The girl let out a muffled scream in defiance as the gag loosened around her mouth. The man puffed out air and made a mental note to pull it tight in future, he could not have somebody hearing the noise. Passers bye, or just a neighbour who is a little bit nosey, that would not be good. Stepping towards the tied up girl, he snapped his fingers and pointed at her with a look of malevolence that stopped her struggling, and stopped her muffled voice better than any gag could. That made him smile. After fixing the gag, that was now so tight it threatened to tear the sides of the girls mouth, he parted the curtains creating a small gap to scan the dark street. Silence. Nothing but the rustles of the trees and a flickering lamp post. It was late, and there was not even any cars to be seen. A chuckle escaped through his smiling mouth, and he closed the curtains again. Spinning on his heel, and clapping his hands before rubbing them together, he decided it was time to get to work. He left the lounge with the girl tied to a chair, and entered the kitchen where he had placed everything he needed for the nights event. Dragging his heavy body bag filled with his things into the room he had just left, he began pulling out long pipes and tubes that a plumber might carry. Looking on terrified, the gagged girl began to struggle again, she did not try to scream or shout, but her eyes were wide and glassy, on the verge of tears and too afraid to make a sound. The pipes were placed side by side as more and more things were pulled out of the death bag. A big rubber mat was unrolled and placed flat on the wooden floor. The girl noticed that it had a shape or word cut into it, making it look like a huge stencil. Still struggling with fear, she began to make gasping noises around the gag with panic. He stopped his work with a huff, and walked up to her with a gun he suddenly pulled out of a holster on his hip, flashing a police badge, and cracked the terrified girl on the back of the skull, putting her to sleep. When she finally woke up in a state of confusion and probable concussion, the man was not there, and the lounge was full of the pipes. He had built a huge structure from them, almost like he was making art that people said was amazing and inspiring, but was really just a mess thrown together that made no sense and had no beauty. The pipes were attached to each other and stood like a sculpture. The girl thought it was spelling out a word, but could not be sure. If it was then it was backwards as she looked at it. Her vision was blurring and a cold substance that she was certain was blood, trickled down her back, and her head felt like it was exploding as she winced.
"Ah, you are awake, just in time" the man said with a smile as he walked back in to the room. He was carrying a black marker pen and a medical case, as he got down on one knee in front of her. Pulling up her white shirt, he began drawing on her stomach, causing her to cry silently and her body to heave as if vibrating. The man stood up and backed away to inspect his work from a short distance.
"Perfect" was all he said as he approached her once more and resumed his previous place. Opening the medical case, he took out a scalpel.
"Sorry" he whispered looking in to her eyes. The girl began to scream around her gag and closed her eyes tightly. The man began to cut in to her skin, following the lines of his pen work with practiced skill, the girl passed out once again from the pain and he continued his work. When he had finished, he pulled out a cotton pad and medical tape, and covered the fresh wounds. There was one more step to achieve, and he would be finished.
"This is going to be a sight to remember" he said with that smile once more.
. . . .
Alice was the only person there, and she had to try and stop the travesty that was about to happen. She cursed under her breath as she sneaked towards Molly with her hands up in the calming manner that people do, to try and stop something bad happening, but it never really helps or makes a difference.
"Alright Molly, don't do it, alright? Just stay still" She stepped as softly as she could, one foot in front of the other. Molly looked at her and Alice knew she was close to doing it.
"Molly, come on, don't do it, please" Alice pleaded with her hands stretched out in front of her. Her phone suddenly rang, and she gasped with shock.
"No!" She shouted as Molly did it. She nudged it of the windowsill with her tail as she turned and jumped out of reach at the sound of the ringing, sending the glass urn smashing into the hard wood floor, scattering the ashes of Bryan, her husbands grandad.
"Stupid cat!" Alice shouted as Molly ran for the cat flap in the kitchen, and disappeared outside.
"Unbelievable" She said taking her phone out of her pocket and answering the call.
"Detective Wade" She said with frustration and gritted teeth. She listened as the caller spoke and her eyes narrowed as she listened.
"Wade, Bear wants you at the station, he is pissed about something, better get your skates on, the smelly brown stuff has hit the fan"
"Shit" She shook her head knowing her boss was on the war path.
"Yeah, that is the smelly brown stuff"
"Alright, I'm on my way Lewis" The phone was stuffed back in her pocket with anger, before she walked quickly to the kitchen to pick up the small sweeping brush to save the ashes on the floor, and she placed them in a giant sized soup mug.
"Sorry Bryan" She said to the mug feeling guilty, before picking up her badge and gun, and leaving the house. She got in to her car and looked at her face in the rear view mirror to check her make-up and hair.
"You look like crap Alice" she said to herself with a scowl. It was her thirtieth birthday and she could already see the difference from being twenty nine, with a dozen new wrinkles which she could see around her eyes, and her blonde hair which looked slightly gray with the sunlight shining on to her head. The truth was she was just tired. She had been up late the night before, arguing with Nick her husband, and now the ashes of his grandad were sitting in a mug and he would be furious. She knew putting the ashes on the windowsill was a stupid thing to do. Pushing the thought away, and firing up her car, she headed to work.
