Todd walked out of the living room and into the foyer. He crept towards the door and gently eased off the chain, unlocked the door, and opened it. Without going outside, he reached out the door and pushed the doorbell. Then as quickly as silence would allow, he closed and bolted the door again.
As soon as Marty turned off the blow dryer, she heard the doorbell ring. She grabbed her robe and put it on as she was running down the stairs to answer the door.
Great, just great, Marty said to herself. When she saw that there was no one outside, she figured whomever had been ringing the doorbell for the whole time she was drying her hair and of course decided to leave seconds before she got to the door.
Todd watched Marty through the ajar closet door. When she turned away from the front door and walked toward the living room, he eased out of the closet. Her back was still to him as he slowly crept up behind her.
Even before he spoke, Marty was suddenly overcome with the feeling that she was not alone, so her heart had already begun racing before she heard Todd say. "Hello, Marty."
Her feet took off towards the living room before her head got a chance to turn around and confirm the face that belonged to the voice she heard.
"Where are you going?" Todd said as he grabbed her before she had gotten more than two feet away. He pushed her into the living room and shoved her down in a chair.
"Miss me." Todd said and laughed.
No, no, no, this is not happening again. Marty thought
When Todd backed away from the chair, Marty bolted towards the door. But again, Todd was much quicker. He grabbed her and roughly turned her to face him. She bounced off his chest when he pulled her toward him. Marty continued to struggle until Todd wedged her between himself and her piano.
"I told you I'd be back Marty. And I know this time they'll be no interruptions."
"Why? Why do you want to keep hurting me? Why can't you just leave me alone." Marty said through tears.
"Why? Why!" Todd said losing his boyish smirk and replacing it with a scowl. Todd released Marty and backed up a step. "You have the nerve to ask me why. I told you. I warned you about what would happen if you said anything." Todd said forcefully. "But no. NO! You stupid slut! You had to tell. And sure, we got off, and made you look like the lying slut that you are. But there are still some people out there that are going to treat me like a leper. And I still had to go through that trial while my dad screamed at me and my lawyer. And thanks to that trial my dad is transferring me to another school. A school in the middle of nowhere! A nothing school! Oh and he says it's for my own good, but I know it's because of what you said. He doesn't want my tarnished name anywhere near his job or home. So there's no way you're gonna get away with ruining my life. It's time for you to pay, party girl.
Ruin his life, Marty thought. Todd was crazy. He was absolutely nuts. He thinks that I ruined his life. he came here to get revenge on me for what came out of what he did in the first place. Crazy. And crazy enough to do anything. Marty looked at how Todd's eyes were burning with anger and hatred and...excitement. He couldn't wait. He is going to rape me again. Marty's knees suddenly became weak. But what's to stop him from killing me afterwards. After all, Todd is crazy. Marty burst into new tears.
Todd's smirk came back. When Todd walked toward her, Marty stepped out of herself for a few minutes. She didn't want to deal with it. She reasoned let him do what he wants and then at least it will be over. It was oddly comforting the thought of just giving in. She could find a corner of her mind to retreat to where it was dark and safe. She could stay there forever. It was so tempting but then another voice spoke. It was faint at first but she heard it. What are you, just as crazy as Todd? You are not giving up that easily. She almost dismissed that soft voice but then it screamed at her.
FIGHT!
She jolted to awareness. At first, she didn't know where she was. She felt something hard pressing against her back and something heavy on her chest, but nothing against her feet. She distinctly remembered the floor being under her feet. She then felt Todd's lips against her ear. She realized she was lying on the floor and Todd was on top of her! Her robe was gone. Oh God, no. But she didn't feel him...inside her. He was talking to her.
"This is wrong." She finally heard him say. Todd's face appeared above hers. "Not here. I want it to be like when we first met. You remember that Marty. When you begged me to stay the night with you. I want to go to your bedroom."
Marty's eyes widened at the thought of being violated in the place she felt most safe in the world, her bed.
Todd pulled Marty to her feet and began pulling her toward the stairs.
"No. No." Marty cried and began to resist.
"Cut it out. Listen to me if you don't start acting like a good little girl, I'm going to tie you to a chair. Then I'm going to make a phone call to the frat house. I'm sure I'll be able to find five, ten, twenty or so of my brothers who wouldn't mind coming over. How's that sound Marty, me and my frat brothers running a train on you. Now wouldn't you rather it be just the two of us, upstairs in your bedroom like before.
Marty choked back vomit at the thought of leading Todd to her bedroom. Her bedroom? Marty's heart fluttered with hope. The gun, it was in the dresser beside her bed.
"Let's go." She said surprising herself as well as Todd at how steady her voice was. "You're not going to stop till you get what you want. So, I mind as well be comfortable."
With a trembling hand, Marty turned her bedroom doorknob and opened the door. When she and Todd walked in, Marty's eyes immediately went toward the dresser with the gun in its drawer.
"Just as I remember it." She heard Todd say. "Come here." He said before roughly turning her to face him. Before she could react, he pulled her toward him and she felt his tongue push into her mouth as he mashed her head into his. Todd's mouth then found its way to her neck still keeping his grip on her vice tight.
"Todd wait. Please wait." Marty said once her mouth was free. "Todd please."
"What!" Todd finally said, his frustration evident.
"I thought you wanted it to be like before." Marty said slowly.
"What do you mean?" He said surprised at Marty's change.
"How about I put on something a little...sexier." Marty said as she tugged at her nightgown.
Todd's facial expression revealed his surprise. He quickly recovered and threw on his more comfortable smirk.
"Good idea."
Marty looked toward the dresser with the gun planning to pretend her lingerie was in there.
Todd watched her eyes. "I'll pick it out." He said halting Marty as she was about to make a move toward the dresser.
"No!" Marty nearly shouted when Todd reached down toward the dresser.
Todd stood up, a little startled by her response.
"Their not in there." Marty said and forced herself to smile. She then turned and walked toward the closet across the room.
"This one." Todd said after rummaging through her clothes. Of course he picked the skimpiest article of apparel in the closet.
Marty took it and made a motion toward the bathroom.
"Uh uh." He said as he grabbed her arm. "Put it on right here." Todd folded his arms across his chest and grinned.
Fighting a losing battle to not tremble, Marty removed her long nightgown and put on the lingerie, while Todd drank in every inch of her. Amazingly, she felt more ashamed standing before Todd with the lingerie on than she had when she was naked.
Todd walked slowly to Marty and pulled her toward him. Not allowing an inch between them, he edged her toward the bed.
"One more thing." Marty said but Todd gave no indication that he heard her. "Wait. Please, Todd, just one more thing."
"No more stalling." Todd said and continued to grope and kiss her.
"Please." Marty squealed urgently, panic beginning to come back at the thought of not being able to carry out her plan.
"What now?" Todd finally said.
"Can you please...put on a condom." Marty said.
"What. Marty I don't have any damn condoms." Todd said annoyed.
"I do, please just use one." Marty stammered.
Todd stared at her. He ignored the tiny voice in his head that said this was a trick. Why not? He thought. She's obviously given in. I can do this one thing for her. "Fine." Todd finally said.
"There right in here." Marty said as she quickly reached down to her dresser and opened it.
"Todd began pulling off his shirt. Marty's voice was the first thing he noticed. He didn't see the gun until a moment later.
"Get out." Marty had said. She was only three feet away pointing a gun directly at his chest. Her eyes were blazing with hate.
Todd almost laughed. Seeing Marty with that sleazy little number on and pointing a gun at him. It was almost like some kinky sex scene. But when he looked in her eyes, the laughter died in his throat. How dare she? His next thought was. She had turn the tables on me again. Again! That bitch. Getting me all excited and then pulling a gun. Oh no. She was going to pay.
"Put the gun down before you hurt yourself." Todd said
"GET THE HELL OUT OF MY HOUSE!" Marty shouted. "Todd, I swear, if you come near me again, I'll kill you. I'LL KILL YOU!"
"You really think you could kill me, Marty. You show me. You pull that trigger." Todd said and took a step toward her.
"Get out Todd. Don't you dare come near me." Marty shouted as she began backing away from him. Stop it! Marty said to herself when her hands began shaking viciously.
"Look at you. You probably don't even know how to use that thing." He began walking toward her again. Then his voice dropped an octave and his eyes burned with an animal rage. "Now give me the gun, and let me teach you how much of a slut you are." Todd said less than a foot away from her.
Suede pulled into Marty's driveway and hurried out of the car. He'd been trying to call her since an hour after he went to work. The phone kept coming up busy. He thought maybe the crank calls started up again and she took the phone off the hook. But he wanted to be sure.
Suede heard the gun shot just as he was about to ring the doorbell. He knew instantly it came from Marty's house. With three swift kicks, he forced open the front door.
"MARTY!" Suede yelled as he ran into the house.
When Suede burst into Marty's room, nothing seemed to be out of the ordinary. The room was in one piece, The bed made. It was nice and quiet. Everything looked normal, except for the fact that Todd's body was sprawled out in front of the bed with blood oozing out of his chest.
The realization of what he was seeing finally struck Suede. He closed his eyes and opened them but Todd was still there. Suede had no doubt in his mind that the guy was dead. But something was missing.
"Marty." Suede said again. He then noticed movement on the other side of the bed.
Shaking uncontrollable, staring into nothing with tear streaked eyes, Marty was scrunched into the corner.
Marty didn't remember Suede coming to her and holding her and telling her everything would be alright. She didn't remember the constant in and out traffic of the police officers walking through her house. She didn't remember the paramedics loading Todd's body into a stretcher and zipping the body bag. She didn't hear the ambulance or police sirens. She didn't see flashes of the cameras. She didn't feel the handcuffs going around her wrists or remember the ride to the police station and all that came after, which was why she was so scared and confused when she woke up the next morning in a jail cell.