Beautiful Catastrophe

Chapter One:

Kim lived alone. Ever since she moved to Portland, she had always preferred to have her own space although her friends there had asked a number of times to share a place somewhere. So the fact that she woke up to the sound of a man's voice outside her bedroom, startled her.

She had closed her curtains her bedroom but the light from the afternoon day outside was streaming into the room through the thin drapes. Kim thought she may have been dreaming, so turned over in bed under the covers, mumbling something to herself.

"Yes I have her right here sir... No, not yet... She's asleep."

That was the point in the conversation when Kim's eyes shot open and she jumped up out of bed, her eyes wide with surprise. Kim noticed how her drawers in her room and wardrobe had been pulled apart, as if someone was looking for something. She still doubted herself and thought she was dreaming but there was no time to think about that by then. The man had stopped speaking and turned to face her, looking at her through the open door.

Kim looked in astonishment at the man she had seen earlier that morning. When he had helped her up, his voice was kind and his expression warm- but he was different this time. His features were hard, his eyes cold and his voice was just above a growl.

"I'll have to call you back sir." He said after a short silence between the pair.

Kim knew that being stood frozen in her spot was not going to help her in this situation. And also that he would not be standing a great distance away from her for long. The kind man from earlier had disappeared and had been replaced with this dangerous looking one. She knew the outcome of this could not be good. She needed to think but she had a mind block.

The stranger was the first to move; it took him one step before she ran at her door and managed to slam it shut.

"Open the f*****g door." He said as he smashed his fist onto the wood and tried to force his way through.

Kim continued to hold it shut but knew it wouldn't be long before he kicked his way into the room. She struggled and then all at once, quickly let go of the door. It swung open and he stumbled through. As he got his bearings, Kim ran through the open doorway and down her hall into her kitchen but he was hot on her tail. She stood behind the island and gripped the countertop with her hands tightly as she looked at him. He was on the opposite side and seemed to be a lot calmer than she was.

"Get the f**k out of my apartment you creep!" Kim exclaimed, trying to catch her breath and stop herself from hyperventilating.

She saw how a wicked grin crossed his face and his eyes darkened. She gulped when she noticed his calm and cool exterior. They ran in a circle around the island and she landed back where she had begun.

"And if I don't? What are you going to do about it sweetheart?" he raised a dark brow at her.

"I'll- I... I'll call the cops."

"You're going to call the cops?" he snorted. "You won't get very far by calling the cops sweetheart."

"Stop calling me that." She cringed and quickly opened the top drawer in front of her that was filled with cutlery but nothing sharp enough to use as a weapon.

The man had made his way to the side of the island and his huge body was in full view to her. Kim looked from the knives and forks towards the man a couple of times as he inched his way towards her. Quickly without much though, she picked up a butter knife and held it up in an attempt to fight him off. He burst into laughter at the sight of this stupid girl.

"Is that the best you've got? A f*****g butter knife? You're going to have to do much better than that to scare me off. What are you going to do? Stab me? That thing's not even sharp..." He made a good point.

"No, but they are quite heavy if you ask me."

She weighed it in her hand before throwing it quickly at his face. It hit him between the eyes, causing him to scrunch up his eyebrows in agitation. Kim threw another knife, this time it hit him in the eye, then she threw another and another. He thought it was more annoying than painful. Then she picked up her last knife and aimed carefully. It hit him just below the waist, between the legs just as she had hoped for.

"Ah! You f*****g bitch." He grunted out as she ran for dear life. But she didn't get very far before he caught up with her.

Kim was only metres away from her front door before he pinned her to the wall, his body pressed up against her with great force.

"Get off of me!" she squealed, feeling his body so close. He put his hand across her mouth to stop her from making any noise.

"Care to take me up on that offer of dinner again sweetheart?" His face was but a breath away from hers. She stopped squirming for a moment or two as their eyes met. Kim's gaze was fixated on this beautiful man that stood in front of her. "I'll make it worth your while." He grinded against her for a second, pressing her further into the wall before letting out an evil laugh. Kim's brows furrowed and she bit his hand. Once he took it away she opened her mouth to speak.

"I knew it was too good to be true! Why do all men turn out to be assholes in the end?" Kim exclaimed angrily but he only laughed again at her.

She tried her best to push him off of her but he wouldn't budge. It was then she decided to use every last bit of energy she had in her to reach up and slap him across the face. He was more shocked than hurt. His grip loosened on her and she managed to get free of him, only for him to lunge at her again.

"I've had enough of this. I thought I might get your hopes up a little and allow you to think you're going to get away but you and I both know that's never going to happen."

"What do you want from me?" Kim asked, terrified of what this physco might do to her.

She remembered the fact that her neighbours on either side had nine to five, normal jobs and were probably at work at that time. Even if they weren't they wouldn't call for help if she screamed her apartment down. They had gotten into countless fights with Kim over the past couple of months of occupying the complex about how she always played her music too high and the fact that she kept inviting one neighbour's cat into her apartment without permission.

"Oh you'll find out soon, don't worry." He had her pinned to the floor, his heavy body on top of hers. All the while Kim couldn't help but think that only an hour or two ago she would've loved to have him like this. But now she was glad she had declined this pig's offer of a date- she knew better. "You're not leaving this apartment until I drag you out of it with me sweetheart. Now sit still."

Kim continued to struggle beneath him, despite his threats. He forced her flat against the ground, keeping her put with one hand on her chest as the other searched in his pocket for something. Kim scratched at his face and clawed at his dark suit, in a failed attempt to keep him this short distance away from her despite knowing she would not be able to get out of this situation. She had no more options left but to lie there and wait for whatever would happen, happen.

He poured an unknown substance onto a white cloth. Kim's eyes widened with complete terror at the sight of his actions. A million questions raced through her head at once while she was trying to figure out what there was left to do. The man was strong and seemed willing to do anything he needed to get hold of her.

"What do you want from me?" she screamed out, surprised he hadn't yet covered her mouth.

He looked down at her with reluctance etched onto his face. He was hesitating and she wondered why. His holding back had made her become completely still under him- it gave her a small glimmer of hope that he might let her go. But soon enough, he stopped staring at her and answered.

"I don't want anything from you, but someone else does..." a ghost of a menacing smile fell upon his lips before he placed the cloth forcefully over her mouth and nose.

Kim struggled against his, gripping onto his crisp dress shirt and clawing at him but it was no use. There was only a certain amount of time she could spend holding her breath before she eventually breathed in the chemicals he had given her. In a matter of seconds, her eyes began to roll into the back of her head and they fell shut. Her last thought being:

What would happen when she woke up?