Terrifying Love: A Halloween Anthology Read online

  “Something like that. Do you know when Binx will be back in?” I questioned, the blood thrumming in my ears as I waited for her answer. She looked at me curiously, her brow furrowed together, and I felt my irritation rising.

  “What do you need to see Binx for? I’m sure it’s something I can help you with,” she narrowed her eyes on me.

  “Personal,” I stated, and without putting in my order, I left the shop. Just up the street I spotted a small bench, still within view of the café. I had no clue when she would be back, but I wanted to be there when she was, so I took a seat and got ready to wait.

  There had to be a reason why that woman was so hesitant to tell me when Binx was expected back. Had she seen how perfect we were and was jealous? There would be nothing and no one that stood in our way. I would make sure of that.

  At that moment, the glint of the glass on the shop door drew my attention as it opened, and the very cashier running through my thoughts stepped out onto the sidewalk. She ducked into a side alley, and my heart beat faster, urging me to follow her and get more information.

  Without thinking, I followed her into the alley, and spotted her halfway down the corridor, smoking a cigarette and looking up at the sky. I strolled over to her and she looked at me, disgusted. “Hey buddy, I don’t know why you're looking for Binx, but she's not here.”

  Her lies thrummed in my ears, blood rushing to my head as my anger overtook me. “You won’t keep her away from me.” I pulled out a pocketknife I kept handy and flicked it open, my excitement rising as I saw the fear flicker in her eyes. She was probably the reason Binx had that same look as she drove off, and I was going to put an end to it.

  “Dude, I don’t want any trouble,” her cigarette slipped from her fingers, my shoe putting it out as I slowly crossed to her. She backed up with each step I took closer to her, until finally, she turned and ran to the other end of the alley, stopping as she hit the brick wall and spun back to face me. I kept up my pace, closing her in and enjoying the fear coming off her as her breath came out in heavy pants. “I’ll tell you whatever you want to know, man. Put the fucking knife away.”

  “You already have,” I said darkly, pulling the blade back and slashing it across her throat, muffling the small gurgle she made as she tried to scream as I pinned her against the wall. I held her up and slammed the small blade into her stomach, again and again, losing control as I drove it into her deeper each time. Her blood covered my hand as she slumped against me, her head lolling to the side as I let her limp body fall to the asphalt, my knife slipping from her torso.

  The blade hung from my hand, dripping and I looked down at it disgusted. Leaning over, I wiped it on the shirt that had come untucked from her pants and flicked it shut, tucking it back in my pocket.

  Calmness washed over me, and I decided to go home and shower. That was one obstacle out of the way of our happiness, and I couldn’t wait to see how happy Binx would be once she learned what I had done for us.

  One good thing about being in the city, if you didn’t stand out, you didn’t stand out. Everyone walked around me, not noticing, or not caring about the blood that splattered the front of my shirt. I couldn’t wait to get Binx out of here, to a small town where we could slow down and enjoy our lives together.

  I entered my apartment and kicked aside the stack of newspapers as I pushed the door shut. Now that I found her, I could probably get rid of most of those.

  The hot water ran over my skin, and the coppery brown of the dried blood washed from me, circling around the drain before the water finally flowed clear again. Binx’s eyes flashed in my mind, my cock growing hard as I recalled the bright blue orbs intensifying as she recognized me. The memory of her smile as she thanked me had me throbbing almost painfully as I let the water run down me.

  I leaned against the wall, desperate to save myself for her. My hands balled in fists at my side as I refused to touch my dick, until I was trembling from need. I knew I would need to be clear-headed if I were to bring us together, and I was doing this for her, not for myself. My fingers slid around my hard shaft, her sweet scent and beautiful smile filling my mind as I worked it up and down.

  It wasn’t long until I was picturing those pert nipples of hers, imagining what they would look like as she finally bared them to me, and I flicked them as she bounced on me and called out my name. The thought had me coming undone and I pictured her clearly as I filled the tub with my desire for her.

  I took a deep breath and washed myself, quickly getting out to dry off. It was time to set the plans for our future in motion.

  Chapter Three - Binx

  I slipped the driver an extra tip as I got out, grateful he had been there when I needed to escape. That man had given me the creeps on a whole new level. I couldn’t explain it, but he gave me this immediate, almost visceral response to run. There was nothing unique or different about him that would make it that way. By all appearances, he was completely normal. Sandy hair, hazel-ish eyes, and an average build. No scars or tattoos that would even make him somewhat memorable. Yet everything in me shouted to get away.

  My nerves had me on edge, and I scanned up and down the street to ensure he had not somehow followed me back to my apartment. Everything seemed clear, so I crossed the road and went into my building. It wasn’t much, but it was affordable and kept a roof over my head. Maybe one day I would be able to afford something more, but for today, this was it.

  I unlocked my door, and closed it behind me, sliding the deadbolt into place, pausing for a moment to flick on the light switch. The quiet buzz of the fluorescent light in the kitchen hummed, and the sound only intensified my feeling of loneliness. I dumped my coat over the back of my threadbare couch and sat down, pulling my phone from my pocket.

  It was still early enough in the day, I might be able to catch my dad before he got too heavy into the bottle, and we might actually have one of our rare coherent conversations. I slid my finger over the screen and unlocked it, pressing his name on the pad and putting it on speaker as it rang.

  After the third ring, I was a little worried I was too late, but he picked up, his slight slur telling me that he had already hit the bottle. “Lo?”

  “Hey Dad. Just calling to see how you're doing?” I tried to sound cheerful for him. I knew this was his way of dealing with losing Mom, but it didn’t make it hurt any less.

  “Yup, another day,” he coughed, and I heard the slosh of the liquor through the phone.

  I bit my tongue, I was not going to turn this into a fight and argue about his drinking habits again. “You got anything going on today?”

  “Same shit, different story. How about you? What’s going on up there in that city?” he asked.

  For a moment I thought about telling him about the guy that creeped me out, see what he said, being that he had served in the military for decades. I didn’t want to worry him though, he had enough on his mind, so I opted to tell him about the audition. “Audition was today. I nailed it, but from what I could see there were some really good performers. So, we will see.”

  “Of course, you nailed it! You take after your Momma!” I could hear the pride in his voice, and I held back a tear.

  “Damn straight,” I told him, picturing him puffing out his chest like I knew he would be doing, that image being shattered as he fell silent and I could hear the slosh of liquid again. I sighed, “I love you, Dad.”

  “Love you too, kiddo,” he answered gruffly before I hung up the phone. I never said goodbye to him, I never wanted to risk it actually being true, so I left it at I love you. He tried, I knew he did, but without her, he just didn’t have it in him.

  The humming rang through my ears and I knew I needed to get out, do something, it was just too quiet here. I grabbed my keys and bag again, and locked the door as I left. It was still mid-afternoon, I could get a coffee and something to eat and catch up with everyone. Try not to drive myself crazy over the auditions.

  I decided to walk, even if the man that had c
reeped me out was still around, he would have no idea where I lived. And the likelihood of him still being around was very low anyway. I assured myself I had just been on edge from the audition and he was just some harmless guy that happened to be in the same place at the same time as I was.

  My thoughts of the man were quickly forgotten as I rounded the corner and spotted the cop cars and emergency vehicles that lined the street in front of the café, their lights flashing, reflecting off the store front. I got closer and saw they blocked off the alley with crime tape and my heart flew to my chest.

  Sure, I lived in the city, and heard about crimes, but never actually had one happen so close to home. I tried to push into the shop, but an officer stopped me, “Ma’am, they are closed for the rest of the day.”

  “I work here,” I replied. “What happened?”

  “Someone was found in the alley,” he stated vaguely, the detachment in his eyes that of someone that had seen way too much in his years.

  “Are they going to be okay?” I asked lamely, my stomach churning at his words. I already knew the answer, there was not likely to be crime tape if they were okay.

  “She was deceased,” he looked at me curiously. “Did you work this morning?”

  I shook my head, “No, I had the day off. Auditions.”

  I glanced over his shoulder as a stretcher was rolled from the alley, a body clearly inside a thick black bag. I felt myself blanche, I thought that only happened in movies. The officer looked over his shoulder, quickly dismissing the scene behind him as he turned back to me, “You going to be okay?”

  “Yeah,” I swallowed. “Am I allowed to go in and see if they need me this afternoon?”

  “Sure, someone will be in soon to talk to the employees, see if they saw anything,” he responded. I nodded blankly and walked into the already empty café. I looked around for Jan, if anyone knew what was going on, it would be her. The only person in the front was Charlie and he was vacantly wiping off tables.

  “Hey, Charlie. What the heck happened?” I asked as I reached him and dropped my bag into one of the chairs.

  He looked at me with red swollen eyes, “We found Jan in the alley. All bloody and stabbed,” he choked out, no more words coming.

  “What?” I asked him, shocked. I had just seen her that morning, there was no way she was the one they found in the alley.

  He nodded, “We went out for a break, and she was you know, just there.” He sunk into a chair and put his head in his hands.

  I had no clue what to say, so I just sat with him in silence until an officer came in and separated the two of us. He asked me a few questions about my morning, telling me he would check out where I was, but I was good to go for now.

  I picked up my things and wandered aimlessly toward the park. It was the place where Jan and I had first met when I came to the city. She offered me a job at the café and had been like a mother figure to me ever since. Looking out for me and encouraging me to follow my dreams. If it had not been for her, I knew my start here in the city would have been a lot worse. It was going to be a lot emptier now that she wasn’t in it.

  My phone rang and I pulled it from my pocket. “Hello?” I answered without bothering to look at the number.

  “Bianca?” a male voice asked from the other end.

  “Yes,” I replied. “Who is this?”

  “I wanted to call you myself. You will still get the email, but I had to be the first to tell you,” he responded enthusiastically.

  “Tell me what?” I was unable to keep the skepticism from my voice.

  “You are officially being offered the part of Swanhilda, in our production of Coppélia. That is, if you want it,” he added.

  My heart raced. “Yes, yes, of course I want it. Thank you so much.”

  “Details will be sent by email, but congratulations, we are beyond excited to have you as our prima ballerina,” he informed me.

  “Thank you,” I repeated.

  “You deserve it. See you soon.” He hung up and I looked down at the phone in my hand as the screen went blank. It was such bittersweet news that I had gotten the part of a lifetime. While it was exciting and thrilling it was also disappointing since the first person I wanted to celebrate with was no longer here.

  I sighed as I stood. Life was too damn short, it was time that I make the best of it, and make both Jan and my mother proud.

  Chapter Four - Him

  I stood in front of my wall, studying the map I had pinned up, the few articles I had been able to find with Binx in them, taped to it. The time she had been photographed at a marathon, or the reopening of the café, no matter what it was, her bright smile was infectious, even through the black and grey ink of the newspaper.

  There were not many mentions of her, but the few I had found, I knew she left for me. Clues, so I could find her again. Now I only needed to take the next step, find out where she lived so I could take her away and we could start our life together.

  I made my way back to the café, not able to resist seeing if she was there again. Even a glimpse of her smile, one meant only for me, would be enough. I stopped short though, anger rolling through me as I saw the cops that swarmed the front of the café. They were ruining my chance of seeing Binx again, there was no way she would be around right now, thanks to them.

  There was nothing I could do about it though, there were too many of them. I had things to see to anyway and since I knew she wouldn’t be here, it was a good time to take care of it. I had a good feeling about today, this was my next step in ensuring our future, and I would do anything to prove to her that I would always find her.

  I hailed a cab, my next stop being further into the city, I didn’t want to waste any more time than needed. He looked at me in surprise when I gave him the address, but shrugged and pulled away from the curb anyway. When we stopped, I passed him a handful of cash and got out, looking at the garage with two yellow taxis in the bays.

  I shut the door and grinned to myself, spotting the taxi I was looking for parked in the very back of the lot, the same number on the rear panel as the one that had taken Binx from me. I crossed to the garage, calling out to one of the mechanics, “Hey, do you know where the driver of that cab is?” I pointed to the back of the lot. “I think I left something in there earlier. Something pretty important.”

  He came out of the garage, wiping his greasy hands on a towel and looked in the direction I had indicated. “Oh, that would be Ed. You got lucky, catching him on break like this.” The mechanic nodded toward the door, “He’s probably in there having lunch, go ahead and ask him if you can look.”

  “Thank you.” I entered the building and found two men standing inside. The guy on my right was clearly the driver I was looking for by the name tag stitched on his shirt front. “Hey, my friend said she left something in your car earlier, is there a way I can have a look?”

  “I’ll see you later, man,” the other driver patted his shoulder and left through an open door as Ed turned to face me.

  “Sure thing, my cab is just back here. He led me from the building. “How do you know it’s my cab?” he questioned.

  “She gave me the number from your car, and the mechanic was nice enough to point me in your direction. I just hope what I’m looking for is there. It’s invaluable,” I stated as we reached the back of the lot.

  “Not sure if it will still be there, but you’re welcome to look.” He pulled the key from his pocket and slipped into the driver's seat, unlocking the doors and turning on the air. “You caught me at the perfect time, I was just getting ready to clock back in.”

  “Lady luck must be on my side today,” I chuckled as he closed his door and I climbed into the back seat and closed us in. I bent over, my voice muffled as I pretended to search for what I knew was not there, “It has to be here somewhere.”

  “Any luck?” he turned back around as I sat up, pulling my knife from my pocket and flicking it open.

  “More than you know,” I sneered, noting the
GPS logging in on the dashboard.

  His eyes flew open in panic, “Look, I don’t need any trouble. Get what you need and get out.”

  “Gladly.” I sprung forward as he spun around to get out of the cab, grabbing him from behind and hooking my arm around his throat, pulling him back to the seat behind him, his arm just out of reach of the door handle. He realized he couldn’t reach it, and his hands flew up to claw at my arm, making me grateful that even in the heat I had worn long sleeves. I needed to end this quickly before he could do any actual damage, or someone could notice. I was not going to come all this way to leave empty handed.

  I tightened my arm around his throat, holding firmly as he gasped for air, the metal from beneath the headrest biting into my arm, but I didn’t care. “You took her from me, and now you will pay.”

  Ed tried to yell, but the pressure was too great, and he only flailed around instead. My blade glinted under the late afternoon sun that filtered through the sunroof, and the moment he saw it, he knew his fate. Good, he was getting what he deserved.

  I reveled in the moment, let him gasp for a little bit longer, not wanting his suffering to end, but knowing that I didn’t have as much time as I would have liked, either. I pulled up on his chin and met his now bulging eyes in the rearview mirror, exposing the bottom of his throat for me. The blade sunk into his skin, deep and smooth as I sliced it across his flesh, the crimson blood welling out and flowing down his chest and a small gurgle escaped him as he choked on his own blood.

  His body dropped to the side, hanging over the center console as I let him go, looking at him in disgust as the blood pooled around him. I took a moment to wipe my blade on his stiff, polyester shirt before tucking it back in my pocket and leaning over him to the dashboard.

  I used my knuckle to scroll up, quickly finding the time Binx left the Theatre and memorizing the destination address. With a few taps, I cleared the history and left the car running as I got out.