Begin Again.
Chapter 17
"Well look at you," Jon said slyly, flashing a toothy grin as he looked me up and down. "You're even more beautiful then the last time I saw you."
I barely even heard him; I stood there paralyzed with fear and not knowing what to do. How did he find me? How did he know where I was? What did he want? Thousands of questions raced through my mind and I tried to stop shaking. My heart pounded in my ears and I struggled to keep my breathing quiet.
Get away from him, I thought, he's a monster.
I tried to slam the door shut but he stopped it with his foot and started at me through the slight opening in the door. It took every nerve in me not to scream out for help or burst into tears like I wanted to, but I needed to act tough, not vulnerable and helpless.
"What do you want." I asked sternly, even though it wasn't a question. I was being a bitch and he knew it. I hated him and he was dead to me.
"Just to...talk." He said smoothly while giving me a wink. Ugly piece of shit. "I've missed you."
I looked at him in disgust and slammed the door on his foot, clearly doing some damage because he cried out in pain and anger flared in his eyes.
"You little bitch!" He screamed at me, scaring me but I knew I couldn't show it. He pushed back against the door; slamming it open and sending me flying down to the floor.
I scrambled to my feet at he walked towards me, breathing heavily. I was terrified, this was what my nightmares for the past 7 years had been about.
"Funny story you see," He said as I backed away from him. "I turn on the TV this morning and what do I see?"
I looked at him and started to panic, he was going to kill me.
"I see my little Stephy, out on a date with Tuukka Rask."
I flinched when he said his name. Something so amazing shouldn't come out of a mouth so terrible.
John chuckled without any humor and backed me up against the wall. This is it.
"Kinda sad to think that was how lonely you got," He said sympahetically as he stared right into my eyes. "That you would settle for someone like him."
My jaw clenched and I felt anger rising inside me, almost as if it was about to boil over.
"Don't you say another fucking word about my boyfriend." I said through gritted teeth. "He will whip. Your. Ass."
John raised his eyebrows in suprise, never seeing me stick up for myself or who I cared about before.
"You're all fiesty now," He whispered as he leaned into me. "I like that..."
Before I knew what was going on he had my wrists pinned above my head and his mouth was on mine, kissing me hard as I screamed against his lips. I tried desperatley to wiggle one of my hands free, to smack his face, but it was no use. I tried to pull away but he had me against the wall and it was physically impossible. He was like a rock and there was no escaping.
He was going to rape me first, then kill me. What a way to go. My worst fear was coming true, I was going to die. Never graduate college and become a nurse. Never have children to call my own. Never to have a beautiful wedding. Never to see Tuukka again.
Tuukka...
My boyfriend. Who I loved so very much with everything I had. Who made me smile everyday. Kissed my lips and held me close. Took me on silly dates and became my best friend. Gave me the only family I had ever known and gave me hope in life...
I decided right then and there that no one, not even John could take that away from me.
I wasn't going down without a fight, even if I didn't win. I wasn't a 14 year old girl anymore, I was 21, stronger and rutheless. And he was about to find that out.
I brought my knee up to his waist and nailed his balls, sending him hunched over and yelling out angrily in pain. He got off of me but I wasn't done yet. I punched him square in the nose with a grunt and scratched at his face until I saw blood.
"You can't take him away from me!" I screamed as I scarred him. I breathed in short, sharp breaths; almost hyperventalating.
He fought back, pushing me against the wall and railing my head against it over and over. I elbowed him in the mouth so hard I saw a tooth fall out.
"You can't do that!" I gasped as I cried. "You can't take him away!"
My cheeks were soaked with hot tears and I sobbed as I continued to hit him, giving every ounce of energy I had.
He screamed at me and grabbed my face with one hand and punched me in the corner of my mouth as hard as he could. I collapsed to the ground in a heap.
"Oh, God!" I heard a woman scream, seeing what had just happened. I looked up and saw that it was my neighbor. John started torwards her but I kicked the back of his knees and he fell to the ground.
"Run!" I sobbed to her. "Go get help!" She fled away and I pulled myself up, running to the kitchen to hide.
John chased me, screaming for me to come back to he could finish what he started. He grabbed a fistful of my hair and pulled me down to the ground and kicked my stomach until I could taste blood. I screamed shrilly, very loudly so the neighbors could hear.
"Shut up!" He screamed at me and kicked me harder.
"No!" I sobbed hysterically. "You can't take him away!"
He got to the ground and pulled himself on top of me, pinning my wrists to the floor. I screamed and kicked frantically. He pulled out a knife from his pocket and pressed it up against my throat.
"You can't do this!" I gasped. "You can't take him away!"
He leaned in close and whispered in my ear:
"Watch me."
Suddenly I heard a scream and saw Erika standing behind John, the glass vase of flowers Tuukka had given me being held above her head. She brought it down onto John, knocking him out and sending him collapsing on the floor.
I layed there, shaking and breathing heavily, gasping and crying.
Erika dropped to her knees next to me and covered her mouth, starting to cry.
"Steph...Steph I need you to stay with me." She stammered as she took my hand. "You're gonna be okay...okay?" I stared at her, still gasping.
"He..he tried.." I started..slowly fading out of conciousness.
"He what?" Erika said eagerly. People rushed in, looking like cops and paramedics. "What did he do?"
Everything got fuzzy and my head spun around.
"He tried to take Tuukka away..." I breathed.
Then everything went black.
I barely even heard him; I stood there paralyzed with fear and not knowing what to do. How did he find me? How did he know where I was? What did he want? Thousands of questions raced through my mind and I tried to stop shaking. My heart pounded in my ears and I struggled to keep my breathing quiet.
Get away from him, I thought, he's a monster.
I tried to slam the door shut but he stopped it with his foot and started at me through the slight opening in the door. It took every nerve in me not to scream out for help or burst into tears like I wanted to, but I needed to act tough, not vulnerable and helpless.
"What do you want." I asked sternly, even though it wasn't a question. I was being a bitch and he knew it. I hated him and he was dead to me.
"Just to...talk." He said smoothly while giving me a wink. Ugly piece of shit. "I've missed you."
I looked at him in disgust and slammed the door on his foot, clearly doing some damage because he cried out in pain and anger flared in his eyes.
"You little bitch!" He screamed at me, scaring me but I knew I couldn't show it. He pushed back against the door; slamming it open and sending me flying down to the floor.
I scrambled to my feet at he walked towards me, breathing heavily. I was terrified, this was what my nightmares for the past 7 years had been about.
"Funny story you see," He said as I backed away from him. "I turn on the TV this morning and what do I see?"
I looked at him and started to panic, he was going to kill me.
"I see my little Stephy, out on a date with Tuukka Rask."
I flinched when he said his name. Something so amazing shouldn't come out of a mouth so terrible.
John chuckled without any humor and backed me up against the wall. This is it.
"Kinda sad to think that was how lonely you got," He said sympahetically as he stared right into my eyes. "That you would settle for someone like him."
My jaw clenched and I felt anger rising inside me, almost as if it was about to boil over.
"Don't you say another fucking word about my boyfriend." I said through gritted teeth. "He will whip. Your. Ass."
John raised his eyebrows in suprise, never seeing me stick up for myself or who I cared about before.
"You're all fiesty now," He whispered as he leaned into me. "I like that..."
Before I knew what was going on he had my wrists pinned above my head and his mouth was on mine, kissing me hard as I screamed against his lips. I tried desperatley to wiggle one of my hands free, to smack his face, but it was no use. I tried to pull away but he had me against the wall and it was physically impossible. He was like a rock and there was no escaping.
He was going to rape me first, then kill me. What a way to go. My worst fear was coming true, I was going to die. Never graduate college and become a nurse. Never have children to call my own. Never to have a beautiful wedding. Never to see Tuukka again.
Tuukka...
My boyfriend. Who I loved so very much with everything I had. Who made me smile everyday. Kissed my lips and held me close. Took me on silly dates and became my best friend. Gave me the only family I had ever known and gave me hope in life...
I decided right then and there that no one, not even John could take that away from me.
I wasn't going down without a fight, even if I didn't win. I wasn't a 14 year old girl anymore, I was 21, stronger and rutheless. And he was about to find that out.
I brought my knee up to his waist and nailed his balls, sending him hunched over and yelling out angrily in pain. He got off of me but I wasn't done yet. I punched him square in the nose with a grunt and scratched at his face until I saw blood.
"You can't take him away from me!" I screamed as I scarred him. I breathed in short, sharp breaths; almost hyperventalating.
He fought back, pushing me against the wall and railing my head against it over and over. I elbowed him in the mouth so hard I saw a tooth fall out.
"You can't do that!" I gasped as I cried. "You can't take him away!"
My cheeks were soaked with hot tears and I sobbed as I continued to hit him, giving every ounce of energy I had.
He screamed at me and grabbed my face with one hand and punched me in the corner of my mouth as hard as he could. I collapsed to the ground in a heap.
"Oh, God!" I heard a woman scream, seeing what had just happened. I looked up and saw that it was my neighbor. John started torwards her but I kicked the back of his knees and he fell to the ground.
"Run!" I sobbed to her. "Go get help!" She fled away and I pulled myself up, running to the kitchen to hide.
John chased me, screaming for me to come back to he could finish what he started. He grabbed a fistful of my hair and pulled me down to the ground and kicked my stomach until I could taste blood. I screamed shrilly, very loudly so the neighbors could hear.
"Shut up!" He screamed at me and kicked me harder.
"No!" I sobbed hysterically. "You can't take him away!"
He got to the ground and pulled himself on top of me, pinning my wrists to the floor. I screamed and kicked frantically. He pulled out a knife from his pocket and pressed it up against my throat.
"You can't do this!" I gasped. "You can't take him away!"
He leaned in close and whispered in my ear:
"Watch me."
Suddenly I heard a scream and saw Erika standing behind John, the glass vase of flowers Tuukka had given me being held above her head. She brought it down onto John, knocking him out and sending him collapsing on the floor.
I layed there, shaking and breathing heavily, gasping and crying.
Erika dropped to her knees next to me and covered her mouth, starting to cry.
"Steph...Steph I need you to stay with me." She stammered as she took my hand. "You're gonna be okay...okay?" I stared at her, still gasping.
"He..he tried.." I started..slowly fading out of conciousness.
"He what?" Erika said eagerly. People rushed in, looking like cops and paramedics. "What did he do?"
Everything got fuzzy and my head spun around.
"He tried to take Tuukka away..." I breathed.
Then everything went black.
12/1/13