None of the characters are mine, only the plot. No copyright infringement is intended.

Thanks and love as always to me beta, sue273, for her continued support and patience with me.

Chapter Seven

Days passed, and the police had nothing. No suspects, no clues, no leads—nothing. I was becoming more and more frustrated with it all. It was like they had given up, like I was no longer important and they had bigger and better cases to deal with. Jacob Black, the officer handling my case, had called to say that there had been no prints on any of the notes or from my computer at work. Even if it had been remotely accessed, there was no way to find out. IT were accessing our computers all the time for updates and scanning for viruses etc. So logs would be useless.

So, once again my case went cold, and I found myself thinking more and more that it was going to have to be down to me. If my would-be killer was ever caught, it would be by my hand, not theirs. That was a thought that depressed me. To serve and protect, is what they say. Yet there I was, serving and protecting myself.

I called Alice and asked her if she could get in contact with her hypnotist friend. I had read somewhere that people who had been severely traumatized by something that had happened to them, had suddenly started remembering facts after seeing a hypnotherapist.

Naturally, she was totally against the idea of messing around with my head, but I changed her mind quickly. If she wouldn't contact him, then I would just find someone else. I was sure that she would rather I went ahead with this with someone who she knew and could trust to do it all properly. Besides, every other avenue had been exhausted; this was the last one I had left.

Garrett agreed to meet with me the following week; he was, of course, booked up until then. He was doing it for nothing—he owed Alice a favour—and she was calling it in for me; something to do with their college days. I was grateful nonetheless.

I hoped that Garrett could help me get to some of the answers that could aid me in finding the son of a bitch who had tried, but failed, to take my life. I decided when my life was up, not some low life scum bag who got off by preying on women. I had to get to the bottom of it all; I couldn't stand the constant feeling of being watched, then turning round to find nothing and no one there. Just the street and myself. It was seriously unnerving.

I didn't feel safe at work anymore; people would stare, point, go quiet as soon as I entered a room. It had reached the point where a note would be left for me every day. Whether it was on my computer, through my letter box or left on my desk. I was never alone.

Alice wanted me to move back in with her, but I knew it was not what Emmett wanted. He wanted Alice to himself, and he deserved her to himself. She was carrying his baby. As much as I loved her, I declined her generous offer.

Time soon passed, and I was ready for my first meeting with Garrett. I was a little apprehensive, but mostly excited. I had never been hypnotized before and a part of me was extremely giddy about it. He had called the night before to tell me that it would be best if he saw me at his house, that way I wouldn't be left with the feeling that whatever I saw or remembered, was left in the house with me. He did say to bring something that was comforting with me, so I'd picked up my favourite horse teddy that Alice had bought me when we were in school. She'd brought it to the hospital for me after I had fallen from a tree and broken my arm.

I knocked at the door of Garrett's house and was greeted by a man I had not envisioned the way he appeared. I'd had this picture of a weird looking guy with a wrap on their head, and beads and bangles hanging from his wrists. Boy, was I wrong! Brown hair adorned his shoulders, kind brown eyes looked back at my own, and he had strong features, chiselled and masculine. I'd forgotten what an attractive man looked like.

"Come in, Isabella. It's a pleasure to finally meet you. Alice has spoken of you a lot," he said softly.

"Please, it's Bella," I replied smiling.

I passed by him into the house and was greeted with warmth and comfort. He had a large house. A high ceiling was the first thing I noticed, and all the walls were painted a warm colour. Garrett led me off toward the back of the house, where I assumed he kept the study or office.

Opening the door, he allowed me to enter first. The room was very inviting; the walls were a soft brown colour—like chocolate. Floral paintings were on a couple of the walls. They were beautiful, with amazing detail. A couch was situated in the centre of the room, with a leather black chair opposite and a small table next to that. This, I assumed, was the office. Somewhere neutral looking with nothing intimidating about it.

"Take the couch or the chair, Bella, whichever would make you more comfortable," said Garrett from behind me.

I chose the couch; I knew I would be more comfortable lying down. I'd also gotten it into my head that the more comfortable I was, the easier the hypnosis would be.

"Being sat as opposed to lying down pays no interference with the hypnosis. You have to want to be hypnotized. You have to want the answers to your questions, Bella," again the voice from behind me.

I drifted to the couch and moved it slightly; I didn't want to have to crane my neck too much to see him. I probably wouldn't need to, but there was something warm about him, it made me want to be able to see him, especially if things got too bad.

I lay down and waited for Garrett to take the chair opposite me; he calmly sat and lifted the cover off some triangular pendulum thingy.

"This is called a metronome, Bella; it will help me with the hypnotism and will give you something to focus your attention on as I speak to you. A lot of clients have found it much more relaxing when they have something that they can focus on," Garrett informed me.

Setting the metronome in motion, I focused my eyes to follow the swinging pendulum. Once I felt I was in rhythm with it, I relaxed a little.

"Right. I will put you to sleep, in a manner of speaking, but you will be able to answer any questions I ask you, and you will answer them truthfully. You will also be able to ask any questions. It will be like being awake, only asleep at the same time. Relax, and follow the sound of my voice. Close your eyes, Bella, listen to the ticking of the metronome. You are a little tired, and feel heavy limbed. You are sat in your favourite chair, are you sat in your favourite chair?"

"Yes," I replied. I did actually feel a little sleepy.

"Good. Now, there is a movie playing in front of you, it's a little of out of focus, but that's okay, it will come into focus soon. I want you to make sure you are wholly relaxed. Nothing can hurt you; you know it's just a movie, one more before you go to bed. Now, pick up the remote and press rewind, until it gets back all the way to the beginning, until you hear the machine click and it's gone silent. "

I watched myself press the rewind button and watched the out of focus characters do their backwards dance until the machine finished. I was ready to play the movie, but had to wait for my body to respond. It felt a little weird, watching my body while I floated about it, but hey, if it worked, who cared?

"It's ready," I said.

"That's good. Now, the movie is ready, it's completely in focus. When you're ready, press the play button and tell me what is happening."

I pressed the play button and watched the movie unfold. It was me. I was sitting in the restaurant with Alice and she was asking me to be godmother again. I'd already figured out that we would have to go back to the attack, I just never thought that we would go somewhere before it.

"It's me and Alice. We are sitting in the restaurant, and she's telling me she's pregnant and that she wants me to be godmother. I'm happy. We're both laughing and crying at the same time," I sighed.

"Good. Now, I would like you to fast forward the movie, just a little, to when you leave the restaurant. When it's there, press play and tell me what's happening," Garrett said softly.

I did as I was told and pressed play once I reached the moment where I left the restaurant. But the movie changed too quickly and I was suddenly in the hospital, at the moment where I first woke up after the attack.

"I can't. The movie just changed and went to where I woke up in the hospital," I said.

"It's okay, Bella. Just rewind the movie back to the point where you leave the restaurant and try again, your mind is trying to block it out, to stop you from having to relive it, but you have to ignore the blocks and push on past them, or we won't get to the truth," Garrett urged me gently.

I rewound the movie to the point Garrett had told me to. I pressed the play button and waited. I left the restaurant and was walking down the road that led to my flat.

"I'm walking down the path that leads me back to my flat. I have to pass an alleyway to get there, but there is rarely ever anyone in there, it's so dark and horrible. But this time there is someone there. I'm being dragged into the alley by someone."

"Hang on, Bella, go back, just a little bit. We need to see how this person manages to drag you into the alley, without you fighting back," Garrett said.

I knew how, but for him, I did as I was asked and rewound the movie once more. I reached the point where I was approaching the alley, as I started to pass by; someone snaked out and hit me over the head with their hands.

"Someone comes out and hits me over the head. They've put their hands together into some kind of club and whacked me. I fell to the ground and then he dragged me in there. I don't think I was unconscious, at least not fully. I could hear myself groaning," I stated matter-of-factly, as if reporting the weather.

I watched as I saw my body being dragged like a piece of meat. I listened as I heard them talking, well, muttering would be a more apt word. Something about noticing them, if I had paid more attention.

"They're dragging my body. Talking about how if I had of noticed them, then I wouldn't have to go through this. They wouldn't feel the need to punish me."

"Okay, Bella. Now, I need you to focus on every little detail you can, tell me anything, even if it seems insignificant. I have a notepad, so I will write everything down for you."

I saw myself nod and I watched intently at the movie playing out before me. They'd tied my hand up, something had been stuck in my mouth to silence me, but my feet were left free. I watched as I feebly tried to kick them out, no doubt groggy from the hit over the head. But they knocked my legs aside as if they were match sticks.

"I tried to kick, but I wasn't strong enough. I think it's a man, from the voice; it's all scratchy, but deep and masculine. It sounds as though he's trying to hide his voice, maybe I know him," I said.

"Okay, well, we can focus on that in a bit. Now, just the smaller details like what he's wearing."

"Well, he has green eyes, I think, and brown or dark blonde hair, he has a hood up, so I couldn't be sure of it. He has a hoodie on, it says something, but it's all creased and folded. Can I pause it to look?" I asked.

"Well, yes, I told you, this is your movie, Bella, you can do as you please. You are in total control," Garrett replied.

I stopped the movie where it was, and got up from the chair I was in to look, or at least, my body did. My eyes were focused on Garrett. He looked completely shocked. Then I looked back at my real body on the couch—it wasn't there. My body had moved, as if it was moving toward the TV. My body just stood there for a few minutes before returning to the couch. I looked back at the movie and my other body was back in its chair also.

"The hoodie says NYFD, New York Fire Department. He's a fire fighter. I'm pressing play now. He's ripping at my skirt and tights, saying what a frigid bitch I am. His hands are rough, calloused, but also strong, very strong. My clothes fall apart as if they are made of tissue paper. I can feel the callouses on his hands as he forces my legs apart. I'm shaking my head from side to side, crying, my eyes are blurred from the tears. I know what's coming next and there is nothing that I can do to stop it."

I force down the lump that has built in my throat. I hear a soft sound and notice that Garrett is clearing his throat also. I feel sorry for him, there's my body telling my rape to him as if it were a story I had written on summer break.

"I try to scream around the gag as he forces his dick into me, but I'm not wet enough and it really hurts. I can feel the skin breaking under the pressure. I pass out from the pain. But he carries on; it doesn't matter if I am awake or asleep. He wants his way irrespective of my conscious state."

"Is that something you are guessing at or do you know it?" Garrett asked.

"I know it, just because I am unconscious doesn't mean that my brain stops registering my surrounding sounds. I can still hear him grunting and thrusting into me. Still banging on about noticing him and paying attention to him. I hear him cry out as he ejaculates into me, but I remain unconscious. I can hear glass being broken, and the sound of scratching around me. There are wet and squelching sounds, some crunching and sucking noises, like when you push and pull a spoon out of ice cream or jelly. Then I hear glass breaking again, but it's further away. I see myself starting to wake up. The man is back in my face, and I can see him a little clearer, but not much, he has sharp and harsh eyes, cold."

"That's good, Bella, I'm writing it all down for you," Garrett's voice was hoarse. I know he is affected by what he is being told.

"He turns away from me for a second. He returns with something; it's shiny, and long. He holds it in front of my face. It's a knife, a long one, and it looks really sharp. He keeps muttering about noticing him, but I don't understand what he means. I try to beg with him, but the gag is in the way. Then he pushes the knife into the skin just above my left eye. I feel the pain as my skin splits beneath the pressure of it. It parts like butter. He eases the knife out a little as he reaches my eye, removes it and forces it back in again just underneath my eye, all the way down to the corner of my lips. Then he stops, I think. I'm not sure, it's all black again so I think I've passed out."

I looked back at Garrett again and he was seriously pale. I prayed that he didn't pass out himself. The last thing I needed was to be stuck in a hypnotic state until he decided to resurface.

"You're doing really well, Bella, just a little further. What happens when you wake again?"

"The movie is still playing. He is still talking. He's pacing, I think. His footsteps get close, and then further away, and then close again. He keeps saying that he didn't want to do it, but that he couldn't risk my knowing who he is. He gets closer once more, then my eyes open, just in time to see a quick flash of the knife blade as he slashes my throat. Hot blood soaks down me as I look towards his retreating feet. The last thing I see is his shoes; they are bright and unusual, expensive looking, like high tops, or some kind of teenager's sneaker."

I stopped talking and waited for my next instruction from Garrett. He was frowning. I assumed he was thinking about something.

"Bella, I want you to rewind back to the squelching and crunching noises. I know you can't hear anything, but I want you to focus on the sounds and then I have some questions for you. Are you back at the sounds again?" he asked.

"Yes, I am pressing play now. I can hear the sound of breaking glass. It's close by, but maybe down slightly, like not as if it were by my side. He curses, and then grunts slightly. The noises have started again, the squelching and crunching. It's disgusting. He carries on talking, softly; I'm straining to hear it."

"This is good, Bella. There is a volume control on the remote, turn it up as far as it will go and try to make out what he is saying. It's important," Garrett urged.

I pressed pause, rewound slightly, and then turned the volume up as high as I could make it go.

"He's saying take that, you little cunt. I guess you were as tight as everyone said you were. Shame I never got a proper sample out of you. Now he's saying fucking take that. I'll show you what a good fucking does to someone."

"Very good, Bella. Now it's time to end the movie, so press stop. I am going to count from ten to one. When I reach one, you will be wide awake, and ready to talk to me. Ten, nine, eight, you are feeling less and less tired, seven, six, five, four. Your eyes are ready to open any second now, three, two, one. Your eyes are open and you can see me and everything else in this room. Are you fully awake?" Garrett queried.

"Yes, I'm awake. That was really weird. I could see me playing the movie, but when I moved properly from the couch, I could see that as well," I said astounded.

"That's called Astral Projection. It's a state of mind beyond hypnotism. I half expected you to really start getting upset when it came to your actual rape, but you remained calm. That may have had something to do with the projection of your mind."

I nodded. It made sense. I was shocked at myself. I had told Garrett things that I had been unable to talk to Alice about, and I had known her all of my life. I'd known Garrett for five minutes, and there I was spilling my guts to him.

"I have some questions, Bella, and I need you to be as honest as you can with me. When you first woke in the hospital, were you aware of what happened?"

"Not at first. After a couple of minutes, I began to remember bits and pieces. They said that there would no doubt be some things that I would blot out. The brain does that to protect itself from serious trauma," I stated exactly what the doctor had said to me.

"That is true. The brain will do anything within its power to protect itself. Now, my next question, did they tell you how you were found?"

"They said that someone had called for an ambulance, but someone who had heard the cries for someone to call, had also called the fire brigade."

"Yes, that's a likely scenario. Now, about the squelching, what exactly did the doctors tell you about the injuries you sustained?"

"Well, the obvious ones being my face and throat," I said this as I removed my scarf and showed him the extent of that scar. "Others were minor lacerations to my arms and legs, but major internal bleeding from some sort of instrument used on me. It had completely shredded my vaginal walls and punctured my cervix; they had to perform a hysterectomy before I bled to death."

"Okay, well, this is what I have managed to make out so far, but it's not pretty and you aren't going to want to hear it. How much do you remember from the hypnotism?"

"Most of it, like his eyes and what he said, and the shoes, of course."

"Right. From the sounds of what he is saying, I would say that I am ninety-nine percent certain that you know or once knew this man. The second thing, and I am pretty much one-hundred percent certain on this one. The instrument used on you was a broken glass bottle. It would explain the smashing sounds along with the extraordinary and extensive damage done to you internally. The third thing and this is a shot in the dark, I think the person who called the fire brigade is the person who attacked you, as you would have bled to death in minutes from the gashes within you and the slash to your throat. They couldn't have gotten far when they heard someone shouting for an ambulance, so, to make sure that he could be in the throng of it all, he made the call and stuck around saying he was the one who called it in. He then becomes his station's hero and also gets to find out how much you remember from the investigation. The brigade would be part of it all as they were at the scene of the crime before the police arrived."

I nodded while Garrett said all this, I tried to take it all in, but I could picture was someone I had known shoving a broken bottle into my most intimate area, taking away all my chances of ever having a family, and then acting a hero. I felt the breakfast I'd had earlier that morning try to make a return visit. Garrett must have seen what was about to happen as he grabbed the bin beside him desk and shoved it under face as he pulled my hair back and out of the way.

He patiently waited until I had finished retching and my stomach was completely empty before moving the bin. I felt weak, drained, and dizzy. I saw the ground rushing to meet my face as I passed out. The last thing I heard was Garrett's surprise yelp.