Page 112 - The Houseguest

to dress in all black – in expensive tuxes to attend meaningless events. To me, this was the event to surpass them all.
I stared at my watch without blinking. I waited for 10:58 PM before I slowly descended the stairway, avoiding the side of the steps that made sound. It was about to happen. So much planning, so many hours spent arranging and rearranging details until my schematic was perfect. This was it. I waited in the dark behind the door entering back into the hallway. I heard the voices growing closer as they walked toward the side exit. Then I heard other staff members leaving and the door closing, followed by the sound of keys jingling -- the keys she always used to lock the shop’s door behind them. She walked back inside to file away the night’s receipts and lock up the bank bags. I knew every step she was about to make.
Finally, I heard the sound of rattling keys again as she approached the door to leave for the night. I quietly opened the door and grabbed her before her key reached the door. With a force I never knew I possessed, I threw my right arm around her neck and used the other to squeeze them together around her so tightly that the pressure was exerted to both sides of her neck.
As she struggled, I felt even more empowered. My strength seemed suddenly herculean, as I held tighter to immobilize her. She opened her mouth wide to scream but was only capable of producing one small inaudible gurgle before she was silenced. I waited as she kicked and contorted her body in an attempt to escape, until she fell limp in my arms. The struggle stirred my insides so much, I found myself wishing she’d held out longer before succumbing.
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The Houseguest by Linda Ellis www.LindaEllis.life