Pathways

Chapter 11

When I return from the bathroom and head back downstairs I ask William where his family is. He tells me his mother works late so she won't be home for another few hours at least.

" Sit on the couch. We'll watch a movie, your pick," he suggests as he heads over to the kitchen.

"What are you doing?" I ask.

" Making you some tea. You must be cold," he replies.

"There are blankets on the couch, I'm fine-" I start.

He interrupts with a stern voice, " Drink it anyway."

"Bossy much?" I roll my eyes and he smiles.

I cuddle under the blanket and stare at the tv trying to pick out a good movie. I hear William start the microwave and sigh feeling tired. The stress lately has really taken a toll on me. Once I pick a movie I peer over at William and gesture for him to hurry up.

" Do you want sugar?" He asks in the darkness.

"No, I'm good," I say.

I raise an eyebrow when I see him move his hands like he's putting something in my drink.

" I said no sugar." I remind him.

"Oh." he looks out of it as he turns around and scratches his head, " Sorry."

"Just come over here." I turn my head back to the tv and feel him plop down on the couch next to me. Taking the warm mug from his hands without looking at him I start the show. I feel William get up from the couch as my eyes are glued to the screen.

"What are you doing? The movie's starting." I question.

"Just forgot something in the kitchen, just watch and drink without me." He waves his hand and that's when it happens. I get a sinking feeling someone is watching me. I try to ignore it and slowly put my lips to the mug my eyes still glued to the tv. William hasn't made a noise yet. Just as I'm about to take a sip of the tea I notice the color of the mug. Bright....yellow. I scream in shock dropping the mug when William comes out of nowhere from the darkness and lunges at me with a knife. I narrowly dodge him and scream. He falls to the ground and swings again cutting my leg.

" Get back here you wench." He shrieks.

W-William. William is trying to stab me. I scream and fall over the coffee table next to the couch. William lunges again trying to stab me but I grab his wrist and wrestle him. His dark eyes filled with nothing but murderous intent. I scream in horror as he tries to wrap one fist around my neck while the other hand swings the knife frantically. He manages to slash my right eye. I squint as blood drips down my face like chocolate syrup. It gets in my right eye and my vision is impaired.

"Die. You'll pay for your dad killing my father. An eye for an eye, you whore."

I cry as the realization hits me. The letter. The person trying to kill me all along was the one I was slowly falling for. Did he even like me to begin with or was he just pretending because it was all part of his plan?

I push him off me and scurry for the door. I touch the handle when I feel a searing pain in my left leg. William is on the floor crawling slashing right through my skin with his knife. I fidget with the door handle. This is it. I'm going to die here. The letter was right, William is going to kill me. Seventeen-year-old Anna Cleveland was murdered by William Ray. The stupid girl walked right to his door asking to be slain. I think of what people will say about my death. I can't get the door handle open. As William stands up ready to tear the knife through my back I finally open the door. I limp down the street tears in my eyes as William chases after me. My lungs burn and I can tell I'm leaving a trail of blood in the darkness. I pound on the neighbor's door as William sprints after me.

"Please. Please he's trying to kill me." I beg, "Let me in, God please help me."

His neighbors open the door and I push past them. William reaches the lawn as he sees me enter the house. I think he's about to turn around but he comes charging with the knife toward his neighbors. They scream and close the door. He kicks and screams and pounds on the doors, the windows, and even the car begging someone to let him in.

"I'm calling 9-1-1." A man that looks to be in his sixties rushes out of the room while a lady who also appears to be in her sixties checks out my leg.

"H-He. He stabbed me. Help me, he's trying to kill me." I wail covering my wounded eye while waving my other hand frantically.

The reality of the situation kicks in and I start carrying on. The lady rushes to get bandages for my eye and leg while I hear her husband frantically telling a 9-1-1 operator what's going on. William is still pounding on the door. He manages to spot me from the windows and I make eye contact with his murderous glare. He lets out a spine-chilling scream as he rams the knife into the glass. I scream in horror as he repeatedly tries to break the windows.

I sit there in pain for an agonizing ten minutes listening to the sounds of William trying to break into the house. I almost collapse in relief when I hear the sounds of sirens. Through the window, I see William in a fit of rage trying to fight off the police to break into the house. He's gone mad. The police restrain him and take him away. The ambulance arrives shortly after and I'm placed on a stretcher. That's when everything goes black.