Life's Ever-decreasing Circle
Created | Updated May 3, 2007
I could taste the blood in my mouth, hot, wet and metallic. I pressed the back of my hand to my lips, dragging my hand across them and wiping away the blood. I staggered slightly then fell to my knees. 'No!' I muttered. I needed to get away, I needed to get away now. I needed to get to safety. I managed to stand, using the wall for balance. I made my way shakily from my hiding place, darting my eyes this way and that, looking for any trouble that might befall me. Regaining my balance at last, I burst out into the light. Covering my mouth once more, I ran, ran as fast as I could.
I let myself into my flat, carefully locking the door behind me. Making my way to the bathroom I caught sight of myself in the hall mirror. I frightened myself, I was so unrecognisable. I looked wild, untamed. I had dried blood over my lips and chin, and also over the front of my jacket. I stood there shocked and in deep despair. Why? Why did this keep happening
to me? What was it about me? I just didn't understand.
I forced my eyes away from the wretched sight that I was and dragged myself into the bathroom. I slowly undressed myself, turning on the shower. Stepping under the hot spray I started to cry, my body wracked with deep, despairing sobs. There was nothing I could do about this situation. I'd tried to do everything that was in my power. But it was always the same. Every damn night I'd be dragged away, only to find my way home again as this very bloody mess. I sank slowly down to the shower floor, allowing the water to cruelly hammer down on my sad, sorry carcass.
Standing, I climbed out of the shower. Time to pull myself together and go to work. Of course, no-one there knew what was happening and neither did any of my friends. I had enough people who hated me already without adding to the list and causing myself even more trouble.
As I stepped into work, people greeted me in the usual way. 'Hello Mr Norton, nice weather today!' I was well respected as a high-flyer — if only they knew the truth. I sat at my desk, half listening to what my secretary was telling me. In fact, I sat like that for most of the day, completely unable to concentrate because I knew what lay in store for me that night, the same terrifying chain of events that had been happening for the last month.
Finally, 5.00pm came and went. Why was I still sitting here watching the people on the street below, rushing to their homes out of the cold winter night? I don't know. Maybe I felt safe here, maybe I felt that if I stayed here it wouldn't happen. Of course I knew I was lying to myself, giving myself a false sense of security, as it didn't matter were I was. I'd
already proved that. I sighed and looked at the clock. 9.00pm — I'd better go; I didn't want anyone at work to discover what was happening. That would be the very last straw.
I bought a newspaper on my way home, from the kiosk just outside the building. Another body had been found, the tenth one this month. The police had found no leads as yet, but as usual the tabloids were already making assumptions about who they thought was doing these terrible killings. I wanted to scream. It wouldn't be much longer before I became a headline, but I could tell no-one. No-one could help me.
It happened just like clockwork, just as it did every night. Midnight exactly, bursting into my room like an explosion, dragging me out into the dark, cold night. Through rain-wetted streets, searching, searching for the ideal spot, where I wouldn't be seen, where I'd go unnoticed, before the ritual could begin.
At last, the perfect place. A horrible sick feeling began to fill me — I knew what was coming next. There were times in the beginning when I hoped that things might be different, when I hoped some mercy might be shown, but there was none and never would be, and so it would begin again.
Suddenly a bright light shone down the alleyway where I was hidden. This was unexpected, and things were not yet at an end. A police officer spoke. I could see out of the corner of my eye that he was slowly edging in my direction with his gun raised. 'No!' I thought. 'Go away, save yourself!' Oh, but it was too late, far too late for that.
I slowly turned to face him, fresh blood dripping from my lips. I saw the disbelief and then the horror flit across his face as I dropped the body I was holding from my arms. I was in front of him and having my second meal of the night before he could even think about firing his gun. His blood was sweet and hot and flowed so freely, I could be fooled into thinking that he wanted me to have this taste. When my thirst had been quenched, I let his body drop.
I pressed the back of my hand to my lips, dragging my hand across them, wiping away the blood. I staggered slightly, then fell to my knees. 'No!' I muttered. I needed to get away, I needed to get away now! I needed to get to safety. I managed to stand. Using the wall for balance, I made my way shakily from my hiding place, darting my eyes this way and that, looking for any trouble that might befall me. Regaining my balance at last, I burst out into the light. Covering my mouth once more, I ran, ran as fast as I could....
