I take a step forward quietly, but the floorboard groans under me giving me away. My heart pounds in my chest, my stomach lurching and sperting in twists. I press my body hard against the wall letting the darkness engulf me. I hold my breath and wait. Nothing happens but I stay where I am a little longer. I finally take another step through the hallway careful to avoid the squeaky floorboard. I can’t see a thing, the dark surrounds me like a blanket, thick and hot. I listen closely for my target, I know where he is and what he is doing. It’s his normal routine, at 9:30pm he sits and watches television in his bedroom. 

I remember that bedroom, with its cream colored walls and ugly blue carpet. His bed sheets grey and that couch that he always sits in floral. The couch he sits on every night at 9:30. I step to the wall I carved a hole in. The hole slightly bigger than an eye brings the slightest bit of light directly to my neck.  I put my eye up to it slowly, silently being blinded by the random sight of golden light. I can barely make out the shapes in the room but I can hear the voice. 

His voice deep and commanding. I listen my heart jumping to my throat hearing his voice again. My hands are slippery from sweat. I grip the gun in my hands harder. I look at the pistol, the light reflecting across its shiny silver surface. I run my finger across its barrel. It felt smaller when I bought it but now it feels like I’m carrying around a brick. I look back through the hole anger filling me making me want to ruin the whole thing and shoot him now. 

But then I hear it. Another voice. Distinct, not like off the tv, a soft and girly voice. My heart races, my thoughts spinning. I can’t do it now. Now there will be a witness I would have to kill her too. I take a step back the floor moans under the weight of my foot. I stop in my tracks. Neither people on the other side of the wall heard me, and I slowly realize why. His voice has become aggressive and her voice more quiet and almost panicstricken, muffled. There is a muffled cry and I can tell her mouth is covered. Realization hits me like a truck. He has found a new victim. 

Another girl to hold captive while he bites, and touches, poking and prodding for whatever his reason. I take another step back the hallway spinning. I close my eyes, remembering the way he tied me up because I kept fighting. Remembering how he trapped me, poking and prodding, his hands on me. I open my eyes and walk to the door of the room their in. I shift my gun to my left hand and grasp the door handle. How many girls has he done this too? I think to myself. I turn the handle slightly, hoping it doesn’t creak. I breathe a sigh of relief as it opens quietly. I push the door open ever so slightly to give just a small view of the room. I see him. He’s above a girl, a blonde girl. Her hands are tied, she must have tried to fight. 

My anger rises to the surface again. Why does he get to hurt others all the time whenever he wants to? I ask myself. It isn’t fair. This suffering must stop. I hold up my gun with shaky hands and take a deep breath. With one finger I cock the pistol and it gives a satisfying little click and I get ready. I try to stop my hands from shaking, but it doesn’t work. Am I really about to do this? My heart says yes stop the pain, but my head says no why risk it. I look at him through the crack in the door again. He’s there up on the blonde girl hurting her as he hurt me. I hear a door slam outside and jump. I know what I have to do.

 I take a quivering breath and push the door open wider. Then everything happens so quickly. I hold the pistol up and pull the trigger sending off a loud bang. I watch as he falls off the blonde girl blood splattering everywhere. He lays dead on the ugly blue carpet turing it purple with his blood. The blonde girl whimpers looking at me with fear in her eyes. Blood splattered on her face and in her hair. Doesn’t she realize I saved her? The gun is so heavy in my hand I can’t bare to hold it any longer and it falls to the floor with a small plunk. 

The room starts spinning again and I hear the floor creak behind me. I turn unsteadily and the police are standing in the doorway. They shout something to me but I barely make it out because I’m stuck in a sort of haze. One of them enters the room and takes a step towards me. I look at the girl and then at him, his body on the floor. I feel cold metal on my wrists and I get pulled out of the room by the police officer.  I don’t care that I am being taken away again. I’m safe this time and I got what I came for. His payment has been collected.