Virtual Nightmare

{Prologue}

In horror I watched as the blood gushed out in a torrent from the wound in the side of Colleen's head. She slid down the wall slowly until she was sitting on the cold tiles.  Her shaking hands reached up to touch the cut Elizabeth had left with her knife.

I tried to run to her but Mr. Manikas grabbed the hood of my sweatshirt and jerked me back. I choked over the tight feeling around my neck.

"Don't even think about it, bitch," Elizabeth sneered at me. The whore. 

"Fuck you," I said. 

Mr. Manikas pressed the gun against my head. "Watch your tongue, young lady."

I twisted my head until I was staring right into the eyes of the fucker. "Fuck you."

He clicked his tongue. "Tsk. Tsk. Tsk. You just won't listen."

"Why don't you stop being a little bitch and let me go so you can fight me like a man?" I said boldly.

Mr. Manikas threw back his head and laughed. Elizabeth was laughing too. I had the overwhelming urge to kick both of them where it seriously hurt. 

"I didn't want to do this," Manikas said cutting his laughter short.  His voice was between a whisper and a hiss. "But you know how it is." He paused for a moment and I could hear him trying to catch his breath. Fucking old man. " 'Shit happens' Isn't that what you young kids say these days?"

"You don't have to kill them," Jaycee shouted. I turned my head back to see him jerking his arms around in the restraints to no avail.

"Oh, you think I'm killing just her?" Mr. Manikas laughed. It was the first one from him I had ever heard that sounded truly genuine. That thought sent shivers down my back. He was a total psychopath. 

"Oh, no, no, no, no, Jaycee." Elizabeth pointed her gun towards Jaycee and Mr. Manikas didn't stop her. He just kept on talking.  "You are all going to die. You are all witnesses and we have to fix that little problem."