Nikki's Secret

by William Malmborg

  “True,” Mark said. He didn’t really think this was the case, but didn’t want to argue. Who would after everything that had just occurred?

  “So, what’d she say in her texts?” Amy asked.

  “Oh, um . . .” he hesitated “. . . nothing important. She’s just taunting me.”

  “How so?” she urged.

  “Well . . .” he really didn’t want to frighten her. At the same time he didn’t want to make her think he was hiding something because that could make her feel as if he might not be trustworthy enough to keep doing what they had just begun. Plus, he had told her a bit about Nikki earlier and how she had messaged him about her, so it wasn’t like this was a huge surprise or anything. “I can’t figure out how it’s possible, but like I said earlier, she seems to know you, and now was asking if we are having a good time.”

  “Hmm.” It wasn’t the reaction he was expecting. What followed was even more unexpected. “Tell her YES.”

  “What?”

  “Wait, are you not enjoying yourself?” She pretended to pout.

  He laughed. “If I wasn’t then there would be something seriously wrong with me.”

  She smiled.

  He typed up the suggested reply and hit SEND.

  Didn’t she just seconds ago agree that poking at Nikki would be bad? It was funny how people could suggest something and then disregard it in a matter of minutes.

  “Hehe, and now, rather than wait and see if she replies, let’s go get something to eat. I’m starving.”

  “Good idea. Where should we go?”

  “Huh, I have no idea.”

  With that they began discussing their options, each one throwing out restaurant names until they finally settled upon Los Rancheros on Route 23.

  20

  Bill waited a long time to see if Kimberly would come up and talk with him, but it never happened. Surprise wasn’t present with this, though disappointment was. Frustration toward himself for feeling this way also appeared. Nothing he could do about it. One couldn’t control their desires. Things like this just happened.

  And don’t instigate any contact!

  This, more than anything else, was the hardest aspect of this entire situation. It was also probably the most important. The last thing he wanted to do was to pester her. Running down there if something happened was one thing. Constantly going down there just to talk with her and be with her was another.

  Plus you would hate it after a while if things did develop because chances are she would come up here all the time, and when, not up here, would expect you to be down there.

  As hard as it was to imagine feeling like this toward Kimberly, he knew from past experience that it would happen. Whenever he entered a relationship he loved it in the beginning, but then quickly grew to hate it in the end. With this one it would almost be like they were living together right from the start since no driving was required when visiting. That wouldn’t be good.

  Nope. The best thing right now was to keep things just the way they were, despite how much he wished otherwise.

  To help stick with this plan he popped in the latest DVD that Netflix had shipped to him and, with Toby on his lap and a glass of Coke at his side, began watching it. Of course, while doing this, he hoped for contact by Kimberly; or, at the very least, an incident that would bring him running down the stairs to her rescue.

  Nothing happened.

  21

  NIU_Nikki sat outside Kimberly’s place for quite some time that night, but never made a move toward the house. Nor would she. Instead, she just stayed in the car thinking, her mind trying to decide what the next course of action would be. She also debated on whether or not she should keep attempting to send men to the house via the dating sites she had joined. In the beginning, she had pictured hundreds of men converging upon the house, their frequent visits driving Kimberly mad. She had also hoped some would refuse to take ‘no’ for an answer – if the whore even said no that was – and forced the issue. Such an event would have been incredible, though only if it didn’t go too far because in the end she wanted to be the one administering the killing stroke. She wanted to be there and watch as those final pleas for mercy were made. Watch as her lips gasped for air that would not help her. Watch as her eyes glazed over.

  Unless you are then caught and put in jail.

  If that happened she would look back fondly at what she had done, but would also always have the nagging wish that one of the men had completed the deed for her instead.

  But why?

  It’s not like you have much of a future beyond this.

  This thought had been a constant companion for several months now. In fact, it had been a companion for years, but had been temporarily smothered out as everything in her life became bright and happy. But then . . .

  She shuddered at the memories, most of which dealt with what had occurred last May, but also those that had happened earlier. March and April had not been good months for her, the former marking the moment when the brightness in her life began to fade.

  Fear had been a constant companion. As always, it had started small, but then, as more and more evidence began to appear, it grew until it reached an unbearable level. Soon nothing but it was present in her life; her mind frantically trying to do everything it could to halt its progress and find a solution despite knowing it would be fruitless. And then, Nikki had appeared.

  The anger that this memory brought forth was so strong that she almost had to drive herself away from the house just so she wouldn’t go in and kill the girl.

  In fact, the only thing preventing such a brash act was her sense of accomplishment in what she had achieved thus far in her revenge.

  And soon it will be complete.

  But then what?

  In her mind, she viewed one of the final scenes of The Princess Bride, which, coincidentally, was her favorite movie. In the scene Inigo Montoya mentioned to Westley that he didn’t know what to do with his life now that his revenge for his father had been fulfilled. Soon she would be in the same dilemma, only no one would offer her command of a pirate ship.

  No one will offer you anything.

  The reason: she had no one. Everyone who had ever cared for her, or pretended to care for her, was gone. She was alone.

  Well, there is someone . . .

  She didn’t want to think about that though and pushed the thought away.

  The sudden presence of a figure walking toward her car helped with this, concern that they would confront her removing everything else from her mind.

  The figure walked by the car without even looking her way and eventually disappeared around the corner, feet taking whoever it was toward the cemetery.

  She sighed and then told herself to go home. Nothing good would come of her sitting out here.

  Unfortunately, sitting out here, though nerve-racking, felt better than sitting at home due to the emptiness that always filled her soul.

  And that emptiness will always be there so who cares if you manage to convince the police that some sex addicted pervert was to blame for –

  Oh shit! her mind cried as the driver side door was yanked open.

  “Get out!” a voice demanded.

  It was the guy from last night, the guy who lived above Kimberly, the one she had been unaware of due to the piss poor information Dominick had given her about the type of place the ‘Nikki’ girl was living in.

  A hand reached in and attempted to help ensure that she complied with his command.

  She replied by grabbing hold of that hand and biting down.

  “Jesus Christ!” he cried. “Let go!”

  She tasted blood as her teeth punctured his flesh, her jaws putting down as much pressure as possible to achieve the best results.

  He tried pulling away, her teeth feeling the tug as he tried to free himself.

  She would not let go, however, and started to grind her teeth back and forth, her hope being to sever some important artery so that he would bleed to death.


  He grabbed her throat and squeezed.

  Panic arrived.

  She had no choice but to release him, her jaws unable to maintain their hold as the blood flow to her brain was cut off. He did not do the same, though, his hand seemingly tightening with each second that passed.

  Do something!

  Her right hand fumbled for the key, which was sticking out of the ignition, while her left tried to pry his hand free, all while her body did everything it could to prevent him from pulling her out the door, which he was trying to do.

  His right hand, despite the injuries she had inflicted with her teeth, grabbed her by the hair.

  She gasped, the lack of air making it more of a dry squawk than a scream.

  Twist it! NOW!

  The engine came to life.

  She hit the gas.

  The engine revved up, but the car didn’t move.

  SHIFT TO DRIVE!

  Knowing what she was trying to do, the guy gave one last pull with both hands, her throat feeling crushed while her scalp felt on the verge of ripping.

  And then the car leaped forward as she got it into drive and hit the gas, his holds on her broken as he dove away from the car.

  DOOR AJAR.

  The light was present on the dashboard as she maneuvered the car out of the neighborhood and onto Peace Road, the force of hitting the gas having closed it, but not enough for the car to recognize it as being latched.

  Also present was a heart that felt as if it would burst free from her chest, one that would not slow and forced her into a parking lot rather than heading all the way home.

  Several minutes passed before she could even contemplate completing the drive, her mind thinking of little during this time. And then, once thoughts did start to reappear, they all focused on the guy from upstairs and the realization that he needed to be removed from the picture.

  But not tonight.

  Unless . . .

  Rubbing her throat, which still felt like it was being squeezed, she thought about how unsuspected it would be for her to make a move against him this evening. Given everything that had just occurred he probably figured she would rest and recover, thus it would be safe for him to do the same.

  But you don’t know enough about him yet.

  And killing him could bring way too much attention upon the house, which in turn could prevent you from enacting your revenge upon Kimberly.

  These thoughts frustrated her, as did her lack of awareness while sitting outside of Kimberly’s place.

  He could have ruined everything.

  Worse, he could have killed you!

  This thought stuck with her for several minutes, an odd realization appearing as she contemplated it.

  Death did not frighten her.

  Failure did, but once all was said and done she would not be upset if the revenge resulted in her death as well.

  Even odder, she felt comforted by this, almost as if she welcomed such an outcome.

  22

  Bill winced as the peroxide landed upon the teeth tears in his skin, his own jaws clenched tight in hopes that he didn’t cry out.

  A demand to know why he had done what he did followed. He should have called the police. Seeing the car during his walk, which he had taken due to his boredom halfway through the movie (not because the movie was bad, but because his mind couldn’t focus on it), and realizing the girl was inside should have prompted him to pull out his phone and report it. Instead, he had attempted to subdue the girl himself. What exactly he would have done after that he did not know, and now, thinking more clearly about it, he knew he probably could have gotten in legal trouble for his actions.

  And you didn’t even take down the license plate number, he noted to himself, frustration growing.

  Next time.

  If there is one.

  Twice now he had almost gotten a jump on her, and twice she had gotten the better of him.

  No, three times, he corrected, his mind picturing the moment outside the garage last night.

  That was more of a draw, another part countered.

  No such thing in this game.

  These thoughts ceased as he dumped more peroxide on the wound and watched it fizz, the fear of infection from her teeth a worthwhile worry given how bacteria ridden mouths generally were.

  After that, he tried to figure out what he would do for a bandage, the wound too big for the simple Band-Aids he owned.

  Go to Walgreens?

  Without a car the trip would take him about an hour, which, at the moment, didn’t seem worth it. At the same time he knew he needed to cover it somehow, especially given that Toby would probably rub up against it many times once he finally went to bed.

  Gas station?

  That was only a ten-minute walk. Unfortunately, he didn’t know if they carried what he needed, or if they would even be open at this time of night – out here, many of the gas stations closed at ten and it was now almost midnight.

  Then again, if that didn’t work there was a 7-11 just down the street from the gas station and that, he knew, would be open. They also probably carried what he needed.

  So . . . his mind started; a debate on whether or not he really wanted to venture out once again arriving.

  Five minutes later, he was on the sidewalk again, legs re-walking the steps he had taken a short while ago as he tried to burn off the energy that was keeping him from being able to relax.

  And it was right here when you saw the car.

  At first he hadn’t really believed it was her, but then, as he got closer and closer and realized someone was sitting inside it, knew that it was. Seeing it from the back had cemented this.

  Should have called the police.

  Should have gotten the license plate number.

  Should have, should have, should have . . .

  He pushed the thoughts from his mind since there was nothing he could do about it now. Instead, he would simply focus on getting what he needed to cover the wound and go to bed. Tomorrow, once he was rested and thinking more clearly, he would do whatever he could to figure out where the daughter of Martin and Olivia Moore lived and see if he couldn’t put an end to this horrible situation once and for all.

  Until then . . .

  Buy some bandages, patch up the wound, and then go to bed.

  And forget about getting up early to try to do some writing because it just won’t work.

  Nothing would until this was over.

  Monday, August 22, 2011

  1

  I had such a wonderful time yesterday, as you probably guessed based on all the noises I made, hehe. I hope you did too. I’m pretty sure you did. I can’t wait to see you again today. Let me know what time you’ll be in town. Oh, by the way, that weird girl somehow got my number and sent me some texts. I’m not sure what she is trying to accomplish. I’m not going to respond, so hopefully she will get bored and leave me alone. Anyway, see you soon. Hugs and kisses. Amy.

  Mark read the message five times before even contemplating a reply, a smile growing larger and larger each time he got to the ‘hugs and kisses’ statement. The only downside to the message was the part about Nikki, but, thankfully, it sounded like Amy wasn’t letting that get to her. Nor would she allow it to ruin what the two shared, which was great.

  Oddly enough, he hadn’t received any messages from Nikki, which led him to wonder why she would contact Amy. Was she trying to ruin his chances with her? If so, why? What possible purpose could it serve? Was there even a purpose?

  It doesn’t make sense.

  Well, not to you. To Nikki it probably all seems reasonable, even necessary.

  Thinking about this would get him nowhere, however, so he decided to let it go and focus on sending a reply to Amy and then getting ready to head out to DeKalb.

  I’m so glad you had a good time. I did too. In fact, yesterday was one of the best days of my life and now I can’t wait to see what else is in store for us. My first class today is at ten, but I plan o
n being on campus around nine given how crazy everything will be. I then have a break at eleven thirty that lasts until two thirty. If you are free let’s get together during that time. That class ends at five and then I’m done for the day. We can get together afterward if that works better. What is your schedule like? Oh, and I’m really sorry that Nikki girl is bugging you. I don’t know why she’s doing that. I’m thinking that just ignoring her would be best. That’s what I’m going to do. Hugs and kisses to you as well. Mark.

  As usual, a bit of worry entered his mind once the message had been sent, the focus of it being the ‘best day of my life’ statement. It wasn’t overwhelming, however, and by the time he was finished with his shower he was able to push it from his mind.

  2

  Kimberly was in a bit of a panic that morning, which was pretty typical for her when it came to first day events. And nothing but going to class (or the new job if that was the case) would calm her down. It was kind of like waiting to be called upon to give a speech. The anticipation of getting up there in front of the class was torture, but the actual event not so bad, and before she knew it, she would be finished.

  Soon you will be pulling back into the garage.

  And what will be waiting?

  The thought brought a chill, though one that wasn’t as bad as it would have been a few days earlier given that her fears of the situation had lessened somewhat with the realization that a girl her own age was behind it. Why exactly this was the case she didn’t know, especially given the knowledge that a woman could be just as lethal as a man, but the fact remained that it didn’t frighten her as much.

  Yeah, well, you’re still sleeping on the couch.

  Understandably, her fears did increase a bit with nightfall. Plus having the TV on seemed to help keep her thoughts free of the situation.

  The question was would she still be wanting the TV on once this situation had resolved itself, or would she be able to go to lay down in the dark bedroom and drift away without it?

  If not, you’ll just have to buy a second TV for the bedroom, she told herself while stepping into the shower.

  Twelve minutes later she emerged, body clad in her bathrobe, feet taking her into the kitchen to freshen her coffee.