THE DARKNESS
CHAPTER 1
She crawled in through the window. She was an expert thief and burglar and had done this a million times before. No lights on, jimmy the window, crawl in, take the stuff you find, crawl back out. Not a problem. She'd watched this apartment for weeks and while the main rooms had lights turning on and off all the time, this room was always dark. So, she figured she'd go in, it might be a storage room, or a guest bedroom, and see what she could find. It wasn't that she liked being a thief or that she enjoyed taking other people's things, but it was easy money and this way she could feed herself a few more days. Without this she'd have had to turn to hooking or worse. She justified it that she wasn't selling drugs or her body, she was just taking he few small items that people had left lying around.
She crawled in the window and set her feet down in the dark room. She reached behind her to get a flashlight, and never heard or saw him coming. He was a lot taller than she was, he probably had six inches on her at least, and exceptionally strong. He grabbed her arms, slamming her back against the wall next to the window. She saw stars for a moment and when she refocused her eyes he was right in her face. Darker skin, bald, glowing eyes, giving her the most menacing look she'd ever encountered.
"Shit." She muttered under her breath. He wasn't amused and slammed her against the wall again. He was so strong and she hadn't at all prepared herself for hostility. Dark room means no one is in there! Her head was spinning from the impact and she clawed at his arms, trying to get him to let up, even if only a bit, so she could collect her thoughts and defend herself. He wasn't about to let that happen. He used one hand to grab both of her arms and hold them above her head.
He pulled a makeshift knife out, from where she didn't notice because she couldn't take her eyes off of his. But she saw the blade and panic took over her whole body. He put it to her chest and leaned into her. "Please don't kill me." She begged timidly.
He didn't respond at all, but continued holding her against the wall, and the knife to her chest. He moved his eyes over her whole body, taking every inch of her in. He studied her black cotton pants and black long sleeved fitted tee. He raked over her breasts and thighs, licking his lips sadistically. He touched the knife to her shoulder length hair, that she had tied back, and took in every detail of her face. He cut the strap holding her bag on her back, letting it fall to the floor before holding her against the wall again. He smelled her, closing his eyes, trying to place the scent. When he couldn't he looked into her eyes again. "What do you want?" he asked, his voice a low, intimidating, rumble from within his chest.
Don't panic! Get him talking and then think of a way out of this! "Look, just let me go. Please." She implored. Oh God he was going to kill her!
Instead, he leaned towards her face, and licked her cheek. She was absolutely repulsed. "Don't! Please!" She pleaded louder.
He threw her onto the large bed behind them, climbing on top of her, holding the knife to her throat. She couldn't think of what to do to help herself. She tried to fight back but he was so fucking strong she couldn't move! She was certain he'd kill her, or rape her, and either way she'd rather go out fighting. So, she started to cry for help as loud as she could manage. He slapped her across the face, but she didn't stop screaming.
Then he put his hands around her throat, instantly cutting off her oxygen supply, and the screams. Tears ran down her face as she tried to hit his hands and arms, make him let go. She heard the door open and prayed it was help.
"Riddick, what the hell are you doing?" a girl screamed.
"Get out Jack. This is no concern of yours." The man, named Riddick, replied in a stern monotone.
"You're going to kill her!" The girl named Jack yelled, trying to remove his hands from her throat.
"She broke in." Riddick argued. His grip wasn't getting any more relaxed. The woman was sure these were her last few minutes and she prayed to God to save her, swearing she'd never rob again.
"You can't kill her." Jack stated, trying to be calm. Riddick looked to the girl, Jack, and swore under his breath. It was the last thing the woman heard before blackness came to her.
1 CHAPTER 2
She came to hours later. The first thought that went through her head was, "Thank God. I'm alive." The second was, "Where am I?" Her body ached from the struggle with that dark man earlier. Riddick. The girl, Jack, she'd called him Riddick. She let her mind move over her body, appreciating that her clothing had been removed, but not her undergarments. She secretly thanked God she'd worn a tight fitting tank with a built in bra, rather than just her bra. Otherwise she'd be here more naked than she was now. Still, in this room, in only her tank and underwear, with no blanket, she was freezing cold.
She tried to swallow, and realized how badly her throat hurt. She remembered the feel of his hands around her neck, choking the life out of her, and was grateful that that pain was all she'd suffered. She tried to move her hands, but discovered they were tied together in front of her with what felt like a soft rope. She opened her eyes and could barely make out the line of the rope in that darkness. She saw it leading from her expertly joined hands to where it was attached to the headboard of the bed she was lying on. She realized she was in the same room she'd broken into, tied to the bed that she'd been thrown onto by that man, where he'd tried to kill her….but hadn't. Clearly he could have if he'd wanted to. So, why spare her?
Damn, she was so cold. Stay focused! She wasn't alone. He was lying next to her in the bed, sleeping. Don't wake him!
She looked around the room cautiously, taking in whatever details she could. The room was rather large, larger than she'd realized when she broke in. There was this large bed, large enough for the both of them to be lying there together but not touching. It had a headboard and footboard. It was situated against the wall, in the corner of the room. To the right, past where he was sleeping, there was the door the girl had appeared from, probably leading to the rest of the apartment. That door was closed. To the left, next to her, was that wall. At the foot of the bed was the window she'd come in through. She recalled the bed having been in the center of the room, with room to walk on either side, and then decided he'd moved it into the corner so she'd be closed in where she lay. There was a dresser against the wall, facing the bed. There was another door, partially open, in the corner opposite her and the window, on the same wall as the door to the apartment. Maybe a bathroom? And then, on that wall, was a long closet.
She rested her head again. What to do? How to get out of this? Her hands had a little give, but not enough for her to escape the binds. Shit! This was the wrong apartment to have broken into. Who was this guy anyhow?
She checked him out as he slept. Riddick? Why did that name sound so familiar? She'd already been able to learn a lot about him based on his conduct earlier. He was strong, much stronger than she was. Muscular and powerful. He was skilled in weapons and fighting. His eyes glowed….shined maybe? That would mean he'd been in Slam, since the practice had developed there, and only convicts seemed to have bothered to undergo the painful procedure. Having been in Slam meant he was a really bad guy, murderer, rapist, terrorist. And he was here, which meant he'd escaped. They don't let you out of Slam. That's why she knew the name. Riddick, escaped murderer. Duh?! They'd been looking for him about a year ago, maybe more than that, big reward for his capture. Didn't he die? Some sort of crash. Yeah. Well, he obviously hadn't died in the crash.
Excellent pick for an apartment! Of all the shit holes on this rock, she picked the one with the psycho killer at home. Note to self: Find a real job.
She looked at him and noticed a glint from his waistband. His shiv, the one he'd held to her earlier. Take the risk! Grab it! Stab his ass to death! Cut yourself free! Yeah, like it's be that easy. Something is going to go wrong here. Seems way to easy. But, what else was there to do? She couldn't climb over him, he'd wake up. Even if she could she had to first free herself from her restraints, which wasn't going to be easy. So, go for it! At the very least she might get it and get the upper hand and force him to free her.
Gradually she moved her bound hands through the darkness, making her way towards the steel she could see, watching him for movement or awareness. Then, as she placed her hands gingerly on the blade, thinking she might be home free, his powerful hand grabbed hers and twisted it until she cried out. She tried to fight back but again was no match for his strength. In a split second he'd grabbed the blade himself, and as he held it to her chest again he undid the rope tying her to the bed.
Without a word he picked her up, carrying her over one shoulder though the door in the room, which was a bathroom. He turned on the water and threw her into the tub. She jumped up, feeling the ice cold water spray onto her. She tried to get away but he grabbed her by the hair and held her under the shower. She cried out to him to let her go but he ignored her protests, holding her under the water until she was drenched and shivering with cold. Then he shut the water off and dragged her by her hands into the bedroom again. He threw her on the hard wood floor at the foot of the bed, and tied her hands to the footboard.
She sat there shivering. And you thought you were cold before! Now you're brilliant plan has gotten you cold and wet, and at the mercy of this psychopath. Now you're going to die of pneumonia. Another excellent plan! It took a second before she took her mind away from the fact that she was freezing to death and recognized that he was crouched down in front of her, looking into her face. It crossed her mind that the bare clothing she had on was a light fabric, which now surely clung to her every curve and dimension, and that the light coloring of the fabric meant he could now see through it, giving him quite an eyeful. She pushed the thought out of her head as minor in compared to her present situation. She stared back at him, not wanting to let him see her weak like this. He knew what she was trying to do, trying to be brave and strong, and he smiled at her. His mockery of her situation just made her more mad and more determined to not freeze to death there on that floor.
"My fault I guess. I didn't tell you the rules." He stated. "So, here they are. Number one, do not try to escape. That includes trying to cry or signal for help. Number two, do not try to harm me or Jack, if she happens to come near you. Number three, do not speak to Jack ever, even if she speaks to you. If you violate any of these three rules then you will force me to hurt you. Number four, if you want anything at all, food, water, anything, ask me nicely and I will give it to you. If you don't ask then you will go without. Number five, ask me whatever questions you want but don't expect an answer. Number six, if I ask you a question then answer me, or you will go without something you need or want. Nod if you understand me."
She nodded. Like hell she was going to just be nice and docile. There was no way she was going to play this game, whatever it was.
"If you obey these rules then we'll be fine together. You'll eat and stay warm and I won't have to hurt you. Otherwise you're stay here will be very unpleasant." He continued.
"What do you want with me?" she asked him.
He didn't answer her. "Now, because you were either trying to escape or trying to hurt me, or both, you get to sleep on this floor, and freeze. Learn the lesson now because I do not have the patience to do this every night."
"What are you going to do to me?" she asked again.
Again he ignored her. "Get some sleep."
"Look if you're going to rape me or kill me then just fucking get it over with. Whatever this is isn't going to work." She told him, trying to sound strong and assertive, but knowing she probably came across as very frightened, which she definitely was.
He chuckled at her, mocking her again. She felt the bed shift as he laid down again. She continued speaking to him but he ignored her. And she realized the more she spoke the more her throat hurt her. She quieted down and decided to save her strength to fight the cold, and stay alive.
Then she heard him murmur, "Strong survival instinct."
2 CHAPTER 3
CHAPTER 1
She crawled in through the window. She was an expert thief and burglar and had done this a million times before. No lights on, jimmy the window, crawl in, take the stuff you find, crawl back out. Not a problem. She'd watched this apartment for weeks and while the main rooms had lights turning on and off all the time, this room was always dark. So, she figured she'd go in, it might be a storage room, or a guest bedroom, and see what she could find. It wasn't that she liked being a thief or that she enjoyed taking other people's things, but it was easy money and this way she could feed herself a few more days. Without this she'd have had to turn to hooking or worse. She justified it that she wasn't selling drugs or her body, she was just taking he few small items that people had left lying around.
She crawled in the window and set her feet down in the dark room. She reached behind her to get a flashlight, and never heard or saw him coming. He was a lot taller than she was, he probably had six inches on her at least, and exceptionally strong. He grabbed her arms, slamming her back against the wall next to the window. She saw stars for a moment and when she refocused her eyes he was right in her face. Darker skin, bald, glowing eyes, giving her the most menacing look she'd ever encountered.
"Shit." She muttered under her breath. He wasn't amused and slammed her against the wall again. He was so strong and she hadn't at all prepared herself for hostility. Dark room means no one is in there! Her head was spinning from the impact and she clawed at his arms, trying to get him to let up, even if only a bit, so she could collect her thoughts and defend herself. He wasn't about to let that happen. He used one hand to grab both of her arms and hold them above her head.
He pulled a makeshift knife out, from where she didn't notice because she couldn't take her eyes off of his. But she saw the blade and panic took over her whole body. He put it to her chest and leaned into her. "Please don't kill me." She begged timidly.
He didn't respond at all, but continued holding her against the wall, and the knife to her chest. He moved his eyes over her whole body, taking every inch of her in. He studied her black cotton pants and black long sleeved fitted tee. He raked over her breasts and thighs, licking his lips sadistically. He touched the knife to her shoulder length hair, that she had tied back, and took in every detail of her face. He cut the strap holding her bag on her back, letting it fall to the floor before holding her against the wall again. He smelled her, closing his eyes, trying to place the scent. When he couldn't he looked into her eyes again. "What do you want?" he asked, his voice a low, intimidating, rumble from within his chest.
Don't panic! Get him talking and then think of a way out of this! "Look, just let me go. Please." She implored. Oh God he was going to kill her!
Instead, he leaned towards her face, and licked her cheek. She was absolutely repulsed. "Don't! Please!" She pleaded louder.
He threw her onto the large bed behind them, climbing on top of her, holding the knife to her throat. She couldn't think of what to do to help herself. She tried to fight back but he was so fucking strong she couldn't move! She was certain he'd kill her, or rape her, and either way she'd rather go out fighting. So, she started to cry for help as loud as she could manage. He slapped her across the face, but she didn't stop screaming.
Then he put his hands around her throat, instantly cutting off her oxygen supply, and the screams. Tears ran down her face as she tried to hit his hands and arms, make him let go. She heard the door open and prayed it was help.
"Riddick, what the hell are you doing?" a girl screamed.
"Get out Jack. This is no concern of yours." The man, named Riddick, replied in a stern monotone.
"You're going to kill her!" The girl named Jack yelled, trying to remove his hands from her throat.
"She broke in." Riddick argued. His grip wasn't getting any more relaxed. The woman was sure these were her last few minutes and she prayed to God to save her, swearing she'd never rob again.
"You can't kill her." Jack stated, trying to be calm. Riddick looked to the girl, Jack, and swore under his breath. It was the last thing the woman heard before blackness came to her.
1 CHAPTER 2
She came to hours later. The first thought that went through her head was, "Thank God. I'm alive." The second was, "Where am I?" Her body ached from the struggle with that dark man earlier. Riddick. The girl, Jack, she'd called him Riddick. She let her mind move over her body, appreciating that her clothing had been removed, but not her undergarments. She secretly thanked God she'd worn a tight fitting tank with a built in bra, rather than just her bra. Otherwise she'd be here more naked than she was now. Still, in this room, in only her tank and underwear, with no blanket, she was freezing cold.
She tried to swallow, and realized how badly her throat hurt. She remembered the feel of his hands around her neck, choking the life out of her, and was grateful that that pain was all she'd suffered. She tried to move her hands, but discovered they were tied together in front of her with what felt like a soft rope. She opened her eyes and could barely make out the line of the rope in that darkness. She saw it leading from her expertly joined hands to where it was attached to the headboard of the bed she was lying on. She realized she was in the same room she'd broken into, tied to the bed that she'd been thrown onto by that man, where he'd tried to kill her….but hadn't. Clearly he could have if he'd wanted to. So, why spare her?
Damn, she was so cold. Stay focused! She wasn't alone. He was lying next to her in the bed, sleeping. Don't wake him!
She looked around the room cautiously, taking in whatever details she could. The room was rather large, larger than she'd realized when she broke in. There was this large bed, large enough for the both of them to be lying there together but not touching. It had a headboard and footboard. It was situated against the wall, in the corner of the room. To the right, past where he was sleeping, there was the door the girl had appeared from, probably leading to the rest of the apartment. That door was closed. To the left, next to her, was that wall. At the foot of the bed was the window she'd come in through. She recalled the bed having been in the center of the room, with room to walk on either side, and then decided he'd moved it into the corner so she'd be closed in where she lay. There was a dresser against the wall, facing the bed. There was another door, partially open, in the corner opposite her and the window, on the same wall as the door to the apartment. Maybe a bathroom? And then, on that wall, was a long closet.
She rested her head again. What to do? How to get out of this? Her hands had a little give, but not enough for her to escape the binds. Shit! This was the wrong apartment to have broken into. Who was this guy anyhow?
She checked him out as he slept. Riddick? Why did that name sound so familiar? She'd already been able to learn a lot about him based on his conduct earlier. He was strong, much stronger than she was. Muscular and powerful. He was skilled in weapons and fighting. His eyes glowed….shined maybe? That would mean he'd been in Slam, since the practice had developed there, and only convicts seemed to have bothered to undergo the painful procedure. Having been in Slam meant he was a really bad guy, murderer, rapist, terrorist. And he was here, which meant he'd escaped. They don't let you out of Slam. That's why she knew the name. Riddick, escaped murderer. Duh?! They'd been looking for him about a year ago, maybe more than that, big reward for his capture. Didn't he die? Some sort of crash. Yeah. Well, he obviously hadn't died in the crash.
Excellent pick for an apartment! Of all the shit holes on this rock, she picked the one with the psycho killer at home. Note to self: Find a real job.
She looked at him and noticed a glint from his waistband. His shiv, the one he'd held to her earlier. Take the risk! Grab it! Stab his ass to death! Cut yourself free! Yeah, like it's be that easy. Something is going to go wrong here. Seems way to easy. But, what else was there to do? She couldn't climb over him, he'd wake up. Even if she could she had to first free herself from her restraints, which wasn't going to be easy. So, go for it! At the very least she might get it and get the upper hand and force him to free her.
Gradually she moved her bound hands through the darkness, making her way towards the steel she could see, watching him for movement or awareness. Then, as she placed her hands gingerly on the blade, thinking she might be home free, his powerful hand grabbed hers and twisted it until she cried out. She tried to fight back but again was no match for his strength. In a split second he'd grabbed the blade himself, and as he held it to her chest again he undid the rope tying her to the bed.
Without a word he picked her up, carrying her over one shoulder though the door in the room, which was a bathroom. He turned on the water and threw her into the tub. She jumped up, feeling the ice cold water spray onto her. She tried to get away but he grabbed her by the hair and held her under the shower. She cried out to him to let her go but he ignored her protests, holding her under the water until she was drenched and shivering with cold. Then he shut the water off and dragged her by her hands into the bedroom again. He threw her on the hard wood floor at the foot of the bed, and tied her hands to the footboard.
She sat there shivering. And you thought you were cold before! Now you're brilliant plan has gotten you cold and wet, and at the mercy of this psychopath. Now you're going to die of pneumonia. Another excellent plan! It took a second before she took her mind away from the fact that she was freezing to death and recognized that he was crouched down in front of her, looking into her face. It crossed her mind that the bare clothing she had on was a light fabric, which now surely clung to her every curve and dimension, and that the light coloring of the fabric meant he could now see through it, giving him quite an eyeful. She pushed the thought out of her head as minor in compared to her present situation. She stared back at him, not wanting to let him see her weak like this. He knew what she was trying to do, trying to be brave and strong, and he smiled at her. His mockery of her situation just made her more mad and more determined to not freeze to death there on that floor.
"My fault I guess. I didn't tell you the rules." He stated. "So, here they are. Number one, do not try to escape. That includes trying to cry or signal for help. Number two, do not try to harm me or Jack, if she happens to come near you. Number three, do not speak to Jack ever, even if she speaks to you. If you violate any of these three rules then you will force me to hurt you. Number four, if you want anything at all, food, water, anything, ask me nicely and I will give it to you. If you don't ask then you will go without. Number five, ask me whatever questions you want but don't expect an answer. Number six, if I ask you a question then answer me, or you will go without something you need or want. Nod if you understand me."
She nodded. Like hell she was going to just be nice and docile. There was no way she was going to play this game, whatever it was.
"If you obey these rules then we'll be fine together. You'll eat and stay warm and I won't have to hurt you. Otherwise you're stay here will be very unpleasant." He continued.
"What do you want with me?" she asked him.
He didn't answer her. "Now, because you were either trying to escape or trying to hurt me, or both, you get to sleep on this floor, and freeze. Learn the lesson now because I do not have the patience to do this every night."
"What are you going to do to me?" she asked again.
Again he ignored her. "Get some sleep."
"Look if you're going to rape me or kill me then just fucking get it over with. Whatever this is isn't going to work." She told him, trying to sound strong and assertive, but knowing she probably came across as very frightened, which she definitely was.
He chuckled at her, mocking her again. She felt the bed shift as he laid down again. She continued speaking to him but he ignored her. And she realized the more she spoke the more her throat hurt her. She quieted down and decided to save her strength to fight the cold, and stay alive.
Then she heard him murmur, "Strong survival instinct."
2 CHAPTER 3