Chapter 3

I got scared immediately. Before this man could even move any closer I raised my hand and punched him square in the jaw. He fell back and growled. My hand hurts now but I don't care. I'd rather take this pain than take whatever kind of pain he was about to give me. He started getting up when I smacked my pillow in his face. I leaped out of bed and grabbed an old award I won in elementary for winning a spelling bee contest. I held it firmly and when he got up to come after me I ran at him and smacked the award against his face and chest. He groaned every time and I would hear him try to say something but I would never let him. He grabbed the award and threw it aside. I looked around for something but even if I tried to reach for something he would catch me before I could. I backed up into a wall and whimpered as he neared me. He chuckled deeply and I trembled. He brought out a knife and put the tip to my chin. A drop of sweat rolled down my face and I gulped. He started laughing a little more now. I may be small but I won't give him the satisfaction of suffering his torment. 

I took a deep breath and said, "Go ahead. Do it. I don't care if you kill me. Do it! I'm not scared of you...and I never will be. Alive nor in death will I ever be afraid of you...! You're a monster...but you're not my dictator of fear...! So do it! KILL ME! If you even have the guts?!" Even though I said that I was very afraid. But not of him in general...of actually dying. He stopped laughing and he seemed to be taken off guard. I took this advantage and pushed the knife away. I felt the tip scratch my chin but I'm sure it's not that bad. Nothing I can't handle. I punch him in the face again and he yelped. I kept hitting him over and over and he covered himself with his arms. Eventually I pinned him down and I sat on him, still punching him. He put a hand on my face to push me off but I grabbed it and bit it. "ARGH!" he yelled, "WHAT THE FU-!!!" Before he could finish I punched his face again. He grabbed my wrists and nearly crushed them. I whined and tried to pull them away but I couldn't. He was too strong. I struggled violently. He growled and said, "Hey, hey,hey, stop! No-stop! God dammit! Stop it I said! Jesus! And I'm the monster!!!"

"Well," I groaned, "if you didn't try to kill me then maybe I wouldn't have beaten you up!"

"You didn't beat me up!" he hisses, "You just hit me like the petty little bitch you are!"

"WHAT?!?!?" I exclaimed. I yanked my wrists away and punched him some more. He was getting furious now and he pushed me off with strong force. He held me down by the shoulders. His weight felt unbearable and uncomfortable. I thrashed and kicked. I slipped out of his grip and turned over onto my stomach to crawl away. But he wrapped his arms around my waist and tried pulling me towards him. I slapped his face a little but no use. I hulled myself away but he was still on me. I look and my only options of slipping out of his grip are very unimaginable to me but I have to try. I squirmed more and more until I felt my shorts slowly start to slip off. Oh dear...Once I felt them come loose I quickly get up and grab that award again. He sits up and is on his knees, ready to lunge when his eyes dart down and I see his very white face go red. I frown and wonder why he got like that then when I remember. I slipped out of my shorts...they're off.

I'm. In. My. Underwear....

I throw the award at his head and pull down my shirt to cover myself. The award hits his forehead and he falls back. He groans and I walk slowly towards him. I look down at him and he looks up at me. He's still red and he kept shifting his eyes from my face to my underwear. I frown and step on his face, turning him away and squishing him. "Jesus, not only are you a sadistic monster but a pervert too?! That's just messed up!" He groaned and managed to say, "At least I'm not the one with the polka dot panties...!" I growl and step on his face even more. "You insane bastard!"

"I do take pride," he remarks. I scowl and ask him, "Who are you and what do you want with me?" 

"I'm not telling you-!" I stepped on his face more, "Ow, ow, ow, ow, watch the smile."

"Tell me, now." 

"Okay! Fine, you really want to know so badly then I'll tell you! I'm a killer, all right. The name's Jeff." I froze slightly. Jeff? His name...is Jeff? This has got to be a  joke! "You're kidding me right?" I ask with a hint of anger. "You're name is Jeff? Are you pulling some sort of sick prank?!"

"Huh?" he mumbled. I shook my head. "What kind of a person dresses up in a silly cosplay and pretends to be Jeff the killer?!'

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"You can't fool me, all right. He isn't real! Just a stupid story!" I said. He frowned and said, "Look I don't know what the hell you're on about but I would appreciate it if you got your foot off of my face." I only stepped on him even more and he groaned. "I don't believe you're Jeff," I said, "I'm sure he wouldn't have been this calm about someone stepping on his face."

"You'd be surprised."

"If you're really a killer, and you're really Jeff then...how come you didn't kill me when I was up against the wall? I was totally vulnerable and you didn't take the chance. You seemed taken aback." He sighed and said, "I don't know...it's just...no one has ever said that they're not afraid to die in the verge of being killed before. I haven't heard words like what you said before in a long time. Every other person I've killed pleaded to live...but I never gave them a chance. It's gotten quite...predictable, their reactions and I was growing bored of it. But then...when I heard your words...I was shocked that I'd get a reaction like that considering the circumstances. Yet...you're only a girl...I would've thought you would plead too because you want to see so much of the world. But you said you were ready to die...and that made me...shocked but very pleased...because I finally got the outcome I wanted. To hear someone be stupid yet brave enough to tell me they're ready." 

I looked at him, my frown had started turning into a blank expression during his talking. He was just...surprised by my reaction? Well, I guess it would be kind of weird to hear a sixteen-year-old say they're prepared to die. I don't want to admit it but...when I was up against that wall...deep down I really was ready to die. What's wrong with me? Why would I feel that way? I have friends and a family! I can't ever feel that way! But I did...and I can't take those feelings back. That moment is in my history now...and I can't do anything to reverse it. 

"So...," I said, "will you, um, still kill me?"

"Depends if I'm still in the mood," he muttered. I clutched my shirt and thought about the few yet amazing people I'll leave behind if I die. I can't even bring myself to imagine their faces. I started to tear up and cry. I stepped off of him and dropped to the floor, sitting on my legs. I curled into a ball and sobbed quietly. "I'm not ready," I said, "I'm not ready. I'm not ready. I'm not ready. I'm not ready...!" I could feel Jeff's eyes on me, looking at me. I don't know what he'll do but I'd rather not know. Suddenly I felt a warmth of light on my face. I looked and saw a glowing little light near my chest. "What the hell...?" I whispered. I'm guessing Jeff saw too somehow and he gasped. "The proxy?" he said under his breath but I still heard him. I looked up, the glow still at my chest. He seemed to go uneasy for a few seconds then he reached over and laid a hand on the little light. "Hey!" I protested, "You pervert don't touch my-!" I was suddenly blinded by a bright white light. It stayed there for a while then my vision cleared. I looked around. Jeff was still here but something felt...off.  I looked at my wrists and yelped. On my wrists were a mark. An O with an X crossed over it. I frowned out of confusion. I touched them lightly but when I did they burned immensely. Jesus, it's like I just got branded! I look at Jeff and scowl, "Did you do this to me?"  

He shook his head hastily and stared at my wrists. I could tell he knew what the symbol was. I panicked a little and asked him what just happened. He just sat there, still staring at my wrists. Sigh, he won't tell me anything, I'm sure. I was about to snap him out of his daze when I heard footsteps coming to my door. I yelped and told him to go but I didn't have to. He was already leaping out of my window before I could say a word. I quickly ran to my bed and jumped in. I got in my blanket and heard the door open. I heard a confused hum but then they disregarded it and left. I opened my eyes to see it was my dad. I was probably making a racket. Well, it's not my fault! It's all that stupid Jeff's fault and now because of him I've been branded! When I was alone in my room I sighed and looked at my wrists. The mark is still there and...I have a feeling it won't come off. Ever. 

...

Next morning I snuck away my mom's make-up into my bathroom so I could put some foundation on my wrists to cover my marks. If my parents or friends saw them I'd have to explain or they'd freak out, thinking I got tattoos. But I'd never get something like that, especially if it's to get these symbols. I don't even know what they are. I'd look them up but I have to get the foundation on and put the make-up back before my mom notices and we leave. So really, I'm in quite a rush. Just hope the foundation blends in with my skin tone and no one sees the problem. As soon as I'm done I quickly run into my parents' bathroom and put the make-up back. I was about to leave when I thought about borrowing the foundation for today, just in case the one on my arm wears off. I take the foundation and slip it into my pocket. I feel weird taking stuff like this, but it's only make-up, not a million dollars. I walk out of the room and go downstairs to see my mom. 

She's all ready to go and I just grab my jacket and bag. We say good-bye to my dad again and take off for school. I put my wrists face down to avoid any comments on them from my mom. I see the school up ahead and I get nervous, more nervous then I usually get. We pull up to the school and I get down.  I walk through the halls, avoiding eye contact and manage to get to my class on time. I take my seat and stay quiet. Those girls are here earlier than usual. I wonder why? I look up and see a guy walk in. I immediately get the reaction to blush and look down at my lap. The guy that walked in...is the guy that I kind of have a crush on. Okay...I do. But we don't talk. Why would he talk to a low life like me anyways?

His name is Travis Wilson. His name isn't much but his looks are. With brown hair and hazel eyes it's no wonder girls fall for him. I'm one of them, but I never intended on it to happen. But I guess he's the reason why that group of girls are here so early. Apparently a few weeks ago Travis went through some surgery and had to be out of school for a long while. Now that he's back I guess the girls wanted to get here early to see him. Figures. They're so clingy, I'm surprised most guys go out with girls like that. It mostly leads to bad things. Trust me, I know what I'm talking about. I see it all the time. Either one of them cheats on the other, the girl gets so jealous that any girl her boyfriend talks to is immediately on her death list or they break up. And the stupid thing about it all? They always end up getting back together. One way or another...it's bound to happen. But I'm not a fool to ever fall for any of that. I just wish some people realized that and picked better people like me. Oh well, what can you do? Just let them be. They eventually realize their mistakes at some point, yet disregard it after that and do that same stupid thing again. It's a cycle. But sadly...it's a cycle of our society now. Sucks, I know. But like I said. What can you do?