One week later she discharged herself from hospital and went to her own house. The house was a pigsty! There was water on the floor, papers everywhere and her coffee table was smashed. Rhonda was furious. Someone had broken in to her home, messed up all her stuff, and left. Rhonda sat on her couch and looked at the floor.
“What a mess” she thought as she picked up the yellow pages and searched for cleaners.
It was Monday and she decided to go back to work. She scraped her hair back into a bobble, put on her make up and set off. When she arrived a huge pile of mail welcomed her. She picked up the first letter and sat down on her chair. It was from Freddy, her ex-boyfriend.
Freddy was a lay about who only went out at night. He would wait outside for a hooker to pick up, take her to a motel and that was the end of her. She couldn’t believe how low she had stooped. After all she was successful, intelligent and she was a looker.
The letter was just the usual rubbish;
Dearest Rhonda,
I know you are very angry with me and I am angry with myself. I never did date that prostitute and that day when you thought I was going to kill you was just a stupid misunderstanding. Please forgive and hopefully rebuild our friendship into something more.
All my love belongs to you
Freddy Killer
XXXX
XXX
XX
X
“What a dweeb” she thought to herself.
He had tried to kill her. She was in her house watching TV and Freddy had knocked on her door. He was covered in blood and it was not his. Rhonda, however, thought it was. She had started to clear it up and stop the bleeding. But there was no wound. She stared at Freddy, he smiled at her. It was an evil smile. He had done something. She had got up quickly in a panic and ran up stairs. Freddy had followed her and he grabbed her ankle. He pulled hard and Rhonda nearly fell down the stairs. She kicked him in the face and ran into the bathroom, locking the door behind her. She was scared for her life. He started to kick the door down. It held tight until he got out a knife and started to cut the door. She grabbed her mobile phone and rang the police. She was in a crisis. Freddy was so close to getting to her and she couldn’t hear any sirens. She screamed at the top of her voice but only Freddy could hear her. He laughed and said,
“Time to die bitch”.
She clambered onto the toilet and tried to get out the window. She kept slipping. Every time she slipped Freddy was getting closer and closer to getting in. She tried to get out one more time. She slipped again and fell onto the floor in a heap. She started to cry. She didn’t want to die yet. Freddy got in. He stood above. He held up the knife above her head. Her life was going to be over very soon. But just when she thought her life was over she could hear sirens. It was the police. Freddy, just realising what Rhonda had done, scrambled through the door and escaped from the police. They had arrived in time.
Rhonda picked up the letter and threw it in the bin. She threw in a lighted match and watched it burn. She could never trust Freddy again.
David walked in, dropped Rhonda’s work on her desk and sat at the end adoring her. She looked up at him, smiled and then started organising her work. David, who was looking at her lovingly, shyly spoke;
“So Rhonda, I’m really sorry about what happened to Zack”.
Her head shot up in an instance.
“How did you know about that?” she said curiously.
“It was all over the news, stabbed 22 times, that sounds terrible”.
“Oh,” she said, “Well I don’t want to talk about it”.
“Ok, then how about going out for dinner tonight? Just for you to get a break from all this heartache”.
“Thanks, it’s nice to know I still have people who care about me”.
It turned six o’clock. Rhonda had two hours to get home and changed to go out to Chez Paris, the new restaurant that had just opened in town. When she arrived home she opened the door, ran upstairs quickly and went into her room to find something to wear. Her brand new dress just hung there screaming, “Wear me!” She pulled off the tag and scurried into the bathroom for a quick shower.
It was seven o’clock when she finally got out of the shower. She looked great. Her hair was put up in a clip and at the end it was curly, her makeup was perfect and all that was missing were her fabulous new shoes to go with it. She slipped them on and her look was complete. All she had to do was keep it like that until the end of her date. She sat down on her seat and listened to the messages left on her machine. Two new messages. She pressed, “play” and listened.
“Hi Rhonda, It’s Freddy please ans…”
She fast-forwarded it to the next message. She hated Freddy so much it was unbelievable.
“Hey Rhonda, its Laura, please come round later I need to tell you something very important”
The line went dead after that.
When eight o’clock came a loud knocking at her door startled her. She answered the door, it was David. She grabbed her bag and left. She couldn’t wait to see what Chez Paris looked like. It was supposed to be beautiful inside; chandeliers, flowers, soft music and a great selection of food. She got into David’s car and they drove away.
Chez Paris was everything she had ever imagined and more. It smelled like fresh flowers and was decorated in such rich colours. A waiter sat them down at table 22, gave them a menu each and waited. “I think I’ll have the lobster,” said David “
I will have the fish of the day please,” said Rhonda.
David held Rhonda’s hand till the bottle of wine came. After the meal, David took Rhonda home. She wanted to invite him in but she just kissed him good night and went in.
The next day was her day off. As always on a Tuesday she went to her sister’s house. But when she got there she was distraught. Laura had been stabbed twenty two times. She was dead! Rhonda was scared. Two of her close family were dead. What on earth was happening?
When Rhonda got home at three she was welcomed by her mum and dad standing on her doorsteps with luggage. Oh oh. They had come to stay. Her worst nightmare was coming true, so to speak. She absolutely hated her parents.
Rhonda stood on the bottom step, her eyes were watering and her mouth nearly hit the floor. She was stunned. Did her parents know about Laura and Zack? Or was this just a visit to torture her and torment her? Her answers were not far ahead.
Rhonda’s mum ran down the steps and hugged her to bits but Rhonda showed no emotion. Her heart was not there. As soon as Rhonda’s mum realised she stepped back. She noticed that Rhonda was upset. Rhonda walked up the steps slowly; she took her key out and placed it in the lock. She turned the key VERY slowly. Her parents looked at each other, they were very impatient. Her father pushed Rhonda out of the way and unlocked the door. Rhonda walked in and slammed the door behind her, leaving her parents outside.
Rhonda’s mum opened the door.
“What are you playing at, young lady?” she shouted.
Her mum was furious.
“Look Mum,” Rhonda screamed, “you have no idea what has happened in the last few weeks so don’t come here expecting me to be all happy and joyful that you’re here? Well I’m not because I hate you! You had only come here for some sightseeing and the cheap booze, now kindly get out and never come back!!”
Rhonda’s parents were horrified. Their own daughter was against their existence. Rhonda grabbed her parents luggage and through them out the door. Her parents left in a hurry.
“If you ever need us dear,” growled her Dad, “tough!”
Rhonda slammed the door and started to cry. No one could ever feel the pain she was going through.
Rhonda took the next two days off work. She went back on Friday. She had no one. She picked up her mail. Another letter from Freddy and one from someone, which she did not recognise the handwriting off. She opened it quickly. It was from her parents. They had found out what had happened.
Dear Rhonda,
We found out about Zack and Laura we are really sorry. We loved them dearly. Please come and see us at the hotel Plaza so we can make up
Love Mum and Dad
Xxxxx
Xxxx
Xxx
Xx
X
She was upset too. After work, she would go and see them.
David walked in.
“Hi Rhonda,” said David “look I had a great time on Monday night, so do you want to go out again some time?”
“Er… sure ok, tomorrow night?”
“Ok, why not tonight?”
“I’m going to see my parents at the hotel Plaza”
He left. Rhonda spent all afternoon waiting for the clock to strike 6 o’clock.
When it was six Rhonda clambered into her car and drove to the hotel Plaza. When she arrived at six fifteen, she walked over to the reception desk. The receptionist said that screams were coming from that room and told Rhonda to wait. Rhonda waited impatiently. She got really bored really quickly. The receptionist went into the backroom so Rhonda just sneaked past and went up the stairs. She knocked on every door, but her parents were not there. She went up every set of stairs, and now she was on the top floor. The maid was cleaning. Rhonda could not hear herself think, as the hoover was turned on.
Rhonda knocked on room 19. No one she knew answered. She knocked on number 20. Again no one she knew. The maid had turned off the hoover and was in room 22 cleaning. Rhonda was about to knock on room 21 when she heard a huge scream. It was the maid. Rhonda rushed over. There was blood everywhere. The maid fainted. She looked around to see two old people lying on the floor, DEAD. Rhonda was nearly sick. She looked closer and realised that the two old blood covered people were her parents. Rhonda ran downstairs as fast as she could.
She rang the bell at the reception rapidly. She was breathing heavily. The receptionist was nowhere to be seen. Rhonda went through the small gate and went into the storeroom. More blood! The receptionist was dead too!! The hotel smelled bad. There was the smell of death in the air and Rhonda now knew it was all connected to her.
With her family dead she was desperate. She ran to her car and got in. She tried to put the key in the ignition but her hand was shaking. She was scared stiff. She finally got the key in; she turned the key and drove off quickly. She was breaking the speed limit of 40 and was chased by the cops.
“Great” she said to herself and pulled over in front of the New York Times newspaper building.
They opened her car and made her take a humiliating breathalyser test. She was safe, but they still took her to the station to be on the safe side. When they got her to the station, Rhonda broke down. She told them the whole story while crying. They let her go. They said there was no case.
When Rhonda got home, she went to her neighbour’s house, Christine. Christine was not in. so Rhonda strolled back to her house. When she got in she could hear noises, muffled noises.
Rhonda picked up a vase and was ready. She walked in to her living room slowly and was ready for all surprises. She turned on the light to see a chair with someone tied to it. She hadn’t got a clue who it was as their head was covered with a balaclava. She heard creaking behind her and turned quickly to be punched in the face and knocked unconscious.
When she came through she was tied to a chair next to the person with a balaclava on. She heard footsteps. She was trying to open her to scream but her mouth was taped shut. She tried to move her chair towards the phone but to no avail. She looked up to see someone in a long hooded coat with a knife in their hand. She couldn’t see who it was. The hood was covering their face.
A hand of the killer rose up and slowly pulled the hood down. It was David!!!!!! Rhonda was shocked and heartbroken. He pulled the balaclava revealing a bloody Freddy. He pulled Rhonda’s tap off that was covering her mouth.
“Why are you doing his, David, why?” she screamed
“Why?” David replied “WHY?”
“Here is why, from the very first day you came to work at LA times I fell for you. Do you remember that day? 22/2/01. I asked you out but you turned me down! You left me heartbroken. I was in a mess. I knew you were engaged so I though I would shatter your dreams like you did mine! I mean look at you. Your beautiful and me and you would be great together, but you never thought about it. So I thought that I would get your undivided attention by killing off all those you consider dear to you so I would be number 1 in your life. But you still had a plan to ruin my life. And if this is the only way I can talk to you, so let it be”.
Rhonda was shocked. She knew he had a crush on her but nothing this big. David left the room to get a snack. Rhonda tried to get the ropes of her wrists. Her wrists were hurting and the knots were tight. Freddy was out cold. He must have been hit with something. The blood trickled down his face.
Rhonda got free. She was untying Freddy when David got back.
“What do you think you are doing?” he shouted in a rage.
Rhonda got up quickly. She tried to get to the phone but David was blocking her way. Rhonda quickly made her way over to Freddy. She slapped him. She screamed at him;
“Please help me!” but he did not wake up.
She tried to get out the backdoor, but it was locked. David cornered her. She fell onto her knees, tears streaming down her face.
“ Please don’t kill me” she cried
David dragged her up by her arm. He had a tight grip and Rhonda couldn’t get loose. David took her to her seat. He was tying her up when he noticed. Freddy was GONE!
He didn’t finish tying her up. Instead he was running round the house frantically looking for Freddy. Rhonda got out of the ropes and grabbed a knife from the kitchen. She heard the door slam shut. She looked out the window. It was Freddy. He was running down the street shouting and screaming. Rhonda went to the front door. She had opened it halfway and then David slammed it shut. He wrestled the knife away from Rhonda leaving her helpless. She backed up into the coffee table. She tripped and fell back.
Rhonda tried to get up quickly and then she ran upstairs. She ran into her room. She screamed at the top of her voice. There was blood on her bed, on the floor and everywhere else. She pulled back her sheets and saw the dead body of Zack. She opened her wardrobe to see her parents lodged together, dead. She opened her drawers to see bits of the receptionist. She looked under her bed and there was Laura.
David went into her room. Her threw her onto the bed. He got onto the bed and held the knife to Rhonda’s throat. He started to sing very badly. But police sirens drowned his voice out.
“Freddy!” shouted David.
The police barged in through the front door. They came upstairs and saw David. The police could not get him to give Rhonda up. A policeman shot him in the leg.
The police arrested David and sent Rhonda to Florida to be safe. They gave her an excellent job and a great new home. David was sent to hospital for two weeks.
But when two weeks was up, and he was able to go to jail, David was not there. He had escaped from hospital and was on the run. Someone said that the last time he was seen was on the train heading for Florida…
By Samantha Wild