Friday 3 January 2014

Noise.



I awoke wondering if the noise was in my dream or for real. I squinted out of one eye into the darkness of my room. A shadow appeared at my sliding door, why had the alarm not sounded. I pretended to stir and moved closer to the edge of my bed. The shadow stayed still not moving an inch. My bathroom was to my right of the bed, as I pulled the covers up over my body, I did not want to be seen awake.

If I could take this person by surprise and bolt for the bathroom I could lock myself in and yell for help. The shadowy shape took a step closer towards the bed. It was now or never. I leapt screaming as loud as my terrified voice could manage as the figure pounced towards the bed. I slammed the bathroom door, my hands shaking as I locked it, finally the latch caught and  I pushed a chair against the door handle.


All I could hear through the door was a voice swearing under his breath, it was a man for sure, as his fowl, language came through the wall. The door started to creak under the pressure as he was pushing his full weight against it. Opening my bathroom window, I knew I could never get through such a small opening but started to scream rape. As I continued to shriek through the silent dark night, the area became a blaze of lights through the complex, then sirens in the distance. Someone had heard my cries for help.


All became quiet from the bedroom. Had he escaped before help arrived?  Then I could hear him breathing against the bathroom door. He had not been scared off.  A knock came to the apartment door and I could hear voices, not able to hear what was being said. I opened the bathroom door only to hear his voice tell whoever was there, the yelling was not coming from this place. Closing the door,  he headed towards the me.


I started to scream again that he was the one trying to rape me. Had they left not hearing me scream? I climbed towards the little window, yelling as loud as I could. His voice came through the door telling me to open it or he would break it down.


A man's voice spoke  quietly at the bathroom window, asking me if there was only one person in the room  and did he have a gun? I told him I did not know if he had a gun but he was alone. The voice outside said said the police would be here very soon. He said I should try to  climb out the window and he would catch me. His gentle voice told me he had a broken leg and would  not be  much help until the police arrive. He said all the tenants had gone back into their homes thinking it was a false alarm.


My intruder was almost through my bathroom door, I could see his dark blazing eyes through the cracks, as he had been able to splinter the panel of the door. He was only inches away from me now. Looking around the room to see if there was anything I could use against this man. I found some razor blades under the counter and tried to calm myself as  I broke a blade in half. He crashed through the door. with a  piece of the chair in his hand as he came towards me.  He was in a frenzy coming at me fast.


As he  came close enough to me I flailed towards his face,  the blade in my fingers.
His blood immediately spurted everywhere hitting the white sink. I had sliced an artery on my first swing. He went down hitting his head on the toilet seat. Then a crashing of my door and the room filled with police, blood everywhere, one of the police slipped on it as he entered the room.

 
The man with the broken leg appeared, took me out into the fresh air holding me tight. His car was parked beside a police car. He told me to sit inside as he went around to the driver’s side slipping in as he started the engine. I asked what he was doing, all I got was a shut the fuck up as he drove away, passing another police car with siren and light ablaze.

Shock. I felt blood in my own hand as I realized I was still holding on to the razor blade.



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