The Gemini

2 - Cherry

Jody expected to see a blinding white light, the open welcoming arms of Jesus, and a singing angel or two. She saw none of those things and the sound that she now heard was more obnoxious than angelic. A cackle.

He was laughing.

Her murderer. The cold blooded killer. Or would be, at least.

She was standing. Still alive.

In her mind was a rushing river of questions and fear. How? Why? What? Each of them coming to a screeching halt when she felt something rolling down her forehead and along the bridge of her nose. Warm liquid, thick. Her chest heaved hyperventilating. Left hand trembling, she lifts it to her face, carefully touching her fingertips to the wet and sticky.

More he laughed.

The sight of red was enough to make her heart explode, and it would have if only the substance hadnt dripped from the tip of her nose and onto her bottom lip. Jody darted the tip of her tongue cross the lightly chapped skin tasting the salt of tears, the metallic of an injury, and....the tang of cherry.

Rubbing her fingertips together, she found that the liquid's texture was off and unmatching that of blood. After sampling her fingers she was certain. It wasnt blood nor was it brains; it was cherry syrup.

The man still stood out of the light but Jody didnt need to see him to know that he was beside himself with laughter. Though the arm holding the gun remained steady, she heard his foot stomping in sync with his hearty guffaws as he continued on as though this were the greatest jest on earth.

Meanwhile her fear grew to annoyance and then anger in mere seconds.

"What the hell? You think this is funny?"

The heckling began to lessen.

"Do you?" Her tone was one of fire. Now that she knew the gun was a fluke, she yelled releasing all of the frustrations that had built up since her hellish nightmare began. "Who does this? And why do you now my name, huh?"

Jody had predetermined that whoever was on the other side of that light was a coward. Despite this thinking, it was for an unknown reason that her feet remained planted to the spot where she stood instead of charging ahead bravely like her foolish pride told her to.

Boisterous cackles were now hushed chuckles. "Listen." He spoke, cadence calm.

"Is that what we do now? Snatch people and scare the living shit out of them and -"

"Listen to me." He interrupted.

"Of all things psychotic you - that's it," she riled, "You're a psycho."

A bitter tone drained the last bits of humor from his voice. "Shut up," he snaps.

Huffing, Jody shook her head. Then a scoff. "A punk coward. If I -"

Echoing was the metal clang of a flipped switch. The shine of another light from the ceiling silenced her ranting fury. Standing under the glow at her far right was one of the suited thugs that confronted her earlier. On his face was an emotional mixing of acceptance and fear. A trigger sounds. Jody's head whipped to the mystery man before her; his opposite arm extended with a gun in aim of the thug. She jumped, violently startled at the deafening bang and all the while wishing she hadnt seen the gory happening.

Head shot. Splattering internal matter.

She panted in shock, "oh my god!" Hands in her hair, she raked her fingers through the waves, grasping for sanity.

"Can you hear me now!" His sinister bark sent a chill down her spine. Clacking footsteps stalked forward into the revealing light. "I know you, Jody Bell," he grit.

Her eyes, hazed with tears, took in the visage of a crazed killer. He stood finely clad in a tailored purple suit with an open shirt collar the color of orange. She didnt know what to make of his face that was split precisely in two. The left side was painted white like that of a mime. There was a sharp peak to the penciled in brow and blood red rouge covering half of his mouth, exaggerating the corners upturn. The right of his face remained nude with his natural tanned complexion. The brow filled in just as the other but omitted a peak for a softer round. Both eyes lined with pencil.

In any other instance, Jody would've thought this look strange enough to warrant a mocking laugh. However in this moment, given the fact that hed just mercilessly took a mans life, it frightened her to sobs.

"I've known your voice," his tone went softer, "your face." With each word he stepped closer. Reaching out his empty hand, he caressed her cheek then ran his thumb across her bottom lip. He smiled wickedly before inserting the digit into his mouth, sucking off the collection of bodily fluid and fruit. "Now your taste," he gave a minor wince at the flavor.

Jody shut her eyes, willing it all to go away. "Please," she cried, "what do you want from me?"

"I want you to set me free."

"What?"

"You're going to give me my freedom."

"Look, I dont know who you think I am bu-"

Snatching his touch away from her, the man shoves the gun in her direction. "Jody! You're still not listening."

Opening her sights at the commotion, Jody yelped in response. She tried in vain to squirm away from the pistol that was mere inches from her face. She bit her tongue to keep from screaming, her throat could no longer handle the stress. Her voice had begun to crack.

The cool metal of the gun pressed against her skin as he traced her jaw line.

"Maybe it's time for another example, hm?" He continued down the length of her neck, stopping at her chest. "Something a little more...." His words trail off for three seconds worth of a dramatic pause. "....Personal."

Stupidity or bravery, Jody didnt know which it was that jumped into her at the moment. Whatever it was caused her to attack. She swat his arm away and barged forward to shove him. Continuing to fight as he forcibly grabbed her arm, she punched him square in the face and followed up with a swift kick between his legs.

He fell to the ground nursing his pains. "Bitch!" he yelled after her retreating form.

Jody took hold of adrenaline and ran against her injury. She needed to get out.

It wasnt long before chasing steps sounded behind her. Chancing a look back she saw that two of her old friends from the club alley were joined by three new faces in pursuit.

Focused forward, Jody's eyes darted wildly in the dark searching for an exit. Two hallways cleared and one sharp corner later she found her mecca. A lonely yellow lit bulb dangled over double doors. Pushing through, she continued sprinting into the wet night. The car that bought her here sat shining in the moonlight.

"Oh thank god." She breathed in relief when she pulled the handle of the unlocked door. Sliding hastily in she saw that the keys had been left in the ignition. "Idiots." Starting the engine, she wasted no time gunning out of the place.

The air that now filled her lungs tasted like freedom. Her heart pounded in rejoice. In her mind ran a chant of how she almost died. It was all enough to start a cry to her eyes for the umpteenth time.

Speeding down the roads, Jody was thankful to find the scenery familiar. It didn't take long for her to gain regional bearing and properly navigate her way back to the city.

The police station is where she should be heading but her injury told her otherwise. The pain in her left ankle had since spread down to her foot; the foot which she now noticed was swollen. Minutes ticked away and so did her heroic adrenaline. In excruciating discomfort, Jody changed her driven path. To the hospital she would go.

Warehouse....

He lay sprawled on his back under the spot light. He'd successfully stopped the blood that dripped from his nose. She gave him a run for his money. He could help but think it was funny.

"We lost her."

"She took the car."

His band of loyal purple idiots stood over him. Staring up at them, he rolled his eyes. Taking a deep breath, he decided against anger.

"Leave her be. I've got all that I need." He smiled, "Miss Bell will do just fine."