English Task: Post Mortem - Patricia Cornwell

Alternative Ending

The sun shines through the large windows, light scattering around the room. Despite the bright blue sky and the green meadows just outside my window, the room still feels cold and grey. The happenings of that night replay in my head, over and over and over again. Almost like a song stuck on repeat. I can still feel the heaviness of his hands around my neck. I can feel him trying to suck all of the life out of me. My breathing starts to quicken.

"3; 8; 7; 11; 9" I count to myself, stopping the anxiety from taking over again. My mind can't count out of order and freak out at the same time.

In the corner of my eye, I see Penny standing in the doorway. "How are you doing this morning, darling?" Her bright smile warms the room, Instantly saving me from my torment.

"Okay, I guess." As well as anyone who was nearly just murdered. I try to speak the words, but they don't come out. Instead all that came out of my mouth was a sort of mumbled whisper.

"It's time for breakfast" She wheels in the cart full of food, and places one plate on the table next to my bed. I nod in appreciation, not even trying to speak this time. She wheels the cart back out of the room and disappears into the passage, once again leaving me to my torturous thoughts.

I can't get the flashing images and muffled screams out of my head. The only way to be rid of them is if I go to sleep.

"You've been very busy at work trying to figure out what I did when I murdered those women, very very busy. Well you don't have to worry about that anymore. I'm gonna show you, put you out of your misery." He whispers in my ear. The blade of his knife pressing on my neck. "Don't you dare make a sound. You don't want to wake up your little niece, do you? Don't want her to have the same end as you are going to?" His voice is deep and chilling. Goosebumps start to form on my neck, and a shiver runs down my spine as he speaks. I know that there is a .38 under my pillow, but I can't get to it while he is so close, he would surely slit my throat before I could reach for it.
"Don't move my dear, I'll be right back." He murmurs. He lifts his weight off of me and moves to the lamp in the opposite corner of the room. Now is my chance, I grab the gun from under my pillow and point it right at him. "Stop" I shout, but all he does is laugh at me.
"You think that I didn't know you always sleep with a gun under your pillow," his laugh is evil and brash. "I already broke in last night and unloaded it. That gun is useless now."
He unplugs the lamp, and the room turns dark. I hear a ripping sound and then a crash. I hear a few footsteps and then 3 loud bangs.

I wake up in a cold sweat, heaving for air. I thought by sleeping I could get away from it, but it just came back in the form of a nightmare. I sit up straight and reach for the water on my night stand.
"Lucy? When did you get here." She is sitting on the chair with a sweet smile on her face.
"When you were sleeping, I didn't want to wake you up. Were you have a nightmare?" She asks with a concerned expression. "You don't have to worry, he won't come back for you. Marino shot him dead." She answers before I can reply. I can't bare to tell her that there was another murder this morning. I can't let her know that there was more than one serial killer that was a part of this.