Around Midnight

Chapter 2- Strangers

Chapter 2- Strangers

2:00 a.m., Chicago.

“And in the middle of the night

I may watch you go.

There'll be no value in the strength

Of walls that I have grown.

There'll be no comfort in the shade

Of the shadows thrown,

But I'd be yours if you'd be mine.”

   Ivy King is asleep in her bed. Unlike her sister, Rose, she is a light sleeper. So when a crash of glass disturbs the night, her mind is instantly alert. Unfortunately, her body is not. Her limbs move with the stiffness of sleep and her eyes struggle to adjust to the darkness of the room. All of that gave just enough distraction for her not to notice the lean figure of a man pace into her room until it was too late to react.

    Seconds later, she felt a stone hand on her mouth, preventing her from screaming. She kicks and struggles against him, anyhow. The urge to free herself took over along with the panic. The man moved his other hand to the side of her head then, removing the hard covering her month, he mirrored his other hand by placing it on the other side of her head. She opens her mouth to scream but before a sound escape, the man spoke.

“If you fight or scream I’ll kill you. Scream if you don’t believe me.” He spoke in a light airy voice, as if he was discussing a pleasant date instead of a home invasion and possible murder.  

        Outside of a small whimper, Ivy held her silence. The look in the man’s eyes said that he could and he would do it. As the man removed his hands from her head, another man walked into the room, pulling her tormentor attention away from her. Although, he didn’t seen to concerned, Ivy noted. How many people were in her house? She wondered as she crawled up her bed, wanting to put as much distance away from the men at the foot of her bed. As she moved, something caught her eye. Ivy saw a pair scissor on the bedside table and before any of them could react, she jump up to her feet and pushed the man that had threatened her as hard as she can, causing him to stumble back. She had five seconds of surprise, and she used them. Leaping off the bed, she grabbed the pair of scissors and in a single motion, plunged them into the other man’s left cheek as he came at her. He gave a gurgled scream before falling to the floor, holding his bloody face. The surprise was wearing off, and she couldn’t waste time. As soon as the guy fell, she leaped over him and ran for the door but barely made it into the hallway before the man she pushed reacted. He grabbed handful of her long, wavy, brown hair and jerked her back.

“Ivy, this is not how you play the game. You’re breaking all the rules.” The man said with a humorless chuckle. “But if you want to play rough, that just fine with me.” He continued. Still holding her by the hair, he throw her into the hallway wall and cupped his hand around her neck, choking her. When she felt like she was about to pass out he removed his hand and she fell to the floor. 

“Enough?” 

Ivy gasped for breath and climbed to her feet. Without pause, she ran down the hall, glancing behind her at the man. He stayed where he was with evil in his pale hazel green eyes and a bored, cruel smile playing over his handsome face. As he began making his first steps in chasing, she turned corner and ended up in her living room. Looking around,  something catches her eye, the phone. She grab it and lunged under a near by desk. Remembering that she had Rose on speed-dial, she pushes the button and looks behind her. She could see the man’s feet entering the living room. He took slow and calm steps as he walked by. From the phone, Ivy could her Rose answering the phone. She wanted to respond to Rose but knew if she did, the man would hear her. She probably won’t recognize my number; she’s awful with stuff like that. Ivy thought to herself. She peered out from under her desk. Not seeing the man, she tried to call out to Rose but her voice, so thick with fear, came out raspy and unrecognizable, even to herself. Ivy opened her mouth to try again but her voice came out even worst then before when she saw the man’s feet re-enter the room, heading straight toward her hiding spot. She screamed into the phone while trying to push herself further back under the desk. Ivy heard nothing from the phone; no dial tone, no ringing, no Rose. In a last desperate attempt to defend herself, she throw the phone at the man as he reach under the desk, grabbing her leg. The phone bounced off the man but he gave no attention to in as he dragged Ivy out into the open. 

“Did you cut the phone line?” The man asked. Ivy looked up to see whom he was talking to, which was another man and woman standing by the entryway. Again, Ivy wondered how many people were in her house. 

Ivy looked to the woman for help but didn’t even get her to glance her way as she nodded to the man question.  

“Good. Find out who was on the other end. I deal with Ivy.” The man standing next to the girl gave a nod and turned back to where even they had come from within her house. The woman remained there.

“Ian, just kill her already. If you’d done it sooner, like I said, none of this would have happened.” She said, her tone was excited but her face was unreadable. Ivy gave a whimper and a small struggle to which the man held tighter to his grip forcing her to be still. 

“Do not talk back to me, Scarlett.” Ian said, narrowing his eyes at the woman, Scarlett.

“You’re being melodramatic.” She said, rolling her eyes. Ivy wondered how they could speak so calmly.

“And you’re being childish. Just do what I say.” He grunted at her. Scarlett shook her head in disapproval as she walk in the same direction as the other man. Ian looked down at Ivy then knelled in front of her. 

“How-how do you know my name?” Ivy asked in a shaking small voice. Ian didn’t respond, just stared at her with calculating eyes. When Scarlett came back, he gave no response to her.

“The person on the other end was Rose King, her sister.” She said.

Ian look to the desk and saw a picture of a beautiful girl about twenty-six with short black hair and dark eyes. He walked towards it and picked it up. Looking at Ivy questioningly and with one eyebrow raised.

“Rose?” He asked and Ivy began to shake. 

Ian put the picture back and returned to his spot in front of Ivy.

“Prefect. Clean this mess up, make sure there’s no finger prints.” he said. 

“You shouldn’t have gone for the phone… you would have lived longer.” Ian mumbled once Scarlett had left the room. And before Ivy could even think to scream or fight back or something, his hand flashed up and she met darkness.