Chapter 27: Chapter 27

It was freezing cold and pitch dark, as it always is in Juneau, but luckily the man who introduced himself to me as Ronald in the course of our inconsequential conversations didn't live far from the all-in.

"And you? How was your life?" he then asked as we walked down the snow-covered sidewalk and I immediately took a deep breath, already shivering slightly from the cold.

"It was nice," I replied with a smile, once again marveling at how alike all men seem to be. They all said they had to cajole me or be polite when all I wanted was their money anyway, so they didn't have to bother.

When we entered his apartment, it wasn't long before he slipped my coat off my shoulders and started kissing my skin, which began to burn slightly from his forced touch.

Inside I was disgusted, but I'd put up with it enough times to just tune it out and pretend to enjoy it.

The quiet conversations fell silent and the nice gentleman he had just been showed his true colors now that I was completely at his mercy.

"Get undressed," he ordered harshly, undressing himself in the process, but I didn't look at him anymore. I knew that all he wanted now was to live out his instincts on me. Of course there were also men who remained polite and loving, but most of them took all their hatred out on me and my body at all the women who showed rejection towards them.

I was just a whore in her eyes...which I actually really was.

Standing there only in his panties, he looked me up and down with a certain distaste while playing with his cock and then came towards me with an evil glint in his eyes.

"What are you into, love?" he whispered in my ear, tugging at my brown curls so hard that I gasped and swallowed hard, my head pounding slightly.

"Whatever you're into," I whispered, and he pulled away from me and pushed me onto the bed behind me, which squeaked softly several times from my impact.

My legs were shaking and my mind drifted so far away that with my eyes closed I only noticed everything in passing.

I felt his warm, sickening breath on my breasts. His hands all over my body and his erection on my thighs and I kept telling myself in my confused thoughts that I could stop that soon when I finally had enough money.

"You little piece of shit needs to be fucked properly," I heard him moan and before I could open my eyes to look at him, I felt his hand firmly pressing on my neck and how he pushed my panties aside with the other.

I held my breath, preparing to be taken hard by him like a cheap piece of meat, but it didn't happen as there was an unexpected knock on the door.

"Fucking shit," he cursed under his breath, getting up from me to quickly pull on his pants.

I also raised my upper body and pulled the blanket in front of my naked body to also look curiously at the door.

"Who is it?" Ronald asked, buttoning his pants.

But there was no answer.

He was about to come back to me, shaking his head, when suddenly the door slammed open behind him and in complete shock, I let out a silent scream to look straight into the eyes of a masked man.

It was too dark to see him and since I had no idea what he was doing here I just widened my eyes in panic as I pulled the blanket up over my nose to hide behind it.

In a flash, the guy grabbed Ronald by the neck and threw him to the ground before taking a pistol, pointing it at his hand and freezing cold. Roland cried out and doubled over on the ground, so the unsub hit him once in the head with the back of the gun, and then there was only silence.

"Holy shit," I blurted out, my heart racing, and when he looked at me intently, tilting his head to the side, I immediately put my hands up in surrender and just babbled on.

"Don't shoot! Please! I didn't see anything and I won't tell anyone!" I explained, thinking I'd die of fear, but the masked man didn't react at all.

Very slowly he came closer to the bed where I was sitting shirtless and still trembling with my hands in the air. I didn't even dare to breathe anymore and even my lips trembled uncontrollably as he kept walking towards me in silence.

My gaze kept falling to the gun in his hand and only when I felt the warm drops on my cold cheeks did I realize that I had started to cry.

"Shhhh," I heard him whisper and standing right in front of me, he grabbed my chin, forcing me to look up at him.

Carefully, almost gently, he let his thumb roam my tear-streaked cheek, only to turn away from me again after a very short time.

He bent down for my clothes, threw them on the bed in front of me and only when he then left the apartment again without saying anything, did I lower my already aching arms and start to cry bitterly out of fear.

Shocked, I pulled my clothes on as quickly as I could, then checked Ronald's pulse and fumbled for his phone.

I dialed the police number, but hung up immediately and took a few deep breaths as a bitter thought suddenly struck me that seemed totally real to me about what was happening.

Maybe this guy was Josh trying to protect me because he was so in love with me that I would have given him credit for anything.

I took one last look at the one on the floor and then decided to just walk away because I wouldn't put Josh in jail, if it was him.

I quickly climbed over Ronald, left the dark apartment and then ran home as fast as I could, still in shock.

I woke up in a sweat, and it took me a few seconds to realize it was just a nightmare, making me gasp and shiver.

I looked around my small apartment, which consisted of only one room, completely overwhelmed, and then reached for my glass of water that was on my bedside table.

I drank a few sips hastily and then got up to wipe the sweat from my forehead and walk to one of my two windows.

The sun was shining on Juneau, but my thermometer read minus temperatures as usual, which immediately made me roll my eyes.

What was I thinking when I came here...

My eyes fell on my red curtains, which I then drew to hide a little in the darkness of my brightly furnished apartment, because the unknown masked man was no nightmare. He was real, almost more real than anything else, and just the memory of his hand grabbing my chin gave me goosebumps all over my body.

Was it really Josh?...

I hurriedly walked between my black-sheeted bed and the red couch to head straight to my small kitchenette, where I turned on my coffee maker, noticing that I was beginning to tremble uncontrollably again.

"Bullshit," I cursed, shaking my hands once in annoyance to suppress my body's reaction.

Then I ran into the bathroom to take a long shower and put on my white bathrobe before I sat down on the couch with my coffee.

Actually, I was listening to music and dancing around my apartment around this time, but not today. Not after that night that seemed to haunt my mind.

I had never seen a gun before and never felt so afraid...

No, that was a lie.

I used to feel this fear often. Whenever my stepfather would sneak into my room at night and cover my mouth while I could hear my mother crying next door.

I stayed strong, for her, but eventually I couldn't take it anymore and then I remembered why I ended up here in Juneau.

I just wanted to get away from this monster, but reality showed me only too well that such creeps were everywhere and now, with no money and no prospect of a real job, I was bound to indulge in these beasts night after night.

Frustrated by my negative train of thought, I quickly drank the rest of my coffee and then pulled on a pair of dark jeans, a white sweater and a black, thick coat to leave these confining four walls.

Like every day, I walked down the wide street to the harbor, right where Josh's mother worked. He didn't know that I bought fresh fish from her every day, but I did it to support him and his family financially.

I didn't have much myself, but it was natural for me to help others anyway.

"Halloooo," I said politely and then looked around her booth while she greeted me politely as well.

"I thought you weren't coming today," she said with a smile and took one of the paper bags in her hand.

"I didn't sleep that well," I admitted, looking into her eyes, which were the same warm color as Josh's, while pointing in a trance at some fish, which she wrapped up for me.

"Nightmares?" she asked, but I wanted to suppress the thought and shook my head in the negative.

"The cold," I lied, then held out the money while taking the paper bag with my other hand.

"Yes, it bothers us all," she smiled encouragingly. "I wish you a nice evening," she added, and after I had wished her the same, I disappeared along the harbor to see Willy.

From afar I could already see said one sitting with some others under a canopy, like every day. He must have been around 50, always wore the same thick, brown coat and had unfortunately been homeless for ages.

I liked him a lot, that's why I brought him fresh fish every day, so I helped two people with these daily groceries, which just made me happy.

"Love," he greeted me immediately and wanted to get up, but I gestured with my hand that he should stay seated.

"I brought you something, Willy," I smiled and briefly greeted his friends, who were all also sitting around the fire, and then sat down next to him.

"You really are my guardian angel," he said, touched, and gratefully accepted the fish, while I just felt comfortable being around you.

He was the only one, along with Josh, who didn't treat me like a prostitute, even though he knew exactly what I was doing.

Now the thoughts of last night were just a side issue and instead of feeling cramped and lonely in my apartment, I felt welcome and safe here.

"And what's new?" Willy asked with a friendly smile and nudged me lightly with his shoulder.

"Oh, nothing better-"

I stopped myself and held my breath as I saw Ronald coming straight at me with a bandage on his hand.

"Willy," I whispered, glancing into his green eyes. "I have to go."

I gave him a kiss on the cheek and was about to get up with a racing heartbeat when Willy grabbed my arm.

"What's going on?" he asked worried and wanted to get up as well, but my eyes fell on Ronald, who stayed further away and glared at me angrily.

I had the feeling that I was about to throw up and in a panic I tore myself away from Willy and then ran in the direction of all in.

It was still early and there was still a bit of light, but Pablo sort of lived there, so I was sure he would let me in.

I ran down the street at a brisk pace hoping Ronald wouldn't come after me and just as I turned to check, I slammed into a hard chest and was caught by him at the last second.

"Not so stormy," he laughed and although I neither really knew nor liked him, I was absolutely happy about his existence.