Hidden Nature Pg. 4

Karen couldn't sleep again last night. This time she could make out the face of one of her captors. Who was he? He called her little Jay.

"Don't worry little Jay, it will all be over soon. This time no one will find the body."

She shivered as the memory flashed in her mind, as vivid as the present. She couldn't wait to tell Ralph. Even though she hadn't spoke to him in almost a week, he did say that his door was always open if she needed him. Karen thought that it was odd that he hadn't checked up on her since the night of the storm.

Maybe, she thought, I've been too needy these past few months. Too much of a burden. I hardly know anything about him. All he does is ask about me.

So she resolved to make him a cake. Did she know how to make cakes? She wasn't sure, but somewhere somehow she'd learned. She knocked on his apartment door hours later, expecting the somber, but sexy dark man she'd spent most of her free time fantasizing about to answer the door.

Instead, Ralph completely surprised her with a great wide grin and a full kiss on the lips, with tongue! She was so surprised that she dropped her cake."

"Hey baby, do you remember me?", he said with a sinister laugh.

"R-Ralph…That's not funny. Of course I remember you. My memory isn't that shot." She was hurt by the insinuation. He wasn't usually this insensitive.

"Apparently it is. Come inside."

She hesitated.

Why is Ralph acting so strangely? It's like; it's not even Ralph at all. Maybe the mysteriousness was actually danger that I saw in him all along. Why do I feel scared right now. I've never felt that way before around him.

After she closed the door, he turned her around briskly and took both of her wrists and held them tightly over her head against the door. A wave of nausea came over her.

'This happened to me before. But when?'

"What are you doing Ralph?"

"Isn't this what you want, Karen?"
Despite herself, her voice became husky. She'd visualized encounters with him before, but never like this. She thought he'd be more gentle with her. But her thoughts faded away as his body slowly came toward hers, his hazel eyes drunk with passion. Was it passion?

His mouth covered hers in a slow, deliberate kiss. Her body responded to his unthinkingly. It felt so familiar. But how could it be. She never even kissed Ralph.

As he kissed her neck and earlobes she gave a sigh of pleasure. She thought that this day would never come. All the time she spent fantasizing about him month after month. He tore the buttons on her shirt and exposed her chest. He was so impatient, almost violent to her. His mouth found one of her nipples, already hard in anticipation…

"Ohh.. Ralph!"

Suddenly, he swung back his fists and punched her twice while her wrists were still suspended in the air. Then he let her fall to the floor.

"Stupid bitch!! I knew you were sleeping with him."

"Ralph, what are you talking about", she choked out in between sobs. She was scared for her life. Never before had she seen his eyes so mean, and vindictive. Like her husband, Ryan.

My husband, Ryan! I'm married! Wait a minute, Ralph is Ryan??!! Why would he do this? Why masquerade like a different person?"

He was just about to kick her hard in the stomach when Ralph walked in.

"Get off of her or I'll kill you right now!", Ralph said with his gun ready to fire.

'Wait a minute…what…. How is this possible', she thought as panic and confusion succumbed to unconsciousness.