by S. K. Lessly
He resumed his bad habits as if an assassin wasn’t hunting for him and I played on that.
The night came when I finally decided it was time to kill Perchenko. I had learned a lot about him through the locals. Most of the women feared him. Some had been hand-selected to spend the night or weekend with him and quite a few never returned. The few that did return, they were in such bad shape they couldn’t tell anyone what had happened to them. Some even washed up on the shores of Rio, the tale of their experiences evident on their lifeless bloated bodies.
Prostitutes were his favorite though. They were professionals. They knew how to keep their mouths shut and do what they’re told. For the most part, he ordered his women from one service provider. They were discreet and was rumored to have the best-looking women in the state.
I had spoken to one of the women, a lady named Adriana, and asked her to help me get into his home. She was hesitant at first until I told her what I had planned to do. After that she was willing to help. Surprised that she said yes? I wasn’t. Revenge was a motivator for all, the innocent alike.
Apparently, Adriana’s sister was one of the victims of Perchenko’s that washed up on the shore. She was seventeen and not a prostitute. The death of her sister motivated her more than I could ever do. I also paid her handsomely for her time.
Adriana gave me the skinny on how the visit to Perchenko would go. Perchenko would make the call to the madam of the service. He would either ask for fresh meat or he’d ask for someone in particular. She told me the women would put up a fight if they were chosen. He was known for his violent tendencies. He was unpredictable and even though he paid well, the bruises and possibly loss of life just wasn’t worth it.
I couldn’t blame them for putting up a fight when one of them were summoned to Perchenko’s casa. I mean who didn’t enjoy being strangled, slapped around, dragged by your hair during or before sex. Sounds sexy…
I hope you heard the sarcasm in that statement.
Anyhow, Adriana told me that Perchenko had started requesting only her for the past couple of weeks. He claimed that she was the only one he could tolerate. She thought different. She believed he liked her because she had been the only one capable of handling his sadistic ways. She didn’t mind it at first. Not until her sister was found dead. Now, she loathed the fucker.
I had asked her to let me know the next time he sent for her. I had hoped I wouldn’t have to wait too long. However, I had been prepared to wait an eternity. The call came two days later.
It looked like fate was showing me favor in more ways than one.
Adriana went on to explain the security. They searched her, and her team but it was a cursory check. They quickly glanced through bags, however they didn’t wand anyone, checking for weapons, fucking lazy ass wipes. We came up with a plan that seemed to be solid. I would pose as her makeup artist.
I couldn’t just walk in with her. I was sure the security had a picture of my face and a description. It didn’t show the blonde hair I had or the implants in my checks. It also didn’t show the added weight the makeshift fat suit I wore produced.
She only traveled with two people. A makeup artist and a fluffer. Having a makeup artist was the norm for her and she didn’t have the same one all the time, which worked out in my favor.
The fluffer? Yeah, that was different. The fluffer could be male or female, whatever the working woman preferred. This person’s job was to get the women all hot and bothered before they had sex with their clients. She said it was normal. Having a fluffer helped her get in the mood especially when her clients were unattractive. I didn’t judge, just didn’t think people in her line of work did shit like that. It made sense though, right?
Adriana knew my true intent, her fluffer did not. Unfortunately, I had to put him to sleep in order to keep him out of my way. After he was snoring away, I removed the fat suit revealing a black leather form-fitted one-piece suit. I laced my boots, grabbed two Ka-bar knives I had tucked in with the makeup kit the guards at the gate of this great place failed to check.
While Adriana walked to the bedroom to do her thing, I escaped into the house to do my thing and let me tell you I satisfied every single hunger for death and destruction I had ever had. I stayed in the shadows, killed anything and anyone that moved.
Perchenko didn’t have a wait staff living in his home with him, which worked out for me. Every piece of shit guard I dropped deserved it. At times I slit throats. Other times I had to be inventive. What worked out in my favor was the time of night. Most of the guards were sleeping or watching television in the T.V. room. It allowed me to roam through the house, killing before anyone realized what was happening.
I finally made it to Perchenko’s bedroom and found Adriana riding the hell out of the man. I mean damn, she was putting in work. Her very generous boobs damn near slapped her face as she bounced. Her hips moved like a pro; I mean she was almost as good as me. The man couldn’t handle her. He kept telling her to slow down, to pace herself, but she didn’t listen. When she came, he was pissed as fuck, especially when she rolled off him and stood.
“What are you doing?” he asked in Portuguese.
Adriana didn’t respond right away. She was still breathing rapidly as she reached down and plucked her satin robe from the floor. She threaded her arms through the sleeves and wrapped it around her beautiful sweaty body.
“I asked you a question, what the fuck are you doing?”
“Nothing,” she replied in the same language, her native tongue.
“Why are you getting dressed? I have not dismissed you. You have a job to do. Now get the fuck over here and suck my cock until I come.”
Adriana frowned and shook her head. She glanced down at his hard but average sized penis and shrugged. “Don’t worry. You won’t be left hanging. You’ll definitely get yours.”
It was then that I appeared from the darkness of his room like a phantom. Perchenko’s eyes grew wide as he took me in and I knew he understood what was about to happen.
I won’t go into details about what I had done to him. Just note it was messy, gory, painful as fuck, satisfying as hell, and deserving. He put up a fight, fought valiantly too, but it just wasn’t enough. By the time I was done with him, they would have to identify the body with the teeth lying around the room.
I thought about burning his corpse, but what would be the fun in that. The way I killed him was a message. You fuck with me and mine, you die the most painful death imaginable.
After I left the tomb I created, I disappeared into the country of Brazil. I was lost to the world for weeks after that, lost to myself. I couldn’t go home like this. Not after the things I had done, the carnage I had caused.
In fact, I didn’t think I would ever make it out of the hell I instructed for myself. However, someone did. He broke through the darkness, the rage, the despair and shined just a bit of light for me to follow it home. It enabled me to fight back, to let go of the emptiness and become whole again and he did it with videos.
Yeah, I know but it worked.
There was one night in particular that initiated everything. I had been lying on a beat-up cot in a rundown hotel outside the state of Minas Gerais. I had tried to bury myself in Vodka again that day, but my daily trip to the toilet to throw up my insides thwarted my efforts. I crawled back to my bed ready to sleep the day away, when a notification of an email came through my phone.
I stared at it blankly, in shock actually. I had blocked everyone, sending them wherever blocked numbers and emails went, even my parents. They knew I was alive, I had texted them once or twice but I couldn’t bear to listen to the sound of their voices. Hear them say they love me but catch the disappointment in their voices. I wasn’t ready for that.
I wasn’t ready for this anonymous email either, however, I didn’t realize that until it was too late.
I clicked on the email, wondering how the hell I received an email from an account I had closed. The email was empty except for a video l
ink. I had opened the link, which should have been a red flag all on its own.
But maybe deep down, I knew who it would be and I was desperate to hear from him.
Shane…
His face appeared on my small phone screen and I caressed him with a shaky finger. By doing that small movement, I indirectly hit play and his voice came through the speakers of my phone.
I closed my eyes and reveled in his sound, a sound that seemed to brighten my mood just a little bit.
I opened my eyes and focused on his words.
“Shit…” Shane closed his eyes, shook his head and mumbled something I couldn’t catch. I turned up the volume hoping that would correct the issue.
“Okay look, I’m not too sure if this is going to work. I feel like an idiot doing this but Josh said it worked for Sweets and right now I’m at a loss on what else to do so here it goes…”
Shane took a deep breath and proceeded to shatter me into little tiny pieces.
“Hey, so I won’t keep you. I just wanted to talk to you for a little bit about someone very special to me, the woman that I’m in love with.” What? He’s not about to tell me about some other woman? It better not be that fucking Barbie bitch. I’ll fucking kill her.
I tried to push the stop button, but I couldn’t get my fingers to work right. Instead of stopping the stupid thing, it went back ten seconds and started again.
“She’s by far the sexiest woman I had ever met. She’s also very smart and beautiful, funny, charming, caring, and such a badass. I mean damn… She could do some damage when she wants to. And her body… Did I say she was sexy? She has curves for days.” Okay he can’t be talking about Barbie. She was skinny as a rail. Okay, then who is he… “She’s about five six or so with brown skin and beautiful lips. She could bring me to my knees with just a smile. But her eyes… they are her best quality, as it pertains to physical attributes. Her eyes are this exotic shape and the color… unique and stunning. I could stare into her eyes all day and get lost in them they are that extraordinary.
“I love her. I love her more than anything. I love her more than life itself. There are no words in the English language that would do my feelings justice. She’s my whole world, the reason for my existence and she’s missing.”
I gasped slightly and brought my hand to my mouth. My heart began to pound against my chest and I rubbed the spot, wondering if I was having a heart attack or something. If I was, then so be it. I wasn’t moving from this spot until I heard everything this man had to say. I was glued to the screen begging for more. He didn’t disappoint.
“I hadn’t seen or spoken to her in weeks and it’s killing me. I’ve looked everywhere for her. She’s seemed to have disappeared. This woman is loved by so many people and everyone is feeling her loss. But me, I’m more than lost, I’m not existing. You see that’s what she does for me. She gives me the strength to exist, even if it’s just for her, I exist. So, I’m telling you about this woman in hopes you could help me find her. This is the only option I have left to locate her. I’ll send you videos every day if I have to. I want you to know her the way I do that way you can help her when you find her. I would really appreciate your help.”
Shane brought his hand to his chest, sighed then gave me a smile.
“Well, that’s it for today. I’ll write you again tomorrow. I’ll see you soon, bye.”
My eyes remained glued to the dark screen for minutes after the video ended. It was only when I noticed droplets of moisture on the screen that I snap out of it. I touched the screen, wondering where the water was coming from. It took a few seconds before I realized the water was coming from me. I was crying and I didn’t even know it.
Shane kept true to his words. He sent me videos every day, sometimes two to three times a day. He would tell me stories of… well of me. At first, to my jaded cold ears, the woman sounded foreign. It took a few days before I realized what he was doing. He was introducing me to me and I loved him even more for it.
His videos gave me life. He showed me who I had been, spoke me back into existence. Day after day I felt myself changing. I could see light in my darkest hours. I could feel him, feel his need for me in every word he spoke.
One day though he panicked. It was late when he sent this video and I could tell he was drunk out of his mind.
His hair was all over the place, his beard full and eyes wild and manic. He scared me slightly, but after he started speaking, I understood his deranged state.
“Okay look, I have to know you’re getting these. It’s driving me crazy. I miss the fuck out of you. I need to know that these videos are helping, that you’re getting them and I’m not making a fool out of myself. I need you to tell me now. I need you to write me and tell me. The suspense is killing me. I need this, okay? I need this. I’m waiting.”
With that last sentence, he ended the video.
I stared at my phone and started not to respond but that idea quickly died when fear once again crept into my heart. I was afraid that if I didn’t respond he wouldn’t send me another video and I needed to hear his voice, see his face more than I needed to exist. So, without thinking I responded. I sent him an email that just said four words… “I’m here, for the most part and I’m listening.”
Okay that was more than four words, but you got my meaning. He only responded with thank you. That was it. The next morning when he sent his video it was as if the previous night hadn’t happened. He also never asked me to contact him again, and I didn’t. He continued to tell me stories about myself that made me cry, laugh, get angry and surprisingly horny. By the time the last video was sent, I was ready to come home. In fact, he was too.
“Hey, so this will be my last video. I have told you all that I can about the woman I’m searching for. If you see her, please tell her it’s time to come home. Thank you for all of your help. Later.”
The video ended and I stared at my dark phone for a long time before I started to make preparations to come home.
It took me a while to make it home and when I did, I headed straight for my parent’s house. I tried to bury all of the guilt, the self-loathing, the sorrow, and the fear before I stepped inside my parent’s home. I took a few deep breaths, opened their door with my keys and confidently stepped inside as if I hadn’t been gone for two months. I prepared myself for the yelling, the tears and the disappointment but I got none of those things.
Instead, my mother stepped from inside the kitchen, and looked me over.
“Oh great, you’re here,” She stated plainly and smiled at me.
“She’s late, as usual,” countered my father without moving his eyes from the television.
My mom rolled her eyes and sucked her teeth.
“Oh please, leave her alone. Honey, drop your things off in your room and wash your hands. Dinner is almost ready.”
With that she turned on her heels and walked back into the kitchen.
That was it.
She didn’t say anything about me being gone. She didn’t yell or scream or cry. My father didn’t either. They just treated me as if they had just seen me yesterday. I was shocked. I mean I thought they would at least comment on how I looked. I knew I looked a hot mess. My hair was all over the place. I was wrinkled and smelled bad and my hair was knotted up in a crazy mess of curls. But no. My father looked over at me and jutted his chin toward the steps.
“Get moving, Misty. I’m starving and you know how your mother is. She won’t let me eat until you’re seated at the table.”
I nodded absently at my father and did as I was told.
Again, that was it. My parents didn’t push or prod for at least a week. Then they did but by then I was begging for them to.
My father insisted on taking me to a doctor to get checked out. He performed every test under the sun. I had gotten some calls pertaining to those tests but I had yet to answer them, afraid of what they’d say. I figured if I was messed up or dying, my father would tell me.
My mom took over the men
tal half of me and took me to see a therapist, but do you know, I didn’t need one. Someone took care of that for me. He brought me back.
Which was why I was here, sitting outside his parent’s house letting fear get the best of me, damn it. I needed to be brave. I claimed I had found myself. The old Misty would have already been inside that house, sticking her tongue down his throat, not out here being afraid.
Fuck it!
I stepped out of the car, closed and locked the door, and made my way to the front door. I could do this. All I had to do was get him to come outside and talk to me. I didn’t have to do this in front of our families. Just get him by himself and talk to him. I knocked, took two deep breaths and let it out slowly.
The door opened and Sweets stood there, shock on her face then pure joy.
25
Misty
“Oh my God! Misty!” Sweets gushed and wrapped me in a tight embrace.
I smiled and welcomed her touch. I had truly missed her and even though I hadn’t spoken or seen her in months, there wasn’t any resentment or hurt in her eyes. I was sure she was masking it for my benefit, but I was thankful she did. I didn’t think I could handle dealing with all of my shortcomings at once. Just one at a time.
She pulled back from me her face beaming with so much love my knees almost gave out on me. “You look good. I love what you did to your hair.”
I cut my hair. I had to. It became so matted and nappy, I could barely get a comb through it. It was cut into a Bob, the back super short, the sides hovering inches from my shoulders. My hair framed my face nicely. It worked for me.
Sweets stepped back from the doorway and waited expectantly. When I didn’t move, her smile fell slightly.
“Are you coming in?”
I shook my head and looked around her to peek inside. “No, I was just looking for Shane. I uhh need him. Do you know where he is?”