking bitch’. I use that opening to run out of my room and through the front door, not stopping to look back and see if I’m being chased.
My screams continue as I plead for someone to help me as I race down the flight of stairs. A bottom floor neighbor opens their door and peaks their head out, looking worried as they take me in.
I run to them and shove my way inside. “Please, please call the cops. He’s attacking me, someone is in my apartment and was trying to attack me,” I sob.
My neighbor looks stunned now, but he locks his door behind us and dials nine-one-one, telling the operator someone was just attacked in his apartment building.
I sink to the floor once dispatch is on the way and breakdown, sobbing uncontrollably. My neighbor tries to calm me and offers me water, and I greedily choke it down. My throat raw and burning from my pleading screams.
Police sirens sound a few minutes later and there’s a knock at the door before two officers are let in. They sit down next to me on the couch and introduce themselves, Bradford and Thomas, before asking me what happened. I hysterically recount the entire harrowing encounter for them, trying to not choke on my words.
“Okay, ma’am. We’ve got all of that written down—” A beep from Bradford’s radio cuts off his words as he listens to the distorted voice coming through. “Roger, I’ll let her know, thanks.”
“Let me know what?” I ask, not sure I want to know the answer.
“Two additional officers searched your apartment and the entire perimeter of the building. No one was found. We can swab your apartment for prints, but if the assailant isn’t already in the system, or if they wore gloves, we won’t be able to make any arrest.”
“Oh. Um, okay.” What else is there to say?
“It would help if you can give us a detailed description of what they look like, now I know you said it was dark, but can you remember anything of importance that might help us identify them? Or do you know of anyone who would do something like this?”
I feel so fucking defeated right now, and it makes me cry harder. “No, uh it was completely dark. It was a man, maybe just under six foot? Not very large. I’m sorry that’s all I can tell you. I don’t know who they are, or who they could be.”
The officer nods and hands me a card with his contact info on it. “Well, if you can think of anything else please let me know. The area is secure and we will have patrol out tonight as an extra precaution. Make sure to lock your doors too, as the other officer’s said there wasn’t any forced entry.”
“Okay, thank you,” I swallow. “Wait. I called before about someone leaving me notes, pictures of myself, and flowers. What if this is related? Like a stalker?”
“It’s hard to tell, but it could be. I’ll look for your previous report, and if we find any links we will let you know. It’s probably best you not stay alone for the rest of the night. Is there anyone we can call for you before we leave?” Thomas asks as both officers stand up.
“N-no. I don’t think so. Could you just bring me my phone? It was left in my bedroom and I don’t want to go back in there right now.”
Officer Thomas nods and heads into the hall, grabbing my phone from an officer who I assume took part in the search. He hands it to me as he says, “Take care now, and don’t hesitate to call us again if needed.”
I nod and with that the officers depart.
“Soooo…” A voice brings me from the trance I’m in and I remember where I am. In my neighbor’s apartment. I look upat the blonde I’ve literally never met before and mortification sweeps over me.
“Oh, my God. I am so so sorry. I’ll call someone to come get me, is that okay? Or I can just leave now if you want me to. God I amsosorry.”
“I can wait for you to get help. Really it’s no problem at all, no need to apologize . . . Maeren, right?”
“Yes.”
