Chapter 1

POV: Harmony Winters

Run! Harmony, run!

My subconscious mind kept trying to push me to break free from his grip, and escape for my life, before he did something more dangerous than he had ever done in the past. He was out of his mind, and if I didn’t leave this minute, he was going to put an end to the gift of breath I had been given.

However, it was hard to get loose from his overpowering strength, as his hands held mine above my head, pinning me to the wall, with so much force and dexterity. He was going on about how much he couldn’t wait to keep my corpse in his basement, along with the other corpses he deemed to be trophies, which he had collected over the years.

“Please, let me go,” I pleaded, through clenched teeth.

He shook his head slowly, with a smirk embracing his mouth. “You aren’t going anywhere,” He snapped, glaring at me with a menacing look, that made cold shivers run down my spine.

“I promise... No! I swear on my life that I wouldn’t say what I saw,” I said, as my lips quivered, with my whole body trembling in fear.

“Of course, you wouldn’t dare say what you have seen, because by then, you’d be long dead,” He said, guffawing like the psychopathic imbecile he was.

I shuddered, as a drop of tear fell from my right eye. I didn’t...I couldn’t die. Perhaps, I was living a worthless life, but for the sake of my younger brother, Mason, I couldn’t die yet.

He grabbed the pocket knife from the table, with a determined look on his face, unfeeling towards my incessant pleas for him to show mercy, and my cries that depicted the agony rooted deep within me.

Cackling like a wizard, he brandished the knife in front of me, and as he brought it closer, my heart began to beat ten times more than usual, with fear pricking me all over. I couldn’t even find the words to continue pleading with him to spare my life, as my teeth chattered and my body kept trembling, perceiving that he wasn’t joking around when he declared he’d be the one to put an end to my life.

“Before you die, I guess it’s proper that you know that you were quite good in bed. I’ll miss your cowgirl position,” He said, placing the sharp edge of the knife against my throat.

“Guess I should have been a horse rider in the country side, then. If I had, I’d have never met someone as pathetic and hopeless as you,” I said, deciding against wasting the short time I had left, trying to make an inconsiderate and abusive loser come to his senses.

My statement angered him all the more, and with all the strength he possessed, he intensified the pressure the knife had against my throat, and began to slit it slowly, with a look of triumph written all over his face.

Little drops of blood began to trickle down slowly, staining my white dress, and tears filled up my eyes, as I saw my life flash right in front of my eyes.

“Harmony. Miss Winters,” I heard someone call, as if trying to revive an already lost soul.

I began to struggle for my life, as my name kept on being repeated. I wanted to answer, but I was choking, as my life was getting snuffed out of me, without apology.

“Miss Winters!” The voice called, this time, firmer and stronger.

I jolted out of my imagination, with my hand around my neck, as I coughed out loudly.

“Are you okay?” The person asked.

I looked up, still trembling in fear, as my eyes met Kaitlyn's eyes, who looked at me, with worry being the only expression I could read on her face.

“I...I am okay,” I managed to say, heaving a deep sigh, that showed how relieved I was that what I had been experiencing hadn’t happened in reality.

“Mr Mateo called. He wants to know if you remember the date you have with his son,” She said.

“Shoot! I almost forgot. What’s the time?” I asked, packing my stuff into my bag, in a frenzied state.

“You need not worry. You still have twenty more minutes,” She said, with a smile plastered on her face.

“What the... How come you didn’t inform me earlier enough?” I asked, throwing the blame at her.

“I didn’t know I had to do that. I’m sorry,” She apologised.

“Save your apologies for later,” I said, standing up to my feet, picking up my bag, as I straightened my dress. “There’s no way I’m going to make it back home, and then, to the fancy restaurant he’s taking me to in time. I had hoped to go home in order to change into something better, but that won’t be possible anymore,” I said, placing my hands on my waist.

“This outfit you’re putting on seems a whole lot beautiful to be worn out on a date. I see no reason why you should go home,” Kaitlyn said.

“You think so?” I asked, staring down at the outfit, thinking about what she had said.

“I know so, although you might want to take off the jacket,” She replied, with confidence ringing in her tone of voice.

“I see,” I said, then, took off the jacket.

It was a red body-con dress, which was sleeveless, and had a slit just by my left thigh. Black silhouette heels graced my feet, and my long ebony hair had been packed in a ponytail.

Kaitlyn was right. The dress was indeed fit for my first real date with Sean Mateo, my boyfriend of four months. Although we had met each other in person about six months ago, during his father’s birthday, we had agreed to be in a relationship during a video call.

He was the sweetest guy I had ever met. He took my number from his father, and when he returned to France, we started talking little by little, till we couldn’t stay without having a conversation with each other everyday. We had a long distance relationship, which was blissful, and now that he was in the same city as I was in the United States of America, I couldn’t help but smile at how much more blissful our relationship would be.

“Miss Winters,” Kaitlyn called.

Once again, I was drawn out of my thoughts. At least, what had gotten me lost this time around was a good imagination, and not one of a despicable maniac, who had died four years ago, and had no power to torment me like he used to in the past. I had put an end to that psychopath. He promised to kill me, but I woke up everyday, relishing at the fact that he could do me no harm, because I had made sure of that.

“You should also leave your hair down,” Kaitlyn suggested.

“Okay. Hold the mirror for me, would you?” I asked, giving her a small hand mirror from one of the drawers.

I let my straight ebony hair glide down my back, and combed it, so that it rested smoothly all the way to my waist. The right part of the hair was tucked in nicely at the back of my ear, while the left part hung down in front of my face, giving me a classy look.

Next, I applied powder and a red lipstick on my lips, with mascara on my long dark eyelashes, feeling thankful that I always carried around a mini makeup kit in my handbag.

“How many minutes do I have left?” I asked, smacking my lips, as I stared into the mirror, admiring how beautiful I looked.

“About twelve minutes left,” Kaitlyn responded.

“Oh wow. The drive to the restaurant should be ten minutes, if there isn’t any traffic, of course. I might not be late, or I might be a little late. Not bad. I am sure he wouldn’t mind waiting a little bit. Now, how do I look?” I asked.

“Splendid,” She uttered, with a smile on her face.

“I know,” I told her, with a wink, and began to walk out of the office, with a confident smile.

“Enjoy your date,” She called out loud.

“I certainly will. Please, send in my schedule for tomorrow via my email address,” l told her, opening the door.

“Will do,” She said.

I didn’t give a response to that, and just closed the door behind me, deciding to take the elevator, so as not to waste the time I didn’t even have.

No one else was getting into the elevator, and I began to feel skeptical about going into it. I wasn’t always claustrophobic, but ever since I was kept in a very dark room just waiting for the day I died, it became my greatest fear. It always felt like I was choking when I was in an elevator, and that a gun would be fired at me immediately the doors finally opened.

I never dared to step into one alone, and as my heart raced in fear, I decided to just take the stairs, in case I suffocated being all alone and trapped in a confined space.

As I turned around, I bumped into someone, someone I guessed was about stepping into the elevator, but whose footsteps I hadn’t heard since my mind had been clouded with other thoughts.

“Watch it, will you?” He asked.

I quickly staggered backwards, pulling away from him. “I’m sorry,” I apologised, sincerely.

Seeing the displeased look on his face, I decided to just go ahead with my plan of taking the stairs, thinking it unwise to stay in the same elevator with him. Yes! I bumped into him by mistake, but was that enough reason for him to be looking at me like I was a serial killer? He could go to hell for all I care; I didn’t need his company.

I apologised again, and began walking away, when his strong firm hand grabbed my wrist, making me halt at once, feeling as confused as I could possibly be.

It was impossible to free myself from his grip, and my heart began to race as I looked up to meet his stone-cold impenetrable gaze. He wasn’t smiling, and I could smell trouble looming, and the time ticking. My date was waiting, but I was stuck here, with a sinister and grim-looking individual that couldn’t accept apologies, and surely had to work on his anger issues.