I work as a night audit for a semi-reputable hotel. There are bigger hotels out there, but I am happy where I am. As a night audit, other shifts tend to leave many tasks for you to perform because they are overwhelmed checking guests in and fielding numerous calls for reservations. The management allows me to do my job without being micro-managed all the time, which is something that can be very common in this industry. My co-workers do their job and show up on time. If something comes up, they always call me to let me know they will be a few hours late. When they call out sick every few days, the General Manager encourages me to fill in so that I have the opportunity for extra hours. I do not feel as if I am being taken advantage of because the opportunity for more responsibilities occurs every shift. I am just happy to be working at a place that appreciates you. Though, my life sometimes feels as if something is missing. I am not sure if it is love that I am seeking or some other form of excitement.
Due to the stress of this job, I often find myself stopping by the liquor store on my way home or hanging out at a bar on the two or three nights off I get during the month. One night I stopped by a local bar to have a few drinks and to not have to worry about the stress that comes with my job. The cold amber colored liquid is something that can instantly remove the stress from my mind. As I was leaving, I felt as if something was behind me. Maybe I was being watched. Maybe I was being followed. I could not accurately place that feeling that was going on in the back of my mind. I have never felt something like this before. As I turned around to observe my surroundings, nothing was ever out of place.
Usually, I would stop at the store to grab a bottle of Kettle One, but I had some left over from a few weeks ago. Just the thought of having a nice glass or two of smooth Vodka made my mouth water. I wouldn’t say I am an alcoholic but without having many friends there is not much else that I look forward to in my life than something that allows me to not think about the little things that always happen.
I walk into my two-bedroom apartment on the first floor and get settled in. Grabbing a glass and one cube of ice before I flop down in my recliner to read. I found a new sub-reddit that allows my mind to wonder with the many stories of unusual experiences. Many seem far-fetched but you can never truly know what is real and what is exaggerated. This allows me to appreciate my life a little better knowing that things could be worse. There are so many situations that are written that I could never fathom, and it makes me happy that my life is simple. I have a job, a place to live, and some extra money to spend from time to time.
Just as I found a great title to read, I hear a noise that sounds like a door or cabinet slowly creaking open. As my curiosity gets the best of me, I walk back into my kitchen. My mind begins to anticipate every single outcome that could explain what the noise was. As expected, it was nothing other than the cabinet to my whiskey glasses slowly closing. A thought comes across my mind that I am almost certain that I closed the cabinet, but I regress and start to move back to the living room. Due to my mind staying stuck on this subject, I do not notice that my front door is no longer closed.
I suddenly have the urge to use the bathroom and expel some of the beer I had earlier. As I walk into the bathroom and turn on the light, I look into the mirror and see him behind me. A dark figure that is easily identified as a man in a mask. He reaches for my shoulder and turns me around. My eyes contacted his. I could see that something was off. It appeared as if these eyes had a thirst. A thirst that could only be quenched with blood. Caught by the surprise I did not know what to do. It is as if during my fight or flight response, my body just shut down. The man then pulled out a knife and began to thrust it towards by abdomen. This is when my brain finally decided to regroup and allow me to have control over my legs. I slowly moved to my left side, straddling the vanity in front of my toilet. This caused the man to unexpectedly stumble forward due to the anticipation he had of the knife entering my body to stop his forward movement. His knees buckled as they collided with the bathtub and caused him to drop the knife as he rolled into it. A loud crack sound occurred as the tile tub surround abruptly stopped him. He grunted and put one hand on his head, removing the mask from his face. This showed blood slowly trickling down his forehead. The thirst in his eyes was so focused on me that he was not aware that he was no longer holding the weapon in his hands.
I moved forward and picked up the knife. This is when he finally had the realization that he was no longer in control, but that did not stop him. His body arched over as he grabbed for my sweater to pull me closer as I began to stand up. Without a second thought I knew it was him or me. He was not going to stop. He was not going to retreat to where he came from. So, I had no choice and plunged the knife deep into his neck. The viscous crimson red blood slung from the wound right across my mouth, on the wall, and the floor. It seemed as if it would not stop even though it had only been a matter of seconds. Everything that happened appeared to slow to a point as if time ceased to exist. The intruder immediately collapsed inside of the tub at this point, ripping my shower curtain with him. Each rung of the shower curtain made an audible snap as it slowly raveled down.
Once his movement was no more, my mind recollected what was going on and I ran out of the room to call the police. I felt relieved when they arrived in a matter of minutes. I have always read these stories about the police taking a long amount of time in emergencies. When the police responded I was in front of my apartment in shambles. My heart was beating a mile a minute at this point, and nothing made sense. I could not comprehend what had just happened. Who was this man and why did he choose me. How did he enter my home and why was he trying to kill me. The police officers had to repeat each question a thousand times for me to realize that something was said. A paramedic then wrapped a blanket around my shoulders. The warmth of the blanket allowed me to realize that it was over and that I needed to breathe to regain my composure.
After giving my statement to the police and EMS removing, the now deceased man from my apartment, I walked into the bathroom for a sense of understanding what just happened. That was when I saw it. An antique gold necklace with a dark royal purple amethyst stone. The stone appeared to slightly glow, but it must have been the reflection of the bathroom light and was just waiting for it to be held. The sight of this stone caused me to become mesmerized as I held it in my hands. I do not understand what was coming over me at this time. Before I knew it, I was clasping the lobster claw around my neck. As soon as it was locked into place, something felt different. Everything that just happened felt… Everything felt right. I tried to compel myself that this entire situation was not normal, and no one should experience what I just did. A normal person should not have to know how it feels to take someone’s life. A normal person should not feel the thrill that I am currently experiencing from the way the knife felt as it plunged into the soft tissue of his neck. Slowly nicking his trachea. Causing his blood to be expelled from his body and across my face. The soothing warmth. The salty copper taste across the top of my tongue.
A realization that my life would no longer be mundane and that this thrill was not going to be a once in a lifetime experience. Well… At least not for me.