The time now was 1208am, the rain had finally stopped and the smell of a storm still hung heavy in the dense air. The late hour did nothing to the activity on the main strip through the city of Dover. However, the people who occupied the sidewalks were of a different breed than those during the day. They dressed with little regard, asked for money for services, and hid amongst the cast shadows of the closed shops. Their eyes all held lust for something different that they craved. Whether it be money, sex or drugs.
Not everyone lurked for these things, some just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Knew nothing of Dovers night life. Stayed out too late with friends or took an extra shift they couldn't deny. Taxi services were difficult to come by at this time, so many scurried home by foot with their heads low and eyes even lower.
Amongst those walking home alone tonight was a young woman in her early 20s. She hugged her waist as the streets were swept with clawing winds, a cold that set caution throughout her body. She picked up her pace, only taking a sideways glance at a doped up man laying just inside the entrance of an alley. Then another glance over her shoulder. She held onto her jacket as a feeling of dread set in, she thought something didn't quite feel right.
"You seem lost."
The woman jumped at the sudden voice behind her, she looked over her shoulder in shock as a man walked in step with her. Unease began to build in her stomach, she was alone a second ago. Her brunette hair caught by the wind only blocked her eyes from the man for a moment before she shoved it behind her ear. In the same moment her hand went to her phone.
"My friends excepting me, I'm.. not lost." She stated, acting confident but failing with the crack of her voice. The best she could say was that she was expected as she flipped her phone open, a button away from the police. She's lived here for a few months now, but it was enough to know Dover wasn't the safest city to walk alone at night in. Especially-
"Ah, well then you wouldn't mind if I accompanied you. It's dangerous-" he began, his voice low. An attempt at a whisper, but it still vibrated the air around him.
"No thank you. If you don't go away I'll call the police." She interrupted, her eyes always watching over her shoulder. Her finger hesitantly hovered over the number that would speed dial 911.
She took a more notable glance at the man. He was very much taller than her, his eyes as black as his hair and a crooked grin faintly grew on his face when their eyes met. She couldn't help notice his hands shoved in his hoodie pocket, fidgeting with whatever was hidden there.
It was hard to think calmly as her heart raced in her chest. She looked around quickly to see no one else was around. She was alone with a strange man that just decided it fine to walk behind her. He was only a few feet away and her pace just grew. If she ran, she wouldn't get far. One stride from him and he'd be on top of her. She couldn't help but wonder where he came from. How could she have not noticed until he was already so close.
She flinched when a deep laugh came from behind, it was genuine, mocking her. "The police?" His voice laced with amusement. "And how long do you think that would take for them to trace the call and get here." He tilted his head to the side and there in his eyes burned a deep lust as he stared down at her. The street light would catch his eyes and they would seem to glow red before becoming black once again.
Without a second to think more on her options, the woman took off in a sprint. Already dialing 911, the ringing of the phone echoed against the brick walls around her. Just like those walls, one collided with her from behind. Instantly the mans arm wrapped round to cover her opened mouth as she went to scream for help. She swung frantically as her voice came out muffled, the sound of the operator on the other line picked up, but just as soon a gloved hand grasped at her swinging arm. He pushed her against the closest wall and slammed her hand against the bricks causing her phone to drop to the ground.
The sound of the cellphone hitting the concrete clattered around them. Faintly you could hear the operator asking if everything was alright, "hello?" She would call. The woman felt the sting of tears collect in her eyes as she looked down at her phone, incapable of moving. And just as suddenly as she'd been attacked the mans booted foot stomped down on the phone. Once, twice, three times. Then silence.
He took a deep breath, firmly pressing her against the wall. "That is even if you can answer fast enough to tell them you need help." The hint of a smile in his voice. He was close enough that his breath fanned across her cheek. He wasn't winded in the slightest. Before she knew it, he had thrown her to the ground forcefully. The breath was sucked from her lungs from the impact and she could only look up in terror as the man pulled a knife from his hoodie pocket.
He looked at its edge momentarily, "you know, you made a wrong turn back there." His eyes went to her next. "You've never come this way. At least in the last few weeks." His grin grew into a devilish smile, his eyes lit with excitement. "To think, you made this easier for me." He laughed.
She couldn't take her eyes off of him, still she screamed. "HELP! SOMEO-". Before she could even finish the man was on top of her again, pushing her into the wet ground. His eyes grew wide for a moment as he put effort into the force in which the knife came down from above her.
His laugh echoed off the the brick buildings around them. Their windows were boarded up and graffiti decorated them in an array of colors. The street they were so out in the open on was barren. Even if someone were around, they'd ignore the sounds coming from her. She didn't have time to fight back, as the pain from the first strike left her breathless. Tears broke free and burned trails down her temples and she lay shocked on the ground.
There was no time for her to collect what little effort she had left to escape as he quickly pulled the knife from her stomach and plunged it yet again into her chest. Her attempts to escape were smothered quickly as she could only stare up as the man continued to laugh and pant as he repeated the action over and over. The weight of him on top of her grew heavier and heavier as time passed until it was nothing.
Her blood quickly mixed with the rain water, it speckled his cheek, his clothes and his hands. He stopped when the light no longer shined within her eyes. Looking down at her with a tight lipped grin, "You're beautiful. More so than before."