This is my attempt to serialise a book... I will be writing a chapter every week (probably) and I will be posting it here... I also need a title for the book.

Sunday 21 February 2010

04. Michaela and Janet

Michaela finished tidying up her station and got ready to leave. She always enjoyed the social part of her job; talking to the customers, flirting and playing with the punters but she was never very good at keeping her area clean so she was almost always the last to leave.

She picked up her bag and coat and walked up the stairs. The cleaners had just got in and were getting ready to clean the place.

“Friday night.” She thought as she shook her head and then smiled to one of the women on the crew. “Always leaves a fucking mess!”

As she got to the door, the bouncer, Johnny, opened the door for her.
-“Goodnight, Mik! Sleep tight!”
-“Yeah Johnny! You too! Give my regards to the missus.”

As she walked out and she felt the cold rain, she opened her umbrella and she started to walk fast. Michaela loved London, she enjoyed the way she felt when she was walking around this city. The sounds and sights of the city, even the smells of the streets she enjoyed. Well sometimes…! The rain though, she had to admit, she hated.

She decided to walk down Oxford St on her way back home. It was late and Oxford St was always busy enough to feel safe even at this hour. As she crossed Regent St at Oxford Circus; she heard some drunken, angry shouting. She turned around to see a group of youngsters fighting. “The English!! They had a tendency to go mental when they had a few too many.” She kept her head down as she quickly passed them by. The rain was getting harder so she quicken her pace, she wanted to get home as soon as possible, take off her now almost soaking clothes and get into her warm bed next to Janet.

The streets were pretty empty now, the lateness of the hour and the pouring rain making sure any usual hangers-by had left for home. Even the angry shouts had been silenced. The only sound now was her heeled boots as she made her way home. In five minutes she would be in her pyjamas and right now that was all she wanted. That and those really nice sets of bras on the window of Intimissimi. She knew Janet would love them.

As she stopped to look at them again, she thought she heard another pair of heels walking behind her. She turned to see but she realised the noise had stopped. She looked around but couldn’t see anything or anyone. She decided to leave the window-shopping for another day and turned up Newman St towards her small flat.

She walked quickly but was now getting nervous. She realised she was all alone in the middle of the night. The story about that woman disappearing came to her thoughts and the way D had reacted when she told him that she had seen her. He looked… worried. He tried to look calm but she could tell that something had agitated him and he did leave almost immediately afterwards. She decided to ask him about it next time she saw him.

The noise of someone behind her jolted her out of her reverie. She turned around quickly but again, no one was there. Just the rain and the shadows from the street-lights.

She slowly put her hand into her bag and fished for her keys. She didn’t want to waste anytime and the sooner she was in the building the safer she would feel and she really, really wanted to be next to Janet’s sexy body right now. She reached her door and quickly got her keys out, fumbling with the lock as she opened the door and got inside.
She took a deep breath, letting it slowly out in a long sigh as she rested against the wall. Once she got her heart pace to a manageable rate she started walking up the stairs.

Her flat was on the third floor of a building, converted into flats during the 80’s, mainly one-bedroom flats and studios. Hers was a one-bedroom that she shared with her long-time girlfriend, Janet. It was a nice flat, clean, and roomy, especially for London and although it didn’t have particularly nice views, it was close to Oxford St and of course Soho.

She opened the door to the flat and walked in. Strangely the lights were off; Janet would already be in bed of course but she usually left the lights on for her. She dumped her bag on the floor, took of her wet coat and went into the bathroom. She normally changed into the living room when she was working late so as not to wake up her lover but tonight she decided to get ready for bed in the bathroom. Her clothes were wet so she threw them into the bath as she got into her pyjamas.

She walked down the corridor towards the bedroom wanting so much to slip into her bed. She smiled at the thought of Janet’s hands holding her as she laid beside her. She slowly opened the door and as she walked into the room her face turned into a grimace of horror.

Janet’s body, her lover and soul-mate, was lying spread-eagled on the bed, naked. Her night-shirt ripped from her and tossed on the floor. She looked terrified at the horrible wounds criss-crossing her chest, the blood flowing freely from there, staining the sheets. The sheets that only this morning she had put on the bed.

Michaela recoiled knocking into the door. Suddenly she heard a noise behind her. She turned and froze as she saw the shadow advancing towards her. She opened her mouth to scream. The scream that was cut from her throat as the cold blade sliced across. She felt to her knees , gurgling the blood pumping out of her body. She looked up and her eyes widened as she know clearly saw her attacker.

Her beautiful eyes now frozen in death asking forever the question ‘Why’…?