Inside Out

One

"Someone, help!" I scream, running for my life down the dark back alley between two apartment buildings in LA.

I turn my head, looking behind me to see how close he is chasing me.

He is a man dressed in all black. Black jeans, black leather coat, and a black beanie. Even with the light coming from the lamp on the sides of the building, I could not make out his face.

I'm running as fast as I can, but I don't know how much longer I can last. It is then when I realize who is chasing me.

"How the hell did he find me?" I think to myself, heart racing faster.

The air is slowly fading my sense of touch, fingers and nose turning more blue with every step I take. Tears turning into little crystals as they drop from my face.

I see the fire escape ladder leading to my apartment about twenty feet away. Right as I come up on the red ladder, I jump as far and high as I can.

I barely manage to move my fingers to wrap around the icy red surface. I use the last bit of my strength to pull up and hook my scraped, bare foot on the bar. I start the climb to the platform where the stairs begin.

The man jumps as I make the platform and I start running up the stairs. Six flights up is my apartment.

"Come back here you fucking cunt!" The man yells from below.

"Get the fuck away from me," I scream back, not daring to look down at him.

I make it to the window, which I always leave unlocked, and push it open to climb through the narrow opening. I turn around and close the shutters, followed by the window and lock both. I start backing away as I hear him banging on the black shutters.

Finally, I turn and run through my bedroom, avoiding the clutter and mess on the floor. I breeze past the narrow hallway and turn into the kitchen. I grab my telephone and dial 911.

"Los Angeles police department," the dispatcher says.

"Hello," I begin, trying to catch my breath. "There is a man- he is trying to break into my apartment! He followed me here and he has a gun! Please send help!"

"We have your location and I just notified the police. They are on their way. Please stay on the line," the dispatcher states. "May I please have your name?"

"M- My name is Kevin," I respond.

"Alright Kevin take a few deep breaths," the dispatcher says, trying to calm me down. "Is there anywhere in your house that is secure away from the window?"

"Yes there is a guest bathroom."

"Okay," she says. "Walk over to the bathroom and go in, locking the door behind you."

I do as I'm told. I walk to the bathroom, violently panting and shaking, and close the door behind me, firmly securing the lock and moving the small stand up cabinet in front of the door, hoping to add more protection.

"Kevin, try taking slow deep breaths," the dispatcher says.

I do as I'm told and breathe slower and deeper, feeling the cold air in the room slowly fill my lungs.

I hear sirens and see the blue lights come through the window, reflecting on the light green paint on the walls.

"The police have arrived," I state.

"Okay. I will need you to stay on the phone until they have confirmed capture of the man trying to break in."

"Police! Come away from the window and show your hands!" I hear come from outside.

The police keep screaming as the man breaks in. I hear three beeps on my phone. When I finally get the courage to look at it, I see the thing I was dreading the most. A red battery with a symbol telling me to plug in my dead phone.

"Shit," I say in a panic.

I hear the door knob move and I back into the corner and crouch down.

The man kicks the door open, causing the items in the stand-up cabinet to fly all over the white tile flooring of the guest bathroom.

"Well," he says, picking up my razor blades. "This could be fun!"

"What the hell do you want?" I ask.

"I want to do the same thing that I did to your family and your little boyfriend. What was his name? Oh right, Tate."

He walks over to me and points the gun at my foot, pulling the trigger. I scream as blood runs from my foot.

"Looks like you can't get away now!" He says. "Let's start with this little razor here."

I start crawling away in fear, while a single tear rolls down my cheek, splashing onto the floor.

He grabs me by the neck and pulls me up, pinning me against the wall next to the window. He presses the sharp silver blade onto my cheek and pulls his hand downward. He moves onto the side of my neck.

"Any last words you'd like to say?" He asks.

"Fuck you," I say.

He pushes the blade deep in my neck, blood quickly rushing out of the incision.

I hear the glass of the window behind me shatter just after I hear a bang outside. I see him stiff up and slowly fall to the ground.

He is finally dead, I think to myself.

I slump against the wall and lower to the ground, bringing my knees to my chest. I have a smile on my face, relief running through my whole body.

"Take that, bitch," I say as my vision fades to black.