I was still shaking on the passenger seat, looking anxiously out the window.

The environment was unknown to me. Dried tears rested on my face, making it itchy.
I looked at his composed demeanor, he looked like nothing has happened. I really
hoped the ambulance arrived in time to save Aaron. He and his mother were safe now,
that I knew for sure. My sacrifice wasn't in vain.
I closed my eyes, the entire scene repeating before my eyes.
I woke up as a scaredy cat, hearing a noise from the front door. I tried to
wake Aaron up, but he dismissed me as always.
"Go back to sleep, you always hear things, love."
I listened to him, but the noise didn't stop. Alex was snoring already, so I
took a deep breath and got out of bed. I shakily opened the door, tiptoeing down
the stairs. Looking left and right, I didn't notice a dark figure right in front of
me until I bumped into it. In the dim light, I could only tell it was a man in his
early thirties, with light green eyes and a psychotic smile plastered on his face.
I started to step back cautious, wondering how could he still be taller than me
since I was three stairs upper. His black clothing blended with the dark and I
didn't notice his intention to grab me in time. I screamed my lungs out as he
brutally grabbed my arm, trying to escape.
How in the world did he manage to enter? The fence was six feet tall, and all
the doors have been locked. Oh, fuck. Aaron's mother was sleeping in the guest
room.
"Aaron!" I desperately screamed, struggling to get free as he tried to drag me
down.
In less than two seconds Aaron and his mother were there, with shocked and
worried faces.
"Let her go, you bastard!" Aaron growled running towards us. "Mom, go lock yourself
somewhere safe. Call the cops!"
It was such a confusing fight with me between them, but somehow I ended in his
arms with a sharp blade threatening the integrity of my throat. I looked at Aaron
with fear, wishing him to run and be safe. I didn't want to see him hurt or...
worse.
"Be a man and let her go," Aaron demanded with rage.
"Aaron, just go. Please..."
"Oh, how sweet," The stranger said with a deep, unusual voice. "Would you die for
him?"
I nodded with tears in my eyes.
"No one is dying, Liss."
"How can you be so sure?" The stranger asked.
"I'm her man, I won't let her die," He stated, catching the blade in his palm.
Blood started dripping from his hand, and I was about to get sick. Aaron
punched the guy and he loosened the grip on me. I took the opportunity and freed
myself. I ran fast to our bedroom, trying to think that Aaron will handle the guy
well. He won't get hurt, he couldn't. I took the phone and typed the wrong numbers
three times before I managed to call 911.
"911, what's your emergency?"
"Hello, I... there's a guy with a knife in our house," I cried. "My boyfriend is
fighting him downstairs right now, and... and he's hurt."
"Tell me your name and address miss."
"Name.Adress. Please hurry."
"Are you somewhere safe?"
"I'm locking myself in the bathroom right now."
"Good, police and an ambulance will be soon on their way. It may take fifteen to
twenty minutes, try to stay with us on the line."
"Yes, sure."
"Is there only you and your boyfriend?"
"No, his mom locked herself in the other bathroom I think."
The bedroom door made a creak, and I froze.
"I think he's here, I will stop talking," I whispered.
"Alright miss, hang on, help will be on the way soon. Keep us on the line."
 I stayed there in silence, barely breathing, shaking heavily. His steps were
louder and louder. He tried to open the door, but couldn't.
"I know you are in there, kitty. Come out, I will end your suffering quick."
I didn't respond, nor moved from my spot.
"Come on, your little boyfriend is dead anyway. Didn't you say you would die for
him? I will send you to live your happily ever after together."
Pain hit my chest so hard I couldn't breathe. I sobbed, confirming my location.
No, Aaron couldn't die. That bastard was lying.
"Open the door, or I'll come in there anyway and I won't be so merciful."
"What do you want from us? Why are you doing this?" I screamed terrified.
"Because it's fun. I like to play cat and mouse with little lovebirds like you."
"Psycho!"
"Never tell a psychopath this. Even though I enjoy it sometimes. Now come out, this
is the last warning."
"Please, don't do this..."
"It's done. Now if you don't come out, I'll go and chop your dead boyfriend to
pieces and then I'll do the same with you and that unlucky lady."
"Stop, please."
"Open the door, then."
"Don't open that door," I heard the emergency operator screaming from my phone.
I couldn't let Aaron get chopped to pieces after he protected me. I'd rather go
to the afterlife with him. I sobbed one last time and unlocked the door with
shaking hands. He barged in and gripped my throat. He was full of blood, Aaron's
blood.
"Now, now. Aren't you an obedient little kitty? Dying for love, how pure," He said
theatrical, touching my lips with his thumb.
"Please don't. I'm so afraid..." I begged.
"Don't be afraid, it will end before you even realize."
"Wait. At least allow me to see him one last time. Please."
"Very well, move," he said pushing me.
I walked as fast as my feet could go in the state I was, and regretted my
decision instantly. How could a big guy like Aaron lie down in a pool of blood?
What did he do to my love? He had stabbing wounds mostly in his forearms and torso,
but it didn't look like any vital spot has been stabbed. At a closer look, I could
tell he was slightly breathing. Oh, no. The psycho shouldn't notice it. I had to
distract him. I took Aaron's hand, the one he took the knife with, and kissed it.
That was the moment when the sirens could be heard. The police. Aaron was saved. I
was saved.
"Damn! I don't have time to kill you now, but I'll take you as a souvenir and kill
you later." He growled, gripping me harshly.
"Don't, please. I won't tell a soul about you, just let me go."
He laughed amused and kept dragging me to the back door. Noticing that I'll
only slow him down, he threw me on his shoulder and ran outside. I tried to scream,
but I barely made a sound. He ran through the backyard to the woods. The sirens
were farther and farther away, and the forest was swallowing us more with every
second. I couldn't fight my fate, but at least Aaron may survive. That was my last
thought before I lost my consciousness.

"Wakey wakey, sleeping beauty," He shook me toughly.

I was on the cold floor, in a poorly decorated living room. I started to cry,
seeing Aaron's blood on my hands. I had to get free. I needed to convince him to
keep me alive. I needed to escape.
"Don't kill me, please. I'll... I'll do anything you want. I beg you."
"Anything you say?" He asked with a grin."What if I don't want anything from you?"
"Please. I... I'll cook for you, and I'll clean, and whatever you want."
"You want to be my maid?" He laughed.
"Anything you want. Just name it and I'll do it."
"Well, let's see," He thoughtfully said.
He threw a knife in front of me, his face being the definition of psycho.
"Carve my name on your body."
I widened my eyes. This guy was definitely sick. But for the price of my life,
it was worth trying. With shaking hands I took the bloody knife and looked at him.
"What's your name?" I asked in a low voice.
"Kyle."
I sighed, gathering courage. My hand was shaking so hard I couldn't even keep
the knife straight.
"Where?" I asked with a knot in my stomach.
"Inner thigh, whichever you like."
I dragged the pants up, trying to stop the tears so I could see what I was
doing. I brought the knife closer to my left thigh. It's going to hurt like hell,
but as long as this will help me survive, I'll bear with it. I touched the skin and
drew the first line. I couldn't even breathe, the pain was intense and the blood
disgusted me to the core. I kept my breath while carving the K, tears rolling down
my cheeks. I gritted my teeth, continuing with Y and L, but I was getting dizzy. I
was about to throw up. I looked at him. His expression was full of joy, his eyes
looked like they were shining with pleasure.
I focused to regain my composure and carved the E fast. I dropped the knife,
breathing heavily.
"You are so desperate to live," He laughed. "But what do you expect? Do you think I
will just take you back home and let you free?"
"I just don't want to die," I weakly responded."I'm so afraid."
"We all die one day, sweetheart."
"I know. But it's up to you if I die now. And I'd rather not."
"If I'll let you alive, I'll make you beg me to kill you everyday. And I won't.
I'll keep you alive until you die of desperation. Or until you decide to end the
life you begged for."
"What do you mean?" I fearfully asked.
He lowered to my level and caught my face between his thumb and index.
"I'll fuck with your mind and your body so much, you'll even forget who you are.
I'm bored anyway, so it should be fun."
How bad could it get? He wouldn't mutilate me, would he? I hoped so, but keeping
my life was more important than that. The longer I lived, the higher my chances of
escaping were.
"Very well. Now let me show you how to carve beautifully in that soft skin," He
said taking the knife and carving on what I already did, getting deeper.
I screamed in pain, on the verge of throwing up. It took an eternity until he
was done, but he insisted on doing it artistically. My blood dripped on the floor,
staining it. He noticed I was looking at it with disgust and laughed maniacally. He
put his fingers in the tiny blood puddle and daubed my face with it. I tried to
avoid it but he caught me with the other hand, forcing me in place.
"This color looks good on you. You are like a canvas, I'd like to paint all of you
like this," He murmured tearing my T-shirt off.
I widened my eyes in shock, fear invading my entire being again. What in the
world was he doing?
I ended up without clothes in no time. He spread blood all over me, and when he
considered there wasn't enough blood left, he made new cuts, making me cry and
whimper.
Just when it seemed he was done with it, he started to undress too. I started to
shake uncontrollably, this guy was sick. Really sick. He was more than crazy.
"I just said that I'll fuck with your mind and body, didn't I? So why do you look
so shocked?"
I couldn't respond. I was speechless and frightened to the core. Just what did
I do to deserve something like this?
He approached me, licking the blood on my neck. He pushed me flat on the floor,
his hands brutally touching everything in the way. His teeth bit my flesh
merciless, but when he decided to start the act, he was unexpectedly gentle.