Just a few seconds away from her front door and she knew what to expect. As she was about to put her foot on the last of the steps, she felt something cold and hard against her neck, unaware she felt a hand grab into her, it was so painful it felt like an animal with sharp filed teeth digging in. Just as she was about to let out an alarming scream she realised the cold thing against her neck was a knife and a hand clasped firmly over her mouth. The hand smelt of dead rats and felt as big as a bear’s hand.
She felt confused with what was happening to her, she didn’t even want to think about it. A million things rushed through her mind. Tina felt so much fear at that very moment, was this man behind her going to kill her? Maybe it would be better if she wasn’t living anymore, “just get it over and done with”. But she also knew she was too afraid to die. The bitter taste of his hand made her want to vomit, he carried on gripping her mouth and his unshaven skin grazed against her cold tender cheek.
From what seemed like a lifetime of standing in the same place listening to the deep, gruff voice in her ear describing to her what he would do to her if she moved or made a sound. All Tina could do was stand motionless and pray, this was the one time she needed someone desperately, but then again when has anyone ever offered their help to her? “Please...” she called out faintly. Unexpectedly the sound of footsteps echoed through the streets, astonished the man immediately let go. As soon as Tina felt his grip loosen she sprinted out of his reach and bolted up the street through the snake thin alleyways and past the mountainous buildings. Tina had never been so appreciative in her life; the footsteps were like a sign of help from god. Waterfall tears came streaming down her soft skin, her feet, pat, pat, pat on the floor was all she could feel and hear.
Out of breath, Tina found herself a spot to lie low for awhile. She kept thinking, and picturing the man she had run past...he looked familiar, like the man who had kidnapped her before. As much as she tried to push it out her mind she could never forget the time she was taken away from her mum a few years back. That kidnapping had pretty much wrecked her life and her family. She had been found tied up in a small flat, bruised and bleeding. Her mum never said much about it and she had been told the man who did this to her had been found dead; But this was definitely the same man. Tina got so drifted away in her thoughts she didn’t realise the thundering footsteps and that familiar gruff breathing approaching.
Why her? She thought. Sickening images kept flashing in her mind of when she was younger; this man was in her house before...before her dad had died, before her mum became a dishevelled mess, when everything was normal.
The night had turned colder and behind a repulsive waste bin, Tina was laying on the hard stony floor, trying to breathe. A knife lay pierced into her sore flesh, just missing her heart. She knew the starry sky was going to be the last thing she saw. Tina lay in excruciating pain; agony tore through every area of her bruised body, she could still feel the trace of his hands gripping tight on her neck.
With blood dripping off her, she knew after much thought this was the man had to be the man who killed her father. She needed to know the answers of so many questions, what had her dad been up to? What caused this tragedy? Who was this man? Why did he go for her? What had she got to do with anything? All these questions she should have asked her mum but daren’t. Her mum must of known what was happening with her father, she acted strange after he died and wouldn’t talk about his death, but then again Tina knew her mum was too distressed to speak up and stand up for anybody. With no explanation Tina breathed the last agonizing breath she would ever breathe.
By Jasmine Cam.