They Wont Get Here In Time
“Have you seen the news today?” asked Maggie, looking to her housemate and best friend. Maggie was your average college student, attempting to make her way in the world, struggling with rent and balance college with a part time job, as well as attempting to live her life. She stood around 5′4, had shoulder length mousy hair and piercing forest green eyes. Her normally contagious smile had been replaced with seriousness, as the days news repeated again, the same story she’d read in the paper at lunch and heard on the radio during class.
Ronnie, a beautiful blonde woman could only shake her head. Slowly she made her way over the couch, pulling a fuzzy blue jumper over her slim frame as she did so. Her pale eyes glued to the news reporter on the TV. Deep down Ronnie suspected the buzz at the cafe she worked part time at, would be related the recent string of murders. No one knew who was doing it and the attacks hadn’t been fatal until the last one. The whole town was in a terrified frenzy, even the police didn’t know what was happening, they had no suspects and no witnesses had come forward. The first few victims to have survived only described a white ghost face looming over them from the darkness, wielding a hunters knife. Some even swore there was more than one, although nothing could be confirmed. Only the psychopath doing this was laughing in enjoyment while slashing and stabbing.
“That’s the fifth attack in two months” shakily spoke Ronnie, she’d been about to continue when the photo of the latest victim was shown. The moment it was, she paled and froze, dropping the mug of coffee she’d been holding. Ronnie didn’t need to hear the name of the victim, she knew him. The latest victim was Chris, her boyfriend of two years. She found it hard to believe, they’d been speaking yesterday, planning what they were going to get for Kai’s birthday. His party would be the weekend after next and be the first major get together since they all graduated school.
“I’m scared” quietly spoke Maggie, ignoring her phone when it began to ring, after a few seconds she tapped the reject button. Suspecting it would be the creep whom had taken to calling her lately. Whomever it was, had been the reason she rejected signing up for the dating site, a co-worker had suggested. “First Wyatt, now Chris.....” whispered Maggie, too afraid to speak louder, for fear someone else she know and even loved would be next.
“Hello” spoke Ronnie, her voice cracked and shaky, as she attempted to hold back her tears of her heartbreak. Although she didn’t normally answer calls from unknown numbers, she had assumed it was someone she knew. It was too late for scam callers and no one outside her work, friends and family had her number. “Who is this?” asked the heartbroken blonde, looking to her phone when no one answered. When someone finally answered, it wasn’t a voice she recognized, instead it sounded almost mechanical.
“Is this Alice” asked the caller, seeming unsure of their own words, yet still somehow confident in what they were asking, calm even.
“Sorry, you have the wrong number” snuffly responded Ronnie, hanging up seconds later, not bothering to hear what the person had to say. Instead only wishing for the encounter to be over. Mere seconds later the sound of something shattering could be heard from one of the bedrooms. Both women felt a shiver go down their spine, as their apartment fell into a deafening silence.
“Hello” once again spoke Ronnie, both to the unknown caller, and to the corridor of the apartment leading to the bedrooms. “Look, the person you’re calling for isn’t here” spoke the beautiful blonde, as she grew agitated with situation. Miming to Maggie to call the police, her gut feeling yelling at her something wasn’t wrong. Her spidey senses telling her both of them were in danger.
“Did you see that?” asked Maggie, sweeping her mousy hair from her eyes, squinting her eyes slight in the direction of Ronnie’s bedroom door. She could have sworn she’d seen a white ghost face peaking around the door frame to the dark room. Nothing else, just the emotionless white face. It scared her to think they weren’t alone, even more so when it registered to her, the intruder could be in the house. After all the smashing sound had come from Ronnie’s room.
“Kai” called Ronnie, having spotted the white mask in the mirror’s reflection. Her mind trying to rationalize the entire situation, but telling her it was Kai in one of his stupid costumes again. He had a love for horror films that could rival that of Enzo. Yet her common sense soon kicked in. Why would Kai break into the apartment to scare them? He always rang the door bell and hid out of view of the ring camera, or if they were at someone else’s place, he’d jump out from somewhere. Never once had he done something this extreme before.
“Yes, there’s a masked intruder in my apartment. Me and my room mate, heard a window shatter a few minutes ago. There’s someone watching us from one of the bedrooms” quickly spoke Maggie, relief washing over to hear the voice of an operator. Although terror soon washed over her again, when Ronnie’s phone vibrated to alert them of the ring camera detecting movement. Once again Ronnie paled, at the door was someone else dressed in black, with the same white emotionless mask as the person in her room. With dread the blonde quickly showed Maggie the live footage, the figure brandishing a shinny unused knife in a threatening manner, as if they knew they were being watched through the doorbell camera.
“There’s second one at the front door with a knife. Please hurry” cried Maggie, as the seriousness of the situation hit her. Dread and fear making her heart drop to her stomach. As it finally hit Kai wasn’t behind one of the masks, and this wasn’t a joke. “Oh god” whispered Maggie with tear pricking her forest green eyes. The intruder in Ronnie’s room slowly left to stand in the hall leading to the bedrooms, blocking the path to the only rooms they would have been safe in. Out of panic, Ronnie picked up a knife from the kitchen counter, passing it over to Maggie before grabbing another one from the drawer.
“What do you want?” screamed Ronnie, hanging up the phone on the mysterious caller again. Ensuring to block the number shortly after, even if she did think it was pointless. It was clear to her, the caller was in on the sick joke and was just going to taunt them further. “The police are on their way” yelled the beautiful blonde, with fear shimmering in her pale eyes. It soon dawned on her, the intruders were likely the ones causing so much mayhem and fear lately, the ones likely behind the attacks and now two murders.
“They wont get here in time” spoke the intruder in the hall, with the same mechanical voice as the unidentified caller. Yet both women knew it wasn’t the intruder calling, whomever it was in the hall hadn’t spoken a word until now, and the ring door bell hadn’t recorded anything from the other intruder besides their movement. Which only meant there was someone else involved in the twisted game of malice.
As if the mechanical words were the cue, the second intruder busted through the front door, snapping the chain and almost taking the door from its hinges. The first intruder launched towards the kitchen in an attempt to chase the girls from their place of safety and weaponry. On instinct Maggie, lashed out on the seemingly taller first intruder, slashing the kitchen knife she held across the black robes, drawing blood from the arm. Revealing a familiar looking tattoo at the same time. The second intruder soon launched at Ronnie, missing wildly as they all but flew over the island, sending things crashing to the floor.
The two intruders didn’t speak a word to each other, as they continue the deadly game of cat and mouse. The taller one went after Maggie, whom had run off towards the bedrooms, while the smaller one went after Ronnie, who quickly picked up a chopping board, whacking the intruder over the head with some force. Once again knocking them down, quickly she picked up the hunting knife. Wasting little time in stabbing it downwards, hearing a feminine scream from behind the white ghostface mask, as the blade went through the center of the intruder’s left hand.
Maggie too fought back, throwing anything she could get hold off, at her attacker. Something smashed against them, other things bounced off. When the taller intruder launched at her, she threw the lamp she’d grabbed at the same time. Screaming for help as she fled her room, back to the common areas, hoping against everything, one of the neighbors would be alerted and doing something, or the police would arrive soon. As Maggie ran, the intruder behind her pulled the rug from beneath the feet, sending her crashing to the ground face first. The masked intruder soon grabbed a handful of hair, pulling her head back before jamming the hunting knife into her lower back. Listening as she screamed out in agony. Blood flooding from her wound, pooling around her on the wooden floor. The attacker pulling the blade from her back, wiping the fresh blood from the blade seconds later.
“MAGGIE!” yelled Ronnie, seeing her friend go down and scream in agony, tears flooding down her cheeks. At the same time Ronnie dodged another attack by the second intruder. Picking up things to throw at the robed figure, if only to prevent them getting closer. The blonde beauty turned around in time to witness the first taller attacker, run the sharpened blade across Maggie’s throat. Leaving behind a deep bloody gash, gushing an uncontrollable waterfall of crimson. The taller attacker soon turned their attention to Ronnie too, as if Maggie suffering wasn’t any fun for them anymore, as if her last moments meant nothing.
In her shock, Ronnie forgotten about the intruder behind. Whom had since gotten up, holding their head before running towards her with the knife out and ready to attack. Without a second thought, the smaller attacker, ran the blade through Ronnie’s left shoulder, just above the blade, listening as she yelled out, turning around and punching the attacker. As she did, she caught a glimpse of the tattoo on the first attacker’s arm. A heart made up of two dolphin’s, if only to confirm her suspicions, Ronnie headbutted the second smaller attacker, before running at the other one, dodging the knife and pulling the mask off. Stopping in shock and horror.
“Why” shakily asked Ronnie, looking to the bottle redhead, her pale eyes widening in shock, tears still running down her cheeks. She recognized the bottle redhead, although practically strangers, they had met before. “Why the fuck would you do this” yelled Ronnie, finding herself hopeless, even if she could hear the nearing police sirens. It was two violent attackers, against her. Maggie, was gasping and struggling for breath on the hall floor. Their neighbors were useless. One of the attacks was someone she recognized, the other although injured was finding enjoyment out of the twisted game of cat and mouse.
Without another word, both attackers launched at Ronnie. Although she had dodged the damasked redhead, she hadn’t been quick enough to avoid the smaller masked attacker. Whom’s knife rammed into Ronnie’s chest, piecing her heart and likely snipping an artery. The smaller attacker chuckled, amusement clearly ringing in the voice, as they pulled the knife out and began a frenzied attack of knife stabs. Aiming at the chest and neck, ensuring the chances of survival were next to nothing.
It soon registered with both attackers, the police would be there in seconds. Both of which ran towards the window, the bottle redhead had entered through, exiting the bloody crime scene, just in time to avoid being caught by the arriving police. The taller bottle redhead, with a cold expression on their features, one would never tell their had just taken part in a violent murder. Nor would one guess they had bared witness to the brutal death of another. The smaller masked attacker, almost celebrated the attack and succeeding in another successful plan. To the smaller of the two attackers, it was like a game. Nothing could bring a end to the thrill ride they were on.
