Porcelain [ ᴊᴏᴋᴇʀ ]

Chapter 4: Unwanted Guest

(Originally published: October 2020)

(Rewritten: November 2024)

Crime & Chaos

" UNWANTED GUEST "

by house_of_gia

⸻⸻⸻⸻

Stalkers aren't brooding admirers. They love the idea of reducing a human to a terrified, quivering heap of tears that would do anything they demand. They destroy the life you're trying to build for yourself until you're living for nothing but them. They're abusive to disturbing extremes. Talking to them is pointless; they see it as the beginning of a negotiation they intend to win. In other words, in every interaction, they're setting you up to lose.

Unlike an abusive relationship you think you can live with, they're making you guess whether the next thing they do will be to kill you or someone you love. A possessive admirer isn't what a stalker acts like. The possessive admirer probably has some boundaries they won't cross and a sense of self-preservation. A stalker doesn't. They'll take you down with them if they don't get what they want, and what they want is to take you down. Piece. By. Piece.

Julie dropped the card and stepped back into something solid.

Brawny arms wrapped around her waist and arms before she could react and she yelled out, thrashing her legs. The person who held her let loose maniacal cackles, their grip on her figure painful. Bella had her hackles up and tail puffed, hissing profusely.

Useless fucking cat, I should've got a dog.

"Let go!"

She threw her head back and head-butted the man's jaw. A howl of laughter mixed with pain eluded him as his grip slackened, making it easier for her to escape his grip.

Shoving him off, she tried stabbing his side with the sharp-side of the key, but he dodged.

"You're lucky I didn't bring my, uh, toys, toots. It woulda' been a real party if I did."

"Stay away from me!"

Julie pointed her key at him like a handgun, arms extended to keep him at a distance.

An actual gun would've been useful right about now. Staring into his face, she realised just how much more terrifying he was in full makeup than without.

Up close to him, she almost fainted.

Like that day in the bank, his face was smothered with chalky white greasepaint, lips painted with vermilion and his eyes... his eyes were endless inky pits of darkness.

"Let's not be too hasty, Juuulie." He circled around her with his hands out in defence, gesturing towards her.

She stayed silent, jerking the key to remind him as she followed his circling. Unlike a Mexican stand-off, Julie was in the middle of the predator as it circled her. Like a vulture waiting for an injured animal to drop dead.

"Was your, uh, pop as feisty as you are?" A mocking giggle escaped his marred mouth.

She lunged at him with the key again. How fucking dare he mention my dad again.

With a swift dodge of the metal once again, he grabbed her arm and twisted it, making her yell out and buckle to the floor. He used a heavy boot to kick her stomach, forcing her further into the woven floor.